Simple Beer Bread

I was at the grocery store the other day and came upon a boxed mix for beer bread. Intrigued by this interesting mix, I decided to head home and research some different recipes; I figured I would save a few dollars and (hopefully) yield a better result by making it from scratch. After sifting through several different variations on this hearty bread, I finally found a recipe that suited my (rather picky) taste. 

With a wonderful crunch on the outside, and a slightly sweet and incredibly moist center, this bread is the perfect companion to any of your favorite soups, or simply as a delicious treat straight out of the oven. Enjoy!

What is your favorite way to enjoy fresh bread? Let me know below!

Paula's Notes:

• I used a 12 oz can of bud light for my recipe, but I'm sure any beer that you have on hand will be perfect. I'm excited to try this recipe with a Guinness!
• If you prefer a savory bread, reduce the sugar to just a teaspoon or two. You can easily adjust the sweetness according to your taste.
• This bread yields a very crusty loaf, if you prefer a softer crust, mix the butter into the batter, rather than brushing it on top of the loaf.
• If you aren't weighing your flour, be sure that you sift your flour BEFORE measuring, otherwise you will likely get a dense loaf.

Simple Beer Bread

Yields: 1 loaf

Ingredients:

• 3 cups (12.85 oz.) bread flour 
• *If you're not weighing the flour, SIFT before measuring, otherwise you will get a very dense loaf.
• 4 1/2 tsp. baking powder (omit if using Self-Rising Flour) 
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt (omit if using Self-Rising Flour) 
• 1/4 cup sugar 
• 12 ounces beer 
• 2 tbls. melted butter - reserved

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 
2. Whisk together dry ingredients.
3. Add beer and mix with a wooden spoon until just combined. (Be careful not to overmix)
4. Pour into a greased loaf pan. 
5. Bake 50 minutes. Remove loaf from oven and brush melted butter on top of crust.
6. Return bread to oven for an additional 5-10 minutes, or until loaf is nicely golden. This may vary slightly depending on the heat of your oven. 
7. Remove bread from oven and turn out from pan onto a wire cooling rack. 
8. Let cool for at least 15 minutes and enjoy!