Beer Bread: Need I say more?
How satisfying it is to watch a flour-filled something rising deliciously in the oven, i.e. homemade bread. But let's be honest - with our schedules, it's not always feasible to serve up a loaf with every meal. What I love about getting together with people to eat is that it's just as much about the social culture surrounding the meal as it is about the food. When some friends gathered for Memorial Day this year, I remember standing on one side of the kitchen observing the conversation that accompanied aromas of ribs, roasted asparagus, and dip. One friend, beer in hand, was mixing batter for frying onion rings. She took her beer, poured some in the bowl, and then drank from the bottle. At that moment I realized there was a sense of intimacy that we felt with each other and with the food. This is the tone I like to create in my kitchen.
This recipe for beer bread serves that kind of warm and welcoming feeling when preparing a meal. It's easy, relaxed and you can throw it in while you're working on the rest of the food. (A brief tip from Alice Waters, author of The Art of Simple Food - the bread will be at the mercy of its flour, so the better quality your flour, the better your bread. Try to find locally produced flour or organic flour.) Enjoy.
Beer Bread
- 3 cups self-rising flour
- 1 tbsp. honey (see substitution info below)
- 1 can beer
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. (Note: batter will foam with the beer. Pour in slowly to avoid excessive amounts of it.) Bake in a greased or buttered loaf pan at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes to an hour, or until a knife inserted comes out clean. Serve immediately.
If you're without honey when preparing this recipe, you may substitute brown sugar (2 tbsp) or regular sugar.
Comments
Rachel, any suggestions as to what kind of beer to put into this bread?
Wow that looks like such an easy recipe! Not to mention the fact that it looks absolutely delicious! I haven't ever been much of a bread maker. I usually make cupcake towers ( http://www.penguincupcaketowers.com ) for special occasions but this looks like a recipe I could use to start my bread making career. Thanks for sharing!
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