Beer Bread

A Match Made In Heaven

Give me a crusty, yeasty, warm, fresh slice of homemade bread, with a slab of butter on the side, and I’ve just about died and gone to heaven.

But alas, I’m not a bread baker. All that kneading and rising and baking and sweating ... sounds like a lot of work. That’s why the idea of beer bread was so appealing to me. My two loves married in under an hour ...

I bought a beer bread mix at Trader Joe’s, but decided to try from scratch first. Glad I did, because beer bread really is the simplest thing on the planet to make -- flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, butter, and a bottle of beer. Yep, it’s that easy. I used a bottle of German Oktoberfest beer I had knocking around in the fridge.

And 45 minutes later, the mixture I had spread into the loaf pan emerged golden and delicious. I cut a slice almost immediately. Nice crunchy, golden edges, yummy tender inside, with a hint of mellow beer flavor in the moisture.

I may never buy bread again.

How to Make Beer Bread Mix together: 3 cups sifted flour 3 tsps baking powder 1 tsp salt 1/4 cup of sugar Slowly stir 12-ounces of beer into the dry mix. Spread batter into a greased loaf pan and pour 1/4 cup melted butter over top. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour at 375 degrees. Remove from the oven when a toothpick or knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Beer Bread Baking Tips Use beer at room temperature. Take the time to sift your flour into the measuring cup. Makes all the difference in texture. Don’t overmix. Stir until dry parts are just moistened. Beer Bread Options Chopped onion or herbs make nice batter additions. For a twist, use apple or pear cider instead of beer.

Want to try making beer bread? Trader Joe’s has a nice beer bread mix if you’re not feeling ambitious. Other mixes are available online.

Erin Malone is a Thursday Happy Hour contributing editor, providing the what's-up of beer all over on Fridays. What are you cooking with beer? Let me know in the comments below. Or chat with me on Facebook.