Thursday, January 27, 2011

Beer Bread

Looking for simple, hearty, perfect companion for soup? Look no further!

Beer bread is simple because it requires only 4 ingredients, no kneading and no yeast. I got this recipe from my dear friend Sarah Halstead - which she recited to me from heart! That's how simple it is!

All you need is: 

3 cups flour (I used half wheat and half white) 
3 Tbs sugar
3 tsp baking powder 
1 12oz beer  

So, measure it all out: 

Add the beer: 


Mix well:

Be sure to grease the loaf pan with butter - it will give it great flavor - but not too much or it will make your bread soggy.

                                                               Bake for 45 minutes at 375 F.

And you have a loaf of beer bread!


What I think is the most fun about beer bread is choosing the beer. Typically, the darker the beer the more flavor, which is why I went with the Oatmeal Stout from Trader Joe's. Oh yeah, and it's cheap and I like the chocolate-coffee flavor. (Yes, you can drink beer while making this bread.)


I would recommend avoiding light beers, and I would never recommend any domestic lagers (for drinking or bread). Stronger beers like an amber, a red or an IPA are fun to experiment with.

This bread is somewhat crumbly and therefore doesn't work well for sandwiches, but it prefect for soup! And what better way to spend the next couple rainy days? (Well, in you're in the PNW anyway.)

Cheers!

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