I also love beer. Not in a I-drink-it-everyday kind of way, but in a it's-the-only-alcoholic-beverage-I-really-enjoy kind of way. So, the opportunity to combine beer and bread?
Genius.
My go-to recipe is from BellaDonna at Tasty Kitchen, and I love it, because it can be changed really easily to suit your mood...
So, let's get started...you'll need:
- 3 cups Flour, Sifted
- 3 teaspoons Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ¼ cups Sugar
- 1 cup Cheddar Cheese, Grated
- 12 ounces, fluid Beer
- ¼ cups Butter, Melted
- Garlic And Onion Powder To Taste
- Parsley Flakes For Presentation
Grate your cheese (the sharper the better, in my opinion) and add it to the dry ingredients.
How pretty is that? Mmm...grated cheese is so yummy!
Now comes the magic...
Make it a good and flavorful beer, folks - this is not the time for Natty Light, okay? This beer has some hints of orange in it, and makes for a really nice finished product. I've used a few different types of beer for this bread, and it's amazing how different they all taste.
Mix it all up until it is loose and kind of ugly.
This isn't wine bread, people. It doesn't have to be pretty.
Pour the melted butter over the top.
BUTTER, people. Not margarine. Not anything else that pretends to be butter. Butter is your friend.
Sprinkle some garlic powder and onion powder over the top. Leave off the parsley, because parsley is fancy and beer bread is not fancy.
Now - this recipe says to bake the bread for an hour, but keep an eye on it. This is mine at 40 minutes (and I don't think I've ever gone over 45 minutes)...
People - this bread is so good, you'll hardly be able to contain yourself from slathering it with extra butter and inhaling it.
For supper last night, I had this bread and a salad. It was perfect.
And for dessert?
I had beer bread.
Make it! (And have a beer while you wait for it to finish up...)
Oh my...beer, bread and cheese? Heaven. I must admit, I didn't get to do the full meal with all of the recipes so far like I had planned. But I did manage the big, fat yeast rolls tonight. Oh...my...God. Are you kidding me? My only problem was the outside was a little crunchy, not soft like the rest of the roll...suggestions?
ReplyDeleteTomorrow, Linda's summer pasta salad...can't wait!
Hmmm...maybe you should add a little pan of water to the oven while you cook the rolls? My rolls come out with a little crispier top, but not excessively crunchy - maybe it's a humidity thing? Do you have a gas oven?
ReplyDeleteWhile the bread sure looks tasty, there is something about seeing a perfectly good beer being poured into flour that just doesn't sit well with me! ;-)
ReplyDeleteI'm calling my son up to bring over a couple of his home brews. I've got to try this.
ReplyDeleteMy youngest son is really into making his own beer. He has a batch cooking up right now that is made using basmati rice....
He like the dark lagers. I wonder what kind of flavor it would give the bread....like I said, I've got to try this.
:) Mary - I thought the same thing, but really - it is worth it. And if you drink one while you make it, it evens everything out...really...
ReplyDeleteStephanie - you lucky girl! I'll bet those home brews will make fantastic breads - please let me know how it comes out!