Friends, hello.

Last fall, one of you — Michael, from Ireland — emailed me asking if I had ever come across a bread recipe that "includes porridge oats or what you might call oatflakes?" He noted: "It has been a traditional way of making bread here in Ireland."

Attached to the email were several recipes for "brown bread" as well as a simplified version of one Michael said his teenage son bakes regularly. He also included some notes:

"As you know Irish soda bread usually has a much thicker dough and can be formed before going in the oven. This is quite a wet dough and you might need to adjust the amount of buttermilk depending on the absorbency of the flour. We use a locally-grown grain, Purple Wheat Flour, originally from Ethiopia for the wholemeal flour."

All of this intrigued me, not only because I liked the idea of a simple, healthy bread recipe one of my children might be able to throw together, but also because I have received several emails over the years from people asking if I have a recipe for "brown bread," to which I never know how to answer.

If you google "brown bread," search results pull recipes ranging from black-hued breads baked in cans to light-hued brioche-like loaves baked in pullman pans.

I loved the sound of the various brown bread recipes Michael had sent along, all of which included a good amount of whole wheat flour, oats, buttermilk, and a small amount of sweetener, either brown sugar or maple syrup.

In the end, I made a combination of several of the recipes, using 100% stone-milled flour, rolled oats, and wheat germ. I hadn't made a quick bread in ages, and I had forgotten about their virtues: how the batter can be mixed together before the oven preheats, the aroma — like a savory pancake — as it bakes, and the hearty product these recipes create, perfect for slicing, toasting and slathering with good Irish butter.

For the past few weeks, we've had a steady supply of this Irish brown bread on hand, and my children have been loving it. My oldest two have requested it with their eggs every morning, and my younger two have packed buttered slices for their school snack.

Michael concluded his email by saying, "I do recommend this recipe as another take on Irish soda bread." Friends, so do I, and I know you will, too.

Break out the KerryGold!

5 More Bread Recipes to Make This Week

​Simple Irish Soda Bread​

​No-Knead Oatmeal Maple Loaf​

​Sprouted Wheat Loaf: I had originally made this one with King Arthur Flour's sprouted wheat, which is no longer available. It would be great with spelt flour or, like the Irish brown bread, some stone-milled flour.

​No-Knead Three-Seed Bread​

​No-Knead Quinoa-Flax Bread​

Salad + Pizza, Together

In Friday's pizza newsletter, I wrote about a salad-topped pizza inspired by Ines Glaser, founder of Lupa Cotta and creator of the Instagram series SALAD PIZZA DETOX, featuring the most beautiful salad-pizza combos I have ever seen.

Two Cabbage Recipes I Love

​Crispy Oven-Roasted Cabbage Wedges​

​Sheet Pan Roast Chicken and Cabbage​

Thank You

Thank you to all who have already pre-ordered my new cookbook, Pizza Night. You've likely heard this before, but pre-orders are so important — they signal to bookshops and other retailers that there's excitement about this book, which in turn encourages them to stock their shelves with it.

If you are new here, Pizza Night will be published on April 16th and includes 52 pizza and 52 salad recipes, one combination for every week of the year, as well as five simple desserts.

5 Free Resources Available to You

• ​8-Video Chopping Tutorial​
• ​5 Secrets to Foolproof Bread Baking 🍞🍞 (email course)
• ​Sourdough Demystified 🍞🍞 (email course)
• ​Pizza School 🍕🍕 (email course)
• ​Pizza Every Friday: A Friday Newsletter for Pizza Enthusiasts