Brews and Blues Beer and Smokin’ Blues

Whole Wheat Beer Bread

Recipe:

1 1/2 cups of self-rising flour
1 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup shredded cheese of your choice (optional)
1 12 ounce bottle of beer (nee notes below)
1/4 cup melted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix the dry ingredients together thoroughly in a mixing bowl. Add the beer and stir/mix completely until you have a thick batter.  Lightly grease and flour a 9x5 inch loaf pan, and transfer the bread batter into the pan.  Spread the batter evenly in the pan.  Drizzle 1/4 cup of melted butter over the top of the batter.  Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes.  Remove loaf from pan and let cool completely before storing.

Notes:

The beer you choose in this recipe will have a profound impact on the flavor of the bread.  I won't discourage experimenting with this recipe though.  I chose an amber ale (Alleycat Amber from The Lost Coast Brewery & Cafe) because I'm a fan of amber ales.  Beers such as IPAs, Stouts, and Porters will contribute a more bitter flavor.  Lighter beers such as wheat beers will contribute a milder flavor.  The beer choice will also appropriately change the color of the loaf.

If you want to put cheese in this bread, pick your favorite, shred it, and add a cup to the mixture.  In this recipe, I used normal sharp cheddar.  I plan to experiment more in the future with different beers and different cheeses as well.  I think this bread would also be excellent with monterey jack cheese...