Ingredients:

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 12 oz bottle of beer

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease (or spray with cooking spray) a 9 x 5 loaf pan and set aside. In a large bowl combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and brown sugar. Stir dry ingredients to evenly distribute the baking powder and help break up any large lumps of brown sugar. Pour in beer and mix with a wooden spoon until it is incorporated. The dough should form a paste-like ball that flows like molasses. If the dough is too runny, add flour, a tablespoon at a time, until the right consistency is reached. If the dough is too dry and does not fully incorporate, add a tablespoon or two of water to the empty beer bottle, swirl, and add to the dough. Pour the batter into the greased pan. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes.

Tips:

The 3 1/2 tablespoon measurement of brown sugar is based off of well packed brown sugar. I’ve found that 4 tablespoons of brown sugar, heaping and loosely packed, works just as well and requires a little less effort in the mixing stage.

Don’t panic over getting the measurements precise. This is bread, not rocket science!

Variations:

This is a very flexible recipe. Over the years I have experimented with variations on the recipe and have rarely had an inedible result. Here are some of the variations I’ve come across.

For lighter bread, use a pilsner or ale. This variation makes a bread suitable for slicing up and making sandwiches with.

For a darker, heartier flavored bread, use an amber or even a bock. This is a much yeastier flavor and goes well as a substitute for rolls with any meal. (If you’re lucky enough to live somewhere you can find Shiner Bock, try that.)

For a complete change of pace, use a fruit lambic (such as peach or cherry) and mix in some fresh chopped fruit of the same flavor. Add extra flour as needed to allow for the extra liquid in the fresh fruit.