Artisan Beer Bread

This one I tossed in 1/2 cup of oatmeal instead of all the flour.

On the spur of the moment at the supermarket, I decided to come home and make a loaf of Beer Bread. Fresh baked bread is always appealing, as is trying something new, so the next step was to find the beer aisle. I bought a single can of Wolters Pilsener, a German beer for $1.50. The choices were either buy it; or a Russian can of beer; or a 6-pack of a familiar brand. I only wanted one can, and I don't think Russia is known for its beer ... or am I wrong? Moreover 45 loves Russia, or at least he loves Putin, but does Putin love us back? 'Tis dubious😳, so I went with German beer.🙂

Next I chose to use all-purpose* flour because I always have it at home, and simply add eggs instead of buying 5 pounds of bread flour (which is slightly higher in protein). I also like to add ground flax seed when not using whole wheat flour, but y0u can use bread* or whole wheat* flour in the recipe ... as all three types of flour work in making bread. (I leave flax seed out if using whole wheat, a denser flour.) Finally if you let the dough proof overnight, you won't have to kneed it. The flavor develops during the proofing process. Here is my recipe:

Artisan Beer Bread (for a large 2 pound loaf)

Ingredients
14 ounces beer (of your choice)
1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
2 teaspoons salt
2 large eggs
4 cups all purpose flour*↑ (+ extra for sprinkling.) Note: When I use all-purpose flour, I will use whole wheat flour for sprinkling to give the bread more fiber. At times I desire the lightness of all-purpose flour in baking, but do try to make the bread healthier by tossing in flax seed and use whole wheat flour for sprinkling to work with the dough. Life is about balance. Eating healthy 90% of the time, while enjoying treats 10% of the time keeps you healthy and happy!
1/2 - 3/4 cup ground flax seed (more or less)
a squirt of extra virgin olive oil (or butter)

Directions: 

1) Pour 14 ounces of room temperature beer into a bowl.

2) Toss in 1/4 teaspoon of active dry yeast and stir.

3) Add the salt (it fizzles) and mix.

4) I like to toss in 1/2 cup of the flour and next incorporate 2 eggs before mixing in the rest of the flour and ground flax seed. You can use the long handle end of a cooking spoon to incorporate the flour and ground flax seed to form a ball of dough. Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl clean with a spatula. Let the dough sit to proof in the bowl.

5) Squirt a tad of olive oil on the top of the dough; cover with plastic wrap and and proof it in a warm spot in your kitchen. After 12 hours (overnight) or so, it doubles in size.

6) The next morning use the long handle of your cooking spoon to stir the air out of the dough. Sometimes I use a small spatula to help twirl and press the air out of the dough. Sprinkle flour on top of the dough as needed. Work the dough by stirring a few times, not much is required. It should feel elastic and smell like yeast.

7) Next lay the dough into a well greased baking pan. Pull the dough long if you bake it in a large rectangle loaf pan, or leave the dough round if using a cast iron dutch over with a lid ... whichever you desire.

8) I butter the pan and top of the dough. After laying the dough in your greased loaf pan (or greased dutch oven), let it raise (i.e., proof) again for another 1 hour, or longer. (One hour minimum time. I let the bread double again in the pan.) You are now ready to bake the bread.

9) In a 400 degree F preheated oven, bake covered for 40 minutes and another 10 - 15 minutes uncovered to get a fluffy loaf of bread with a hard crusty top. In a loaf pan, I use aluminum foil as a cover before removing it at the end to let the top brown.

The finished bread is tasty with butter, or soup; and a 2-pound loaf makes nice sized slices for sandwiches too. To preserve the feshness of your loaf, slice and store in the freezer (not the refrigerator). You can remove slices from the freezer as needed. Enjoy!


You may also enjoy:
Artisan Rye Bread
Scottish Shortbread 
Chocolate No Bake Cookies Are Quick  
Tomato Soup With A Grilled Cheese Sandwich