This beer bread, oh, it’s so easy to make. You just need a few things from your kitchen, and you got yourself a tasty treat. My grandkids, they love it when I make this. They say, “Grandma, your beer bread is the best!” Well, I reckon it ain’t too bad, even if I say so myself.
Mixin’ It Up Real Good
First thing you gotta do, get yourself a big bowl. A real big one. Then, you dump in your flour. Just regular flour, nothin’ fancy. Some folks like to sift it, but I ain’t got time for that. Then you put in some sugar. Not too much, just enough to make it a little sweet. Then a pinch of salt. And some of that bakin’ powder. That’s what makes it rise up all nice and fluffy.
- Flour, just the regular kind
- Sugar, not too much, mind you
- Salt, just a pinch
- Bakin’ powder, to make it fluffy
Now, you take a big spoon, and you mix it all up. Mix it real good. You don’t want no lumps of flour or sugar. You want it all nice and smooth. Like a baby’s bottom, as they say. Not that I’d know, my babies are all grown up now.
The Secret Ingredient: Beer!
Now comes the fun part. You take a bottle of beer. Any kind will do, but I like to use that cheap stuff. Don’t want to waste the good stuff on bread, you know? You pour that beer right into the bowl with the flour mixture.
Then, you stir it up again. It’ll start to fizz and bubble. That’s the beer doin’ its work. It makes the bread all light and airy. Some folks, they like to add other things to their beer bread. Like cheese, or herbs, or even jalapeños. But I like to keep it simple. Just beer and flour, that’s all you need.
Bakin’ Time
Once it’s all mixed up, you pour it into a pan. A loaf pan, they call it. I just use whatever I got. You gotta grease it up first, though. I use butter, but you can use oil or that spray stuff. Just make sure the bread don’t stick to the pan. That’s a real pain, let me tell you.
Then you pop it in the oven. I bake it at 375 degrees. That’s what the recipe says, anyway. But my oven, it’s a little wonky. Sometimes it’s too hot, sometimes it’s too cold. So I just keep an eye on it. You gotta bake it for about an hour. But it might take longer, or shorter, dependin’ on your oven. Just keep checkin’ on it, is what I say. If you got carbonated water that will work in a pinch too. Some folks use that if they don’t have beer.
Is It Done Yet?
Now, how do you know when it’s done? Well, you take a toothpick, or a knife, or whatever you got, and you stick it in the middle of the bread. If it comes out clean, then it’s done. If it’s still got batter on it, then it needs more time. Just keep stickin’ it in there every few minutes until it comes out clean. You can add in some other stuff to the beer bread if you want, but I like it plain.
Once it’s done, you take it out of the oven and let it cool. I know, it’s hard to wait. It smells so good, you just want to dig right in. But you gotta let it cool, or else it’ll fall apart. And nobody wants that. Trust me, I learned that the hard way. My first time makin’ beer bread, it was a real mess.
Time to Eat!
After it’s cooled down some, you can slice it up and eat it. I like to slather it with butter. Some folks like jam, or honey. Or even cheese. You can eat it with soup, or stew. Or just by itself. It’s good any way you eat it. This beer bread recipe sure is a keeper.
This beer bread, it’s good for any time. Breakfast, lunch, dinner. Even a snack. My grandkids, they like to eat it with their cartoons. They dip it in their milk. Kids these days, I tell ya. But hey, as long as they’re eatin’, I’m happy.
Keepin’ It Fresh
If you got any leftovers, you can store it in a container. An airtight one, they say. I just wrap it in a dish towel. It keeps it fresh for a few days. But around here, it don’t usually last that long. It gets eaten up pretty quick. Especially when the grandkids are around. If you want to keep it for a little bit longer, keep it at room temperature. Two or three days, maybe.
So there you have it. My tastefully simple recipes beer bread. It ain’t fancy, but it’s good. And it’s easy to make. Even for an old gal like me. So go on, give it a try. You might just like it. And if you don’t, well, that’s okay too. More for me, I say!
