More Bread Recipes

The bread experiments continue.

Our latest recipe has been modified a bit:

  • 15 ounces of flour (weighed) or 3 cups
  • 1/4 teaspoon quick-acting yeast
  • 1 teaspoon table salt
  • 1 bottle or can lager or pilsner beer
  • 1 tablespoon white vinegar
  • Additional water as needed until all flour is incorporated (usually no more than 1 extra tablespoon)

Mix the dry ingredients. Stir in the wet ones and cover with plastic wrap, then let rest for at least 8 hours. Knead briefly, then place the dough on parchment paper to rise for 2 hours. Shash the top before baking.

Preheat a covered dutch oven and bake the bread, covered, for 30 minutes, then uncovered for 20-30 additional minutes. We used a 425-degree preheat and 375-degree bake.

The pictures here show the dough at different points in the making process.

Initial mixing of the dough.
At the start of the long overnight rise.
After rising, but before kneading.
Just before kneading begins.

Variations have been good to us so far:

  • Whole wheat using 5-10 ounces of whole wheat flour and the rest regular flour.
  • Rye using 7 ounces of rye flour and the rest regular flour, plus 2 tablespoons of caraway seeds.
  • Herb with 1 tablespoon each of dried parsley and dried garlic (chunky, not powder), 1 teaspoon each of oregano, thyme, marjoram, and white pepper, and 1/8 teaspoon of sage. My recipe also recommends adding 1/8 teaspoon of celery seed, but we didn’t have any and it still turned out great.

Beer variations we’ve tried so far:

  • Corona – reigning winner
  • Budweiser – good
  • 5 Barrel Ale – OK, but more like regular bread
  • Double Pilsner – good
  • Pacifico – good, but not as good as others

The experiments will go on!