Chocolate Irish Soda Bread with Guinness Stout

Loaf of chocolate Irish soda bread topped with white Irish whiskey glaze and sliced open.

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Chocolate Irish Soda Bread with Guinness Stout

Indulge in my Chocolate Irish Soda Bread made with dark Guinness Stout! Soda bread made with simple ingredients is a New England favorite. This version with cocoa powder, chocolate chunks, and an Irish whiskey glaze is perfect for dessert or coffee time.

Prep Time20

Cook Time40

Cooling Time40

Total Time1 40

Course: Bread, Chocolate, Snack, St. Patrick's Day

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 301kcal

Author: Nancy Mock

Ingredients

For the bread:

3 cups all-purpose flour plus extra for dusting
½ cup cocoa powder, sifted
5 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
2¼ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon instant espresso or coffee
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
6 ounces semisweet chocolate
¾ cup Guinness Extra Stout beer
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon rum extract
¾ cup buttermilk plus extra for brushing

For the glaze:

1 cup confectioners' sugar sifted
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 tablespoons Irish whiskey

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make the bread dough:

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Have a 2½ to 3-quart Dutch oven or oven-proof pot ready. Place a piece of parchment paper in the bottom, long enough that it comes most of the way up the sides.
Note: If you don't have a Dutch oven or pot this size, the bread can also be baked in a larger pot or on a parchment-lined baking sheet. The bread will spread a little more and be a little flatter.
Stir together the 3 cups all-purpose flour, ½ cup cocoa powder, sifted, 5 tablespoons packed light brown sugar, 2¼ teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon instant espresso or coffee, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon baking soda in a large bowl.
Use a sharp knife to coarsely chop the 6 ounces semisweet chocolate. Stir the chocolate into the dry mixture.
Pour the ¾ cup Guinness Extra Stout beer, ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract, and ½ teaspoon rum extract into the dry mixture. Then, pour *most* of the buttermilk into the bowl (roughly ½ cup). Stir the wet and dry ingredients together until a dough forms; add more buttermilk as needed if the mixture is too dry.

Shape and slash the dough:

Turn the dough mixture out onto a lightly floured surface, and sprinkle a little flour over the dough.
Fold the dough over just a few times until the dough is cohesive and holding together. Shape it into a round.
Place the dough into the lined Dutch oven. Use a paring knife to cut a cross into the top. Then, poke a hole into each of the four corners of the dough. (To let the fairies out.)

Bake:

Place the pot in the oven and bake the bread for 10 minutes.
Reduce the heat to 350°F. Bake the bread for 30 to 35 minutes longer.
Note: It can be tricky to tell when it's done because the bread is so dark. It's ready when the top and sides are set. A digital thermometer inserted in the center should read about 185°F.
Turn the bread out onto a cooling rack; use the edges of the parchment paper to help lift the bread out. Let the bread cool.

Add the glaze:

Whisk together the 1 cup confectioners' sugar, 2 tablespoons melted butter, and 2 tablespoons Irish whiskey in a small bowl. It should be loose enough to drizzle.
Drizzle the glaze decoratively over the top of the chocolate soda bread. Or, slice the bread and drizzle the glaze over the slices.
Another option is to warm the glaze briefly in the microwave until it's loose enough to brush. Then, use a pastry crush to brush the whiskey glaze over the entire top of the bread.

Serve:

Let the bread cool most of the way before you slice and serve it. I like there to still be a little warmth in the soda bread; that way the chocolate inside is nice and melty.
Serve slices of chocolate soda bread plain, or spread them with salted butter. Or, serve the slices with dollops of whipped cream.

Store:

Allow the chocolate soda bread to cool completely, then tightly wrap in in plastic wrap. Store it at room temperature for up to three days.

To reheat:

While the bread can be served at room temperature, I think it's especially delicious when warmed up. To do this, remove the plastic wrap and wrap the loaf in foil. Place it in a 300°F oven for about 10 minutes. Then slice and serve it.

Notes

You may not need all the buttermilk, and the amount of humidity in the air can affect this. Add about ½ cup to start, then add in more as you need it during mixing.
Because it's such a dark, chocolaty loaf, it can be a bit tricky checking for doneness. Pull the bread from the oven after 30 to 35 minutes at 350°. The top and sides should be set and sturdy. The internal temperature on my chocolate soda bread was at about 185°F on a digital thermometer.

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