Classic Beer Bread

Beer BreadBrewin’ Bread

I made chili over the weekend—mainly because I had what I needed on hand and I didn’t want to go to the store, and also because it was cold and rainy and a bowl of hot chili sounded satisfying.

Normally, a batch of chili would require corn bread, and I did make my favorite version. (See Sarah’s Sweet Cornbread Cake.) But, I also made something I haven’t had in decades: beer bread.

I was inspired by the smell of the beer that I added to the chili pot. Something about the hop-y aroma of the suds reminded me of the beer bread that I had once (yes, once) as a kid. So, thanks to the wonders of the internet, I searched for a recipe to make it.

The recipe I found couldn’t be more simple, and the resulting bread was tasty. It was also good the next morning as toast. If there had been anymore, I suspect that it would have made a great sandwich, too.

Because of what I had on hand, I used a Pale Ale for my beer bread, which definitely resulted in a stronger beer flavor. If you are looking for a milder taste, I would recommend using a lighter beer like a Corona or Budweiser—especially if you plan to add in some shredded cheddar and/or jalapenos. Crumbled bacon would be good too. You could really get creative with this—just in time for the Superbowl…

Classic Beer Bread
From King Arthur Flour
Yields one 9″ x 5″ loaf

I made this recipe pretty much as presented on the website. There are only four ingredients, which makes it impressively quick.

Ingredients
3 cups King Arthur Unbleached Self-Rising Flour
1 to 4 tablespoons sugar, to taste
4 tablespoons melted butter, divided
1 1/2 cups beer

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375°F, and lightly grease a 9″ x 5″ loaf pan.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, 3 tablespoons of the melted butter, and the beer. Stir until the batter is pretty smooth, but some small lumps are okay.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Smooth the top, and drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon melted butter.

Bake the bread for 45 to 50 minutes—until a toothpick inserted about 1/2″ into the top of the loaf comes out clean, or with a few moist crumbs clinging to it.

Remove the bread from the oven, and turn it out onto a rack to finish cooling after about 5 minutes.

Once the bread cools completely you can slice it. After it is completely cool, store in an airtight container or ziplock bag at room temperature.

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