Okay, all my Baptist friends. Don't have a freak but this bread is delish AND you don't NEED to add salt for flavor. I use this bread to make croutons. It's already a dense kind of bread so going dry is an easy thing. If you're squeamish about buying beer in your favorite grocery, just go to a local convenience store. If you're REALLY squeamish, well, bake something else!
I should add here that once upon a time my Dad made this- using seltzer water- so it can be done without beer but it won't be quite the same. There may be a little flatness to the flavor.
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder [you can use the no sodium but double the amount]
- 1/2 teaspoon salt [optional]
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 12 ounces room temperature dark beer
- 1 tablespoon salted butter, melted
- Preheat your oven to 375ยบ F degrees.
- Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
- Slowly add beer. Mix together until just incorporated.
- Place into prepared loaf pan and bake for 35 minutes.
- Melt 2 tablespoons of salted butter in the microwave.
- Using a pastry brush, carefully brush the melted butter all over the exposed parts of the bread.
- Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
- Then remove bread from loaf pan and place on a wire rack to cool completely.
When I use this for croutons, I cut it up into 1" cubes and put it in a 170-degree oven for an hour or so until the pieces are very dry. You could also toast them in butter (not margarine) in a pan and then place them in the oven to dry out a little.
Style #2
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (bleached or unbleached)
- 1 cup bread flour
- 1/4 cup sugar (do not use a substitute!)
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 11-12 oz dark lager
- Whisk together all of the dry ingredients.
- Add the egg and beer at the same time and stir until incorporated.
- It will be lumpy.
- Place in a prepared loaf pan
- Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes or until a knife inserted comes out clean.
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| Hubby loves homemade beer bread! |