Drink beer? Eat bread? Next time you open a bottle of brew, make this beer bread. Like red-wine rosemary no-knead bread, it’s crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside, and requires a splash of alcohol to make the dough, which lends a subtle flavor to the final loaf.
I used Pabst Blue Ribbon – left over from the chipotle shredded chicken I made the other day, but any type of ale will do. Just remember, the darker the beer you choose, the darker your bread will be.
Recipe adapted from Chez CateyLou.
No-Knead Beer Bread
Makes 1 loaf
Ingredients
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1 tablespoon millet
- ¾ cup beer, room temperature
- ¾ cup buttermilk, room temperature (see notes)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the flours, salt, yeast and millet.
- Add beer and buttermilk to the flour mixture, stirring everything until it comes together to form a shaggy ball. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put it in a warm place to rise for 16-20 hours.
- After 16-20 hours, turn the dough out onto a floured work surface. Gently and quickly shape dough into a ball by taking the ends of the dough and folding them into the middle.
- Place dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, cover it (an inverted large bowl works well) and let it rise for 2 hours until doubled in size.
- At least 30 minutes before dough has finished rising, preheat oven to 475 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel or ceramic) in oven as it heats.
- When dough has finished rising, slash top with a floured knife about ½ inch deep. Carefully remove pot from the oven and use the parchment paper to lift and place the dough (with the parchment paper) in the pot.
- Cover with lid and bake for 30 minutes. Then remove lid and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes until loaf is browned. Let cool on a wire rack before slicing and serving.
Notes
I rarely buy buttermilk because it's so easy to make with ingredients you likely have on hand. Just pour 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar in a measuring cup and add enough milk to hit the 1-cup line. Let the mixture sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes until curdled.
I love your twist on this bread – the millet in there is absolutely gorgeous! What a perfect loaf!