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Return of the Beer Bread

Okay, I know how I said I hate beer bread, but it turned out to be a lie.  Beer bread is lightning fast compared to regular yeast bread and it's also yummy.  But, my food-loving friends, there is a little secret to making yummy beer bread that doesn't taste like salty cake.  Shhh... it's bread flour.

Bread flour makes beer bread chewy and delicious.  Here is my new favorite recipe that I've finagled through a myriad of experimenting.

Stacey's Cheddar Onion Beer Bread Ingredients
2c bread flour, organic
1c whole wheat flour, organic
1 tbs baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tbs sugar, organic
1 tsp dried dill
4.5 oz cheddar cheese, shredded or cubed small
12 oz beer (I use the cheap Simple Times stuff from Trader Joe's)
2 tbs olive oil, organic
2/3c onions sauteed/caramelized in 2 tbs butter (2 small yellow onions, or 1 large)

Loaf pan

First, chop the onions and caramel them in the butter and then set them aside.  Then preheat the oven to 375F.  Mix the dry ingredients in the bowl, including the cheese.  Then pour the beer in and stir it gently (try not to make a mess - there is fizzing and flour and plus I'm kinda messy) until it's combined.  Then add the onions and stir them in.  The dough is really thick at this point - you may need to knead it in (ha, need to knead - if I ever write a bread book it's totally going to be called The Need to Knead).

Coat the loaf pan with olive oil.  Save the leftover oil.  Put the loaf into the pan with an oiled rubber spatula, and flatten it gently, spreading it in the pan.  Then pour the remaining oil on top and spread it around.

Bake for about 45-50 minutes, rotating once at the halfway point.


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