Barefoot in the Kitchen (Vol. 2)

Welcome to the second post of Barefoot in the Kitchen!

Quick Reminder : If you feel like joining in then please go ahead and click the bottom at the bottom of the post, add your link, and don't forget to post a link back here in your post! If you don't have anything ready today then no worries - you have all the way until the following Monday to take part! There are no recipe restrictions so whether you made the most amazing dessert anyone ever tasted or one of the worst flops of a side dish that has come into existence I would love to hear about it! 

This past week I decided to bake one of my all-time favorite foods - Beer Bread! If you have never had beer bread before then I am sorry because you and your taste buds have been missing out majorly! Bread is already one of my favorite consumables and honestly I would bake it fresh every day if it did not take so much time and effort. But therein lies the absolute beauty of this particular baked good - it takes very little effort and almost no time but manages to taste delicious anyway. Not too shabby, eh? 

Now there are a lot of great recipes for beer bread out there and I am not going to sit here and tell you that this is the best one. This particular recipe uses brown sugar where others use honey as well as a combination of whole wheat and all-purpose flour. I opted for a recipe with brown sugar because I think it is typically easier to measure and handle than honey and I prefer the texture and sense of substance this beer bread has due to the combination of flours. Anyways, on to the recipe! 

Basic Beer Bread

Prep Time : 10 minutes

Cook Time : 50 minutes

Servings : 1 Loaf (i.e. about 2 servings for my husband and me)

Ingredients :

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
• 4 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 (12 fl. oz) can or bottle of beer
• 4 - 6 tablespoons butter
  
  

Remember that the flavor of the beer can affect the flavor of the bread

Step 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9x5 loaf pan. For ease of removal I place a small slip of parchment/wax paper in the bottom of the pan.

Step 2. In a large mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients.

Step 3. Pour in beer and stir until a stiff batter is formed. Make sure to mix well so that your brown sugar does not clump up and the baking powder is thoroughly mixed in. Scrape into prepared loaf pan.


 

Step 4. For a delicious buttery crust melt butter in microwave and pour over batter. Move the pan around a little for equal dispersion; you can also use a fork to poke holes in the dough if you want more than just a buttery crust.

You know what this could use? MORE CALORIES!!!

Step 5. Bake in preheated oven for 50 - 60 minutes (you want to be able to insert a toothpick into the center of the loaf and come out clean)

Not bad, eh?

Verdict : SUCCESS!!!

~ Happy Monday ~