eating beer.

my yeast died today. i found out when i had the random itch to bake some bread. although, after being stored for so long, it doesn't really come as that much of a surprise. :/

i took out my yeast, proofed it in warm water, and was dismayed that it didn't come alive. now what do i do?? then an idea struck me: we have beer in the fridge! i'm not really that much of a big beer drinker. although the boyfriend loves the stuff, i'm more opt to get a glass of juice or a cup of tea. and whenever we have a big gathering at the house, i find that we always have a handful of beers leftover from the festivities just there sitting lonely in the corner of the fridge . . . undrank . . . unused . . . neglected. needless to say, i was estactic of the idea of being able to get rid of a couple of bottles short of drinking them!

after a quick search on the internets, i found this recipe to try. it seemed easy enough and i had the ingredients to make it. made a few modifications and out came a moist, slightly sweet bread with a soft and chewy consistency (think of a super moist banana bread with more of a chew). this was great to snack on as-is with some mild havarti and some fruit. i've also used this as a french toast and it paired perfectly with puddle of pure maple syrup. would i make this again? definitely!

 

Honey Whole Wheat Beer Bread
(adapted from Farmgirl Fare)

2 cups organic whole wheat flour (i used wheat montana's bronze cheif whole wheat flour)
1 cup organic all-purpose flour (i used gold medal's all-purpose flour)
1 Tablespoon granulated sugar (i subbed 2 tbsp dark brown sugar)
1 teaspoon salt (added about 1/4 tsp or so)
1 Tablespoon baking powder (make sure it's fresh!) (i added 1/2 tsp or so more)
14 ounces beer (or 12 ounces beer & 2 ounces water) (used about 1 1/2 bottles of stella artois to get a "thick batter")
1/4 cup honey (or less)

Optional glaze: 1 egg & 2 teaspoons water, beaten

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Slowly stir in beer (and the honey) and mix just until combined. The batter will be thick.

Spread in a greased 8-inch loaf pan (i used a parchment lined baking pan), brush with the egg glaze if desired (skipped this), and bake until golden brown and a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. (mine took almost an hour to bake. also, about 20 minutes before it was done, i spread some butter on top and let it finish in the oven for some buttery-top goodness!)

Cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool 10 more minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.