Fresh, HOT, Yeasty Bread - Guinness in a Loaf

Hot, Crusty Guinness Stout Bread. Positively STEEMY

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I couldn't wait to get into the kitchen and up to my elbows in dough. HLB (husband-like being) had read my piece about creators a couple of days ago an said, "THERE'S GOING TO BE BREAD?!?!?"

OK, he wasn’t nearly so shouty, but the man was excited. But he loves when I bake – and he also really likes dark beer… the kind where it feels like you drank a loaf of bread.

So, when I thought about what kind of bread to bake, it was an easy decision.

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Guinness Beer Bread

Pictures first, so you can drool a little. Don’t worry – the recipe is coming afterward, and it’s SO easy that even if you’ve never made bread before, you’ll amaze yourself.

Makes one large loaf – takes about four hours total (mostly waiting!).

Here’s What You Need:
1 packet of yeast (about 2 tsp.)
about 5 cups of flour
½ cup of warm water
1 bottle of Guinness
1 ½ tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. corn meal (optional)

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Here’s What You Do:

Combine the yeast, a cup of flour, and the warm water in a big bowl.

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Cover the bowl and let it sit in a sunny spot of your kitchen for 30 minutes.

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Pour the beer into the mixture. Add 4 cups of flour and the salt. Mix until you’ve got a thick dough. It’ll be sticky.

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Heap it in the middle of your bowl. Cover with a kitchen towel and let it sit for a couple of hours until doubled.

Prepare a countertop or parchment paper with a thick dusting of flour.

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Scrape the dough out of the bowl and onto the flour. You don’t need to knead – just make a round loaf. Flip the loaf to coat with flour.

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Prepare your baking sheet (I used a stone) by dusting with cornmeal (optional).

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Transfer the loaf onto the baking sheet. Cover with the towel, and let it sit for about 40 minutes until doubled again.

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Preheat your oven to 425 (F) (220 C) so it’s ready when your loaf is ready. You can experiment with adding a pan of water on the lower rack – I like what it does to the texture.

Put your loaf into the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes (watch at the end to pull it out when you like how the crust looks). Shake the excess flour off, then enjoy.

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Oh, and hide it from your dogs if they’re guilty of counter surfing. Ask me how I know this.

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