RUSS’S BEER
BREAD
by
Russell Madden
Ingredients:
–– 3 cups flour (sifted)
–– 3 teaspoons baking powder
–– 1 teaspoon salt
–– 1 cup sugar
–– 1 12 ounce can or bottle of beer (at room temperature)
–– 1/4 cup melted butter
Directions:
–– Preheat oven to 375° F.
–– Butter inside of glass loaf/bread pan
–– Mix dry ingredients in bowl
–– Add beer. Mix to ensure all ingredients are moist, using a spoon or
a hand
–– Pour/place mixture into loaf pan.
–– Pour melted butter over mixture. Smooth top with spoon or finger to
ensure even distribution of the butter
–– Bake for 40-50 minutes (depending on oven and moistness of batter)
–– If uncertain if done, test loaf in the center with butter knife or
toothpick. When bread is done, should emerge dry.
–– Cool on rack
Notes:
–– Baking powder and sugar can also (perhaps should) be sifted with the
flour
–– A metal loaf pan should probably work; haven’t tried that option,
though, so don’t know how it affects baking time
–– If you like a less sweet, more bread-like product, use anywhere from
1/4 to 2/3 cup of sugar
–– I use Bud Light for the beer. Any beer will probably suffice, but be
aware that the stronger the beer, the more the beer itself will affect
the taste of the bread.
–– If the batter seems on the dry side when mixed, bake for a shorter
period. If the batter is very moist, bake for 50 or 55 minutes. Test at
5 minute increments after 45 minutes. (I’m not sure why I have had
variations in the batter moistness. Perhaps the age of the flour
affects the result; at least that is the correlation I observed.)
–– The melted butter is what makes the crunchy crust that I love.
