Friday, June 25, 2010

Easy Beer Bread

Do you have beer in your fridge that you or your significant other refuses to drink? Maybe you bought a beer to try, but did not like the taste. Maybe you have beer left over from a party or a host/ess gift. The beer sits in the fridge for months, or even years. I have a solution for you! A very easy and delicious recipe. I turn to this recipe for two reasons: I need bread and can't/don't want to drive to the store, or I have old beer. I always have all the ingredients on hand, so I don't have to buy any special ingredients.

Unless the beer is very flavored (e.g. Cherry Wheat), you will hardly taste it in the final product. I've had Blueberry Beer in my fridge for two years ago and have made amazing Blueberry Beer Bread with it.

Use old, rotten bananas for banana bread; use old, skunky beer for Beer Bread. I have made the following recipe 5+ times with great results. Please note that beer bread is a dense bread, but so delicious!

Ingredients:

3 cups self-rising flour (or use unbleached flour with ratio of 1 tbsp of baking powder to 3 cups of flour)
1/2 cup sugar (can cut down to 1/3 sugar)
12 ounces beer
2 tablespoons melted butter
Optional: herbs, spices, fruits, nuts, honey, poppyseeds, chocolate, cheese, etc. (but not all at once)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Butter loaf pan and set aside.

3. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and beer and mix well. Add any other extra ingredients (I've tried blueberries with Blueberry beer, or rosemary for a savory taste). The mixture should be sticky.

4. Pour batter into loaf pan and bake for 55 minutes. During the last 3 minutes of baking, remove from oven, brush the top of the loaf with butter and return to oven. An alternative is to pour the butter on top of the batter before placing in the oven, and cut out one step. (I don't usually butter the top, it will be crispy without the butter)

5. Enjoy bread with butter or your favorite spread. Pair it with a salad, soup, or chili.



Recipe courtesy Catherine Bienik (Food Network)
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/calling-all-cooks/beer-bread-recipe/index.html

*My tips and suggestions are always in blue.