Icelandic Brown Bread Recipe - from Bake.Eat.Repeat. (2024)

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Easy to make, slightly sweet, soft and perfect for your morning toast – this Icelandic brown bread is amazing. You need to try it!

Icelandic Brown Bread Recipe - from Bake.Eat.Repeat. (1)

So, anyone out there ever had Icelandic brown bread? Yeah….didn’t think so.

This maybe isn’t a recipe that the masses are clamouring for. But you know what? They should be. It’s a fantastic, easy to make, brown bread that is a bit sweet, super soft, and just perfect for your morning toast.

So why Icelandic brown bread? Well, because I’m part Icelandic and so I had it fairly often growing up. My grandma’s family is from Iceland, although I’ll be honest, I haven’t really had a ton of Icelandic food. There were the few things that we would have at my Grandma’s house whenever we were visiting, but that’s about it. And occasionally my dad would bring home some dried fish and he and I would happily inhale it (being the only two in the house that actually liked it! As a side note, I haven’t had that in years – I wonder where I can find it?).

Icelandic Brown Bread Recipe - from Bake.Eat.Repeat. (2)

I have a couple of Icelandic recipes from my Grandma, although I haven’t yet attempted to make my favourite of all, a cake that she made every Christmas. It’s so good though, andI might need to try making it this year, just so that I can share it with you!

The one I make on a regular basis is this one – Icelandic brown bread. This recipe was from my great Aunt, and was originally meant to be made in a bread machine. But I never did really care for the strange square shaped loaves that you get out of a bread machine and so I haven’t used one in years. If you prefer to use one though, this recipe works well on the whole grain setting – it will make one large, 2 pound loaf.

I like it as two smaller 8×4 inch loaves, made in bread pans. Either way, it’s the perfect bread for toast. We love it toasted for breakfast with peanut butter or jam.

Even if you haven’t grown up with Icelandic brown bread – you will love it. It’s fantastic!

Icelandic Brown Bread Recipe - from Bake.Eat.Repeat. (3)

Yield: 2 - 8x4 inch loaves

Icelandic Brown Bread

Icelandic Brown Bread Recipe - from Bake.Eat.Repeat. (4)

Easy to make, slightly sweet, soft and perfect for your morning toast - this Icelandic brown bread is amazing. You need to try it!

Prep Time20 minutes

Cook Time1 hour

Total Time1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 1/3 cup (315mL) warm water
  • 1/4 cup (57g) butter, melted and cooled
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons (6g) granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup (105g) brown sugar, lightly packed
  • 1/4 cup (90g) molasses
  • 2 teaspoons (12g) salt
  • 2 cups (10oz, 280g) all-purpose flour
  • 2 1/2 cups (12.5oz, 350g) whole wheat flour (plus up to 1/2 cup (2.5oz, 70g) extra, if needed)
  • 1 tablespoon (11g) instant yeast

Instructions

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attached, or in a large bowl with a wooden spoon or dough whisk, combine the water, butter, sugar, brown sugar and molasses.
  2. Add the salt, all-purpose flour, 2 1/2 cups (350g) whole wheat flour and the yeast.
  3. Mix with the dough hook until everything is combined.
  4. After mixing for a minute or so, the dough should come together and clear the sides and bottom of the bowl.
  5. If it is too wet and sticky to clear the bottom of the bowl, sprinkle in a little more whole wheat flour, a tablespoon at a time, until the dough clears the bottom of the bowl. It should be soft and slightly tacky to the touch, but not overly sticky.
  6. Knead the dough for 8-10 minutes (12-14 by hand) until it is smooth and elastic.
  7. Remove the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, turning it to coat, and cover tightly with plastic wrap.
  8. Allow it to rise until almost doubled, about 2 hours.
  9. Punch down the dough and turn it out onto a lightly oiled surface.
  10. Divide it into two pieces and shape each into a loaf by pressing it into a thick rectangle and then roll it up from the long edge, pressing the seam as you do so.
  11. Place each loaf seam side down into an oiled 8x4 inch bread pan and cover loosely with plastic wrap.
  12. Allow the loaves to rise for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until they have almost doubled.
  13. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  14. Bake the loaves for 50-60 minutes, or until browned and cooked through.
  15. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

32

Serving Size:

2 slices

Amount Per Serving:Calories: 68Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 146mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 1gSugar: 5gProtein: 1g

Nutrition Information is estimated based on ingredients used and may not be exact.

Icelandic Brown Bread Recipe - from Bake.Eat.Repeat. (2024)

FAQs

Why is bread in Iceland so good? ›

To make the bread, he combines rye flour, all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt, then blends in cow's milk. Though that may sound simple, it's the temperature, depth, and time that the bread spends cooking in the hot-springs sand that imparts its cakey sweetness. Steam hisses around Lake Laugarvatn.

