Beer Batter Bread

Beer Batter Bread (from William Sonoma Baking Book)

Made on Day 31 (Heineken) and Day 33 (Guinness)

Before I give you the recipe, just a few comments on beer choice. So far I have made this recipe 3 times, once with a bitter beer, once with a Heineken and most recently with a Guinness. My favorite version so far has been with Guinness. It gives the bread a slight caramel nutty flavour that is delicious. I will continue to experiment, but I am not sure what will beat the taste of the Guinness Beer Bread, especially mixed with jalapenos and old cheddar cheese – DELICIOUS.

3 cups all-purpose flour

3 tbsp packed light brown sugar

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 bottle (375 mL) beer, unopened and at room temperature

4 tbsp unsalted butter , melted

Preheat oven to 375 Fahrenheit. Grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan.

In a bowl, stir together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder and salt. Open the beer and add it all at once; it will foam up. Stir briskly just until combined, about 20 strokes. The batter should be slightly lumpy. Pour into the prepared loaf pan and drizzle with the melted butter.

Bake until the top is crusty and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean 35-40 minutes. Let rest in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn the loaf out onto a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature the day it is made. Cut into think slices and accompany with plenty of butter.

TIP: Be creative and add extra ingredients for a different flavour (ie. olives, jalapenos, cheese, dill, parsley etc. etc). You can also change the flavour by selecting different beers.