No knead beer bread recipe is made with whole wheat for a hearty, rustic side to all your soups and stews! Instructions for quick bread version included.
Add the beer and one cup of the flour mixture to the yeast mixture.
Blend well with a wooden spoon.
Add the remaining flour and the salt and stir until the mixture is uniformly wet and "goopy".
You should have a very soft, goopy dough. Yes. I said goopy.
Spoon the dough into a greased loaf pan.
Set aside in a warm place until the batter has risen to the top of the pan. This may take 30 to 45 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 425F
Bake for 20 minutes or so. Loaf will sound hollow when tapped.
Cool in pans for 5 minutes then turn out to finish cooling.
For Quick Bread
Use all-purpose flour instead of bread flour.
Substitute 1 tablespoon of baking powder for the yeast and add it with the first cup of flour - omit the water.
Mix as directed above.
Bake immediately.
Notes
Variations of Beer Bread
Add ¾ cup shredded sharp Cheddar or Pepper Jack cheese
Add ¼ cup chopped rosemary to the batter and brush the top with olive oil before baking
2 Tablespoons minced garlic can be added
1 ½ teaspoons Italian herb blend is especially good when you'll be serving it with minestrone
¾ cup shredded Cheddar and ¼ cup chopped chiles or jalapeno
Notes:
If you are using a sweeter beer then cut down on the sugar a bit or if you are using a bitter brew you might want to add a little more.
Make sure your beer is a little warmer than room temperature - unless you live in Texas and your room temperature is 110F. Don't boil it but let it get at least room temperature if it's been refrigerated.
Experiment with the seasonal and microbrewed beers in your area. A pumpkin beer is really good with the whole wheat flour - very rustic.
Batter bread only rises once and you don't let it rise over the tops of the pans because the batter is so loose that it would goop up your oven floor. This really is a "quick" yeast bread -- I think you'll like it.
If you can wait until it cools to cut a slice please do. The slice will look nicer, cut better, and basically act like a slice of bread. However, if you're anything like me you're not going to wait so at least let it cool a couple of minutes.