What is the famous bread in Iceland? ›

Locals call it rugbraud, but it's also referred to as 'thunder bread' or 'hot spring bread'.

How do you make the top of bread Brown? ›

What are the best techniques for creating dark color and shine on bread crusts? To create dark, burnished crusts on their loaves, professional bakers brush milk, egg, or water onto the surface of the risen dough before baking.

What is the number one food in Iceland? ›

This boom in fisheries led to fish becoming a staple of the Icelandic diet. Today, you'll see a mix of both preserved and fresh foods in Icelandic homes. Horse meat is no longer banned and salted meat is rare. Fish remains the main food source in Iceland.

What is the most liked food in Iceland? ›

Cod, salmon, and haddock are the most common, along with langoustines, a favorite for most local gourmands. “Lobster is also one of the best things Icelanders eat. The small Icelandic langoustine is incredibly tender and delicious and an expensive favorite for many, myself included,” Halldorsson laughed.

What do people in Iceland eat for breakfast? ›

The main components of a typical Icelandic breakfast include eggs, bacon, sausages, and skyr. Skyr is a traditional Icelandic yogurt that is high in protein and low in fat. It is often served with brown sugar, berries, or cream. Another popular dish is oatmeal or hafragrautur, which is made with rolled oats and milk.

What are 3 popular food in Iceland? ›

TOP 10 foods to try in Iceland
  • Why Food Tasting Will Be the Best Part of Your Iceland Trip.
  • Skyr - The Icelandic Yogurt.
  • Slow Roasted Lamb.
  • Hákarl - Fermented Shark.
  • Icelandic Lamb Soup - Kjötsúpa.
  • Icelandic Fish.
  • Icelandic Hot Dog.
  • Rú*gbrauð - Dark Rye Bread from a Hot Spring.

What is the national breakfast of Iceland? ›

Iceland. A typical Icelandic breakfast in 1900 included oatmeal porridge, skyr, black pudding, rye bread, and coffee. In modern times, oatmeal porridge and orange juice are popular but the most common breakfast is a simple combination of bread and coffee.

Where did Zac Efron bake bread in Iceland? ›

Actor Zac Efron journeys around the world with wellness expert Darin Olien in a travel show that explores healthy, sustainable ways to live. They visit Laugarvatn Fontana, a small geothermal spa in Iceland, and experience bread baking like they did before electricity.

How much is a loaf of bread in Iceland? ›

Sample prices by item
ItemISK (average)Price in GBP (approx)
Imported beer (330ml)1,000£5.90
Milk (1 litre)206£1.20
Bread (loaf)445£2.65
Eggs (dozen)754£4.45
12 more rows

Does Iceland have a dessert? ›

Icelandic people are known for having unique and distinctive local cuisines and dishes, such as fermented shark and puffin, but they also have a number of famous desserts. Undoubtedly the most famous Icelandic dessert product is Skyr which can be found in supermarkets worldwide and is most likened to a yoghurt.

Why do you put water in the oven when baking bread? ›

Two reasons: By keeping the outer surface of the bread moist, it delays crust formation. This allows the bread to expand (or “spring”) for longer and develop the nice round shape. Without water, it might form a crust early on, but then as the middle bakes, it will expand and burst the crust.

Why is my brown bread not brown? ›

Are you baking your loaf at the right temperature? It sounds obvious, but bread generally needs to be baked at a high temperature. A golden-brown, glossy crust is achieved when sugars and amino acids (the building blocks of proteins) in the dough react together at high temperatures in the oven.

Why is my brown bread so dense? ›

The reason why whole wheat loaves end up so dense is because whole wheat flour has very little gluten as compared to white all-purpose flour. Gluten is important for giving the dough – and final loaves – structure. Without it, loaves tend to end up flat and dense.

Which country has the tastiest bread? ›

Iceland. Iceland is considered one of the countries with the best bread in the world, much of which can be attributed to the unique methods it employs for its bread-making. The Icelandic rye bread is high in sugar and is baked underground using bubbling lava sand as the heat source.

Which country has the best bread in the world? ›

Well, Roti Canai of Malaysia tops the Taste Atlas list of the world's best breads. Roti Canai is a famous flatbread originally found in Malaysia. It is a pan-fried bread. The bread from Malaysia has secured 4.9 stars.

What kind of bread do they eat in Iceland? ›

This dense, mildly sweet, hearty rye bread is ubiquitous in its native Iceland, where it's traditionally sliced very thin and served with smoked, cured, or pickled foods.

Where is the most delicious bread in the world? ›

World's best breads: the list of winners
  • Roti canai (Malaysia)
  • Pan de bono (Colombia)
  • Butter garlic naan (India)
  • Nan-e barbari (Iran)
  • Pan de yuca (Colombia)
  • Focaccia di Recco col formaggio (Italy)
  • Baguette (France)
  • Naan (India)
Oct 4, 2023

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