Beer Bread

Ingredients:

3cups flour (sifted)
3teaspoons baking powder (omit if using Self-Rising Flour)
1teaspoon salt (omit if using Self-Rising Flour)
1⁄4cup sugar
1(12 ounce) can beer
1⁄2cup melted butter (or 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp of Arbequina Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Olive Oil Etcetera for a healthy replacement)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Mix dry ingredients and beer.

Pour into a greased loaf pan.

Pour melted butter over mixture.

Bake 1 hour, remove from pan and cool for at least 15 minutes.

This recipe makes a very hearty bread with a crunchy, buttery crust. If you prefer a softer crust (like a traditional bread) mix the butter into the batter instead of pouring it over the top.

Sifting flour for bread recipes is a must-do. Most people just scoop the 1 cup measure in the flour canister and level it off. That compacts the flour and will turn your bread into a "hard biscuit" as some have described. That's because they aren't sifting their flour! If you do not have a sifter, use a spoon to spoon the flour into the 1 cup measure. Try it once the "correct" way and you will see an amazing difference in the end product.

I have had many email from you kind folks about using non-alcoholic beverages instead of beer. That is fine to do but I highly recommend adding a packet of Dry Active Yeast or 2 teaspoons of Bread (Machine) Yeast so that you get a proper rise.

The final result should be a thick, hearty and very tasteful bread.