Rustic Beer Bread
Rustic Beer Bread is a hearty loaf built on real ale rather than water. The ale and malt extract give the crumb a gentle, toasty sweetness, and four different flours, two white and two wholemeal, make a dense, grainy texture. It was written for a bread machine, but the dough kneads easily by hand on an unfloured surface. Use a proper ale, not a lager, for the best flavor.
Instructions
If you are using a bread machine, add the ingredients to the pan in the order listed. Choose the white loaf setting as described in your machine's manual and press start.
When the cycle finishes, take the loaf out of the machine and let it cool before slicing.
To make it by hand, mix all the ingredients together into a dough. Knead it on an unfloured surface until it turns smooth and elastic.
Put the dough into a greased baking tin or onto a greased baking tray. Cover it with a dry towel and leave it to rest for about 1 hour.
Bake in an oven preheated to 180°C for 20 to 40 minutes. The time varies with altitude, so check the loaf toward the end of that range.
If you have no malt extract, use 1.5 tbsp (22.5 ml) demerara sugar instead. For a different texture, reduce each flour by 10 g and add 40 g loose polenta. Bread flour can stand in for the hard flour, and pastry flour for the soft flour.
Make it personal.
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