One Bottle of Beer Bread

Do you know why the song "99 Bottles of Beer" is called "99 Bottles of Beer"? Here's a nifty story. Believe it at your own risk. There once were 100 bottles of beer. A nice round number. But someone stole a bottle to make this beer yeast bread and then there were only 99!

Got an extra bottle of beer lying around? This yeast bread recipe calls for exactly one bottle. No need to use a glass measuring cup because you use the whole bottle! I love that it's the perfect quantity! And each time you make this bread, it will come out a little different because you can continue to change up the brand of beer you use.

I was at my parents' house when I made this. They are not the drinking kind. But I did find one random, lonely bottle of beer in the fridge in their garage, and I knew they wouldn't miss it. So I used an Italian beer called Birra Moretti La Rossa. The loaf was great! It's got white whole wheat flour in it, which gives it a hearty flavor. Would be great for making sandwiches. Turkey or cheddar! And of course, it's best enjoyed with a tall ice cold beverage in a frosty glass, if you catch my drift. ;)

One Bottle of Beer Bread

Adapted from a recipe by Marcy Goldman in The Best of Betterbaking.com

Makes 1 large loaf

1/4 cup warm water

1 tablespoon instant yeast

2 tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 cups warm beer

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 cups white whole wheat flour

2 to 2 1/2 cups bread flour

1 egg white, beaten until foamy, for glazing

Grease or spray a 9x5-inch loaf pan. Place on a lined baking sheet.

In the bowl of a stand mixer with the beater attachment, stir together the water, yeast, and sugar. Let stand for 2 to 3 minutes until the yeast is dissolved.

Add the beer, oil, salt, white whole wheat flour, and 1 cup of the bread flour. Mix until well combined, then switch from the beater attachment to the dough hook attachment. Add the remaining bread flour, only as much as is needed to form a smooth, elastic dough that pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Knead for a few minutes. Then transfer the dough to a floured work surface and knead by hand for a few minutes.

Spray the inside of a large bowl and place the dough in the bowl, then turn to coat both sides with the oil. Cover and let rise until almost doubled in size, about 30 to 45 minutes.

Return the dough to the floured work surface, pat it down to deflate it, and then shape it into a loaf. Place in the prepared pan. Brush the top of the loaf with the foamy egg white. Cover the pan and let rise until almost doubled in size, about 30 to 40 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Slash the top of the loaf with a very sharp knife in two diagonal lines. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the top is browned and the bottom sounds hollow when tapped. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for the first 15 minutes, then remove to the wire rack to cool completely outside of the pan.

Step-by-Step in Pictures

Dissolve the yeast in water and sugar...

If you look closely, you can see that the entire bottle of beer has been poured into the measuring glass to make exactly 1 1/2 cups...in other words, no need to measure! Pour the whole bottle in the mixing bowl!

Add the beer, oil, salt, white whole wheat flour, and 1 cup of bread flour...

Add enough additional bread flour to form a smooth, elastic dough...

The dough will start to pull away from the sides of the bowl...

Let the dough rise in a greased bowl, covered, until doubled in size. Then shape into a loaf and place in the prepared pan. Brush with the foamy egg white, let rise again until doubled in size, then slash the top of the loaf with two diagonal lines...

Bake at 375 degrees F for 35 to 40 minutes...

Let cool on a wire rack, then slice and enjoy with an ice cold bottle of BEER!