“Oh, I’ll bake cookies but I won’t bake bread!” A refrain I’ve heard from many friends who like crafting food and enjoy craft beer. They think baking bread is too messy, or the kneading part is too difficult, or that it takes too long. Well, I continually set them straight on many counts.
First off, the world of ‘quick’ breads is no more difficult than cookies, and is frankly almost as easy as a boxed cake. Quick breads are called that because the dough rises while baking in the oven, and I have a tasty recipe here that uses beer, of course.
But second, even yeast breads that require some kneading on the countertop and some extra time to rise before baking are also easy to make, and the tactile part is really rewarding. It’s like adult Play-Doh, and you get to eat it when it’s done. Not to mention how great a slice of any freshly baked bread tastes with a beer. One of the most basic and satisfying pairings ever.
Here’s a good one from Ali Ebright’s website Gimme Some Oven. It made me laugh out loud the first time I saw it, as Ali talked about making this recipe with any “leftover beer” that you might have. Leftover beer? Yeaaaa, riiiight!
Beer Bread with Cheddar
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 T. granulated sugar
- 1 T. baking powder
- 1 tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. garlic powder
- 2 T. honey or agave nectar, slightly warmed
- 1 bottle (12 oz.) beer or ale
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 3 T. unsalted butter, melted
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a bread pan.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and garlic powder. Using a mixing spoon, stir the beer and honey into the dry ingredients until combined. Stir in the shredded cheddar until just combined. (Be careful not to over mix the dough.) Transfer the dough to the pan, and spread it out with a spoon so that it’s roughly level.
Bake for 40 minutes. Remove the pan and brush the melted butter on top of the bread. Return to the oven and bake for 10-15 more minutes, until the top is golden brown and a toothpick/knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool for at least 5 minutes. Serve warm.
(This bread, when day old and stale, make a great foundation for stuffing!)