My alter-ego did a simple beer bread, but I also wanted to try to make one that had some healthier elements in it. Ideally, I would have made this with half white and half whole wheat flour, but there was none to be found right now, as there is a national flour shortage. There is also no yeast, so this bread is perfect for that because you get the yeast from the beer.
Also, there is no kneading at all for this and it rises up and makes a rich, soft, bread. The more whole wheat flour you use, the more dense it will tend to be, so play around with it.
I add oats, which add texture and fiber, and a host of other health benefits and also ground flax, which is a fat source rich in Omega-3’s. Some of the recipes I saw for beer bread added melted butter to the dough and on top before baking, but that is just adding bad fat unnecessarily. I would rather save that to put on my warm, freshly baked bread! Flax is a fat source, so it works well in lieu of butter.
Molasses is a sweetener, but is a good alternative to sugar, plus it adds moisture in this recipe.
This bread is moist, rich, earthy, slightly sweet and delicious!
INGREDIENTS
3 Cups flour (can use all white or a mix of whole wheat and white)
1/2 C whole oats
1/4 C ground up flax seed
1 T baking powder
1 can of beer (I would have liked to use a more brown beer for this, but this was all I had at the time. I made this recipe before the other one and I had an amber beer then.)
1/4 t salt
1/4 molasses (You could also use honey or maple syrup, but I like the richness of molasses in this.)
Put it all in a bowl and stir it up.
Then just put it in a well greased pan.. I couldn’t find my loaf pan when I made this one. I found it later, but bread can take on many shapes! Use whatever pan you have…even muffin tins…that is about the same volume. I had a round glass one, and it was fine.
Let it sit while the oven heats to 375 and then pop it in on the middle shelf.
Mine took 45 minutes to bake, and the baking time will vary with your oven, the pan, etc., After about 35 minutes, you may want to test it. Using an oven mit on each hand loosen it and tip it out of the pan. Then tap the center of it. It should sound hollow. If not, put it back in.
I melted a slab of butter on a piece while it was still warm. Delicious!
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2BAHappyHuman 