Beer Bread3TAGGED

The ‘in’ trend on food blogs right now food that’s geared towards the upcoming St. Patrick’s Day. In keeping up with the Joneses (as I am SOMEtimes inclined to do) I decided to throw in my own contribution to the holiday (even if I don’t do a single thing to celebrate it) with this recipe. But first things first: the trivia. Because I love my holiday trivia:

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1. Your odds of finding a four-leaf clover are about 1 in 10,000. (I used to try and do this all the time when I was little. I was convinced that if I could find a four leaf clover the stars would align and my life would be perfect.)

2. Corned beef and cabbage isn’t a traditional Irish dish. It’s just about as Irish as spaghetti and meatballs. (Eh, I don’t care for the dish much anyway.)

3.  St. Patrick’s Day used to be a dry holiday. Today’s booze-bags look to the holiday as a great excuse to start drinking Guinness at 9 AM. Until 1970, however, all pubs in Ireland were closed in observance of St. Patrick’s Day. (I’m not a drinker, but this still amuses me.)

4. March 17th is the day St. Patrick died.

5. St. Patrick’s color is blue.

Source

Beer Bread1TAGGED

Have any of you guys ever found a recipe that really helped you fake the funk in the kitchen? No, this doesn’t have anything to do with smells or odors. By the ‘fake the funk’, I mean giving the appearance of something  as grand or spectacular, when in reality, it may not be as grand or as  spectacular it manages to come off to be. People do it all the time in general, and I’m willing to admit that I can be one of them. My favorite way of doing it through is in the kitchen. I love putting something together that was actually very easy to make, then be complimented effusively because it seems and tastes like it was something that required a whole lot of skill and time. It’s kinda like a private joke that I can be privy to by myself. It also gives a lot of t.l.c. to my ego.

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This bread is definitely a ‘fake the funk’ recipe. Not only does it have that ‘artisan’ bread taste, texture and look, but  you guys wouldn’t believe how easy it is to really put together. I think this loaf was in the oven ten minutes after I took out all the ingredients, Then about forty minutes later, it was finished. Bada-bing, bada-boom. To the person that’d never made beer bread or soda bread before, it probably looks like I had to put in a great deal of effort for this loaf- just look at that golden, crusty exterior and soft, tender inside. Great stuff, huh?

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Beer Bread

Recipe Courtesy of  USA Weekend

CLICK HERE FOR PRINTABLE VERSION

Ingredients

  • 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 12 ounces beer
  • 1 egg, beaten

Directions

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.

3. Add  beer (no sips!) and stir with a fork until just combined. Turn dough onto a floured surface; knead quickly to form a ball.

4. Place bread on a greased baking sheet and confidently slit an X on top with a serrated or very sharp knife.

5. Brush loaf with egg wash. Bake until golden brown, about 45 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Serve.

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21 thoughts on “Beer Bread

    1. At my college alma mater on Saturdays where we had our football games, students on campus would get up even earlier to start drinking. They took St. Patrick’s Day VERY seriously at my school- it was kinda ridiculous at times.

  1. AWESOME photos Jess!! AWESOME recipe!! I want a piece of this. Right now. I want a piece. Fresh out of the oven. With gobs of butter. Who needs a four leaf clover when you have this beer bread? Not this girl! I’m laughing at your “fake the funk” thing… hahahaha!

  2. Your beer bread looks wonderful! I like that you didn’t put it in a loaf tin. The odd shaped bread is rustic. My boyfriend and I had a phase where we tried different kinds of beer and cider to make easy bake bread. We stopped when we noticed the effect on our waistlines.

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