Beer Bread - vegan

Happy Monday! I had a great weekend. How about you?

I took a quick trip up to Seattle to visit. They sure know how to treat a girl! Our weekend activities pretty much centered around food (you may have seen the evidence), which made the whole trip feel that much more indulgent.

It seems, however, that I brought some classic Seattle weather home with me, and today's rain plus my weekend read equal bread baking. This loaf is nothing fancy. In fact, it's like the opposite of fancy. But it's 5 minutes of work, an hour to accomplish other items on your to-do list, and a no-fuss-no-muss loaf of bread for dinner. Or anytime you want to add carbs to your carbs. or if you're the type who needs a vehicle for butter. or jam. It's also a bread that's good for those of you scared of yeast breads (ahem, E.) because the beer carbonation and baking powder do all the work for you.

It's dense and chewy and slightly sweet and it reminds be of my long-lost source of Irish soda bread. I might not bring it to dinner, but I'll certainly make it for mine.


Beer Bread - vegan
adapted from USA Weekend Magazine

This time I used Fat Tire, but any variety should work. Every beer will give your loaf a slightly different flavor, so experiment ad nauseum! 

3 C (16 oz/450g) flour
3 Tbsp (1 oz/25 g) sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
12 oz (1 bottle) beer
1 egg, beaten or 1-2 Tbsp non-dairy milk (optional)

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 375F.

In a medium large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add beer and stir with a fork until just combined. Turn out onto a floured surface, knead a few times, and form into a ball. During your few kneads, add in a little flour if you think it's too wet. Place the ball onto a floured baking pan and use a sharp knife to (decisively!) slash an X on the top. If you'd like, brush the top with some milk or a beaten egg.

Bake until golden brown, 45-50 minutes. If you tap the bottom, it should sound hollow. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.