Bread Essentials Artisan Beer Bread Recipes

BEER BREAD

Steps:

• Grease a 9 x 5 loaf pan with shortening. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
• Stir flour and sugar together. Pour in beer and stir until foaming subsides and flour is incorporated. Spoon into prepared pan and bake for 50-60 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean or an instant-read thermometer reads about 190ºF.
• Immediately remove from pan and set on a wire rack on top of a rimmed baking sheet. Pour melted butter over the top and brush sides.
• Let bread cool for 15 minutes or so, then serve warm. Once the bread is completely cooled, it can be sliced to use for sandwiches, toasted, or served plain.

NO KNEAD BEER BREAD

Steps:

• Stir together yeast, 1/2 cup flour and warm water in a large bowl. Cover and let sit in a warm spot for about 30 minutes.
• Stir beer, remaining flour and salt into the bowl. Mix until all the flour is incorporated and forms a thick sticky dough that pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm spot for 2 hours, until doubled in size.
• Scrape all the dough from the bowl with a rubber spatula, and place on a well-floured surface. Generously flour the top of the dough and form into a loaf shape.
• Sprinkle a baking sheet with cornmeal. Transfer loaf to the baking sheet and sprinkle the top with flour. Cover loosely with a towel and let rise for 30-40 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Place a small loaf pan of warm water on a lower rack to humidify the oven.
• Slash a long slit in the top of the loaf with a sharp knife or razor. Place the baking sheet on the rack above the pan of warm water in the oven. Bake for 35 minutes, until the loaf is golden brown.
• Transfer to a cooling rack. Let cool completely before slicing and serving.

BEER BREAD (PAIN à LA BIèRE)

Steps:

• In a bowl of a stand mixer or a mixing bowl, add the following ingredients in the following order: salt, beer, malt or honey, flour, and yeast.
• If using a stand mixer, knead for 3 minutes at the lowest speed, then 5 minutes at the second-lowest speed.
• If kneading by hand, knead for 10 to 15 minutes in a bowl, until the gluten network develops and the dough becomes smooth and elastic.
• Shape the dough into a ball, cover and let rise for 1.5 hours at room temperature.
• During those 1,5 hours, after 30 min, make the first stretch and fold. Then make two more stretch and folds every 30 minutes.
• Pour the mixture of seeds and flakes on a large plate. Oil an 8"- 9" bread pan and lightly dust with flour. Set aside.
• Turn the dough onto a floured work surface.
• Very gently, without degassing, shape into a batard (cylinder shape).
• Close the seam and turn seam side down.
• Spray the top with some water then gently roll the top side of the bread dough in the seed and oat flake mixture.
• Place the dough seam side down in the bread pan.
• Cover and let rise for 1 - 1.5 hours at room temperature - about 70-72F. The dough should alsmost double in volume. If it didn't, let it proof a bit longer, until it does.
• Preheat the oven to 465F. Position the rack in the middle of the oven and place a metal baking panwith hot water just below it.
• When the dough about doubled in size, score it with a sharp blade or a lame top to bottom, about 1/2" inch deep.
• Transfer the bread pan with the dough to the middle rack in the oven and carefully pour a cup of hot water into the baking pan.
• Close the oven quickly and bake for 30-35 minutes. Remove the water pan after 20 minutes.
• Once done baking, let the bread cool on a cooling rack for 1 hour before slicing.