Better Beer Bread Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Mix dry ingredients and beer.
• Pour into a greased loaf pan.
• Pour melted butter over mixture.
• Bake 1 hour, remove from pan and cool for at least 15 minutes.
• UPDATED NOTES: This recipe makes a very hearty bread with a crunchy, buttery crust. If you prefer a softer crust (like a traditional bread) mix the butter into the batter instead of pouring it over the top.
• Sifting flour for bread recipes is a must-do. Most people just scoop the 1 cup measure in the flour canister and level it off. That compacts the flour and will turn your bread into a "hard biscuit" as some have described. That's because they aren't sifting their flour! If you do not have a sifter, use a spoon to spoon the flour into the 1 cup measure. Try it once the "correct" way and you will see an amazing difference in the end product.
• I have had many email from you kind folks about using non-alcoholic beverages instead of beer. That is fine to do but I highly recommend adding a packet of Dry Active Yeast or 2 teaspoons of Bread (Machine) Yeast so that you get a proper rise.
• The final result should be a thick, hearty and very tasteful bread, NOT A BRICK! ;).
• Thank you all for the incredibly nice comments and those of you who left a bad review - learn to sift sift SIFT! You will be amazed at the results you get.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 and spray a loaf pan (I use a glass pan).
• In a large bowl, mix flour and sugar together. If you are making one of the "variations", add those ingredients to the bowl.
• Slowly pour in room-temperature beer, as if you were trying NOT to create a huge "head" of bubbles.
• Gently mix batter, again being careful not to whip the bubbles out of the beer and only mixing until everything is moistened. You will have lumps!
• Pour batter into loaf pan. Melt butter and pour over batter.
• Bake 375 degrees for 45-47 minutes. The top will be brown and the butter will have created a wonderful, slightly salty exterior.
• Tip: place a sheet of foil under your loaf pan to catch any excess butter that may bubble over.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients. Add the beer all at once, mixing as little as possible; the batter should be lumpy.
• Pour the batter into a 9-x-5-x-3-inch loaf pan and brush with the melted butter. Bake in the oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Turn out onto a rack to cool.