Beer Bread

This past weekend my wife and daughter traveled to Disney World, so I spent the weekend alone. I realized that I don't really like just cooking for myself. I also spent a lot of time talking to myself. A lot of my conversations, like the following, were with Mr. Crankypants:

Mr. C: What are you cooking?

ME: I'm baking a beer bread. It's a quick bread.

Mr. C: Bread shouldn't be quick. Good bread demands time, attention, kneading, proofing, and the hands of an artist. Those things build flavor, and there's nothing quick about it.

ME: Well, this bread is convenient. It also uses beer, which I think is kinda cool.

Mr. C: Convenience is the scourge of American culture. What kind of of beer did you use?

ME: Coors Light.

When he heard this, Mr. Crankypants picked up his copy of Don Quixote, grumbled something about shit and me being an idiot, and then he left the room. I didn't see him the rest of the afternoon. I must say that I was terribly lonely.

Here's the recipe I used from a book simply titled Baking by Chuck Williams. It's not a bad recipe; however, using dried chives didn't really add to the flavor of the bread. I need something with more punch.

Beer Bread

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 table chopped fresh chives or 1 1/2 teaspoon dried
• 1 1/2 cups beer
• 1 cup of cheddar cheese

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degree, and grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan.
2. In a bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and dill. Stir int he beer and cheese until blended.
3. Pour and scrap the batter into the pan. Bake until a wood toothpick inserted into the center of the oaf comes out clean, about 50 minutes.
4. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, and then turn out onto a wire rack.
5. Enjoy
   

keep your skillet good and greasy,

muddy