Want bread? No yeast? Try beer!

This is all you need to have a beer bread type of night

This is all you need to have a beer bread type of night

After two weeks of trying to get yeast (and one failed attempt to use expired yeast), I was out of luck. It wasn't until my wife suggesting using beer that I began to feel better about my own stress baking situation.

Soupy with butter. I was a bit skeptical at this point...

Soupy with butter. I was a bit skeptical at this point...

Using beer as a substitute for yeast is a well known trick in the baking world. Although I felt like I was sciencing the F#$K out of this project, it isn't quite that groundbreaking. The beer is a carbonated beverage, and with baking powder it acts as a leavening agent.

See the foamy butter? A near catastrophe! Mine did not boil over though

See the foamy butter? A near catastrophe! Mine did not boil over though

If I were to use beer, what beer should I use? Anything light should produce the leavening, however it won't have much 'beer flavor'. I decided to go a bit stronger than I'd have liked with the Kona Brewing Company's 'Fire Rock Pale Ale'.

It looks heavenly while it cooks. Rises as it should

It looks heavenly while it cooks. Rises as it should

Any dark beer will produce more flavor, so this is the perfect recipe to experiment. I, however, felt that this particular beer produced too much 'hop' flavor. Many of you will like the taste of a hoppy beer; in fact, you might find an IPA to be your go-to beer for this recipe.

It definitely isn't fluffy, but it is bread

It definitely isn't fluffy, but it is bread

The effect I got from the 'Fire Rock' was that similar to the smell you get walking into a craft brewery, but at 30% of normal. It is strong, not overwhelming; it is a flavor I personally haven't associated with bread. I'll call it an 'acquired taste' – like most alcoholic beverages we all drink.

A bit more dense than you're used to; more cornbread-like, and delicious

A bit more dense than you're used to; more cornbread-like, and delicious

I will highly recommend putting your 9x5 baking pan onto a cookie sheet. The sheer amount of butter used (one whole stick) nearly bubbled over for me. I can see that any deviation either purposely or by accident could produce a smoky mess.

Beer bread

No yeast? Use BEER!

Ingredients

• 3c all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4c sugar
• 1 stick butter - melted
• 1 (12oz) beer of your choice

Instructions

1. Whisk dry ingredients.
2. Stir in beer until mixed.
3. Pour half melted butter into pan.
4. Pour other half of the melted butter onto the batter.
5. Bake for approx. 60 minutes (rec. cookie sheet under the loaf pan).