Making and freezing beer bread?

I sure don't see a problem freezing it. I make Sara Moulton's bread which is actually baked in a baking dish (9x13 or 7x11) It's then cut in squares. It's lumpy and flavourful.

kitchen of Sara Moulton

Servings:6-8

Difficulty:Easy

Cook Time:30-60 min

I had no idea about the widespread popularity of beer bread until Debbie Bickford, a longtime fan of my show, emailed her family's version to me, along with this introduction: "Hope you will enjoy this simple bread. It looks lumpy, but the lumps are yummy.' My granddaughter likes it for the butter."

The first time I made Debbie's recipe, it was so ridiculously simple, I thought it was a joke. Then I ate it and I understood it was a miracle. So little effort, so much flavor. In fact, it was so good, it inspired me to come up with a few variations of my own: beer bread made with cornmeal or whole wheat flour, and beer bread with onion.

A cook named Farmgirl Susan, who writes for a web site called "A Year in Bread," wrote well about the recipe's versatility: "Beer bread is delicious warm or at room temperature and goes well with just about anything. You can even use it to make sandwiches. It also freezes beautifully."

There are home cooks in the South who whip up a batch of biscuits for every meal. I'm thinking this beer bread could become my frequent side for weeknight meals.

Ingredients

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon table salt

One 12-ounce bottle good-quality beer

Cooking Directions

Place an oven rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350"F. Place the butter in a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish or pan and set it in the oven while the oven is preheating.

Stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in the beer until it is just incorporated' (The dough will be sticky and heavy.) Pour 6 tablespoons melted butter out of the pan into a cup; tilt the pan to coat the bottom and sides with the remaining butter. Spoon the bread dough into the pan and spread evenly; drizzle the

6 tablespoons melted butter over the top. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the bumpy top is golden brown.

Remove the bread from the oven to a cooling rack; cut the bread into rectangles and serve warm.

Thanks, Jasdip!!! That recipe sounds so easy that I know I'll have to try it after I make the beer bread that I linked...or maybe before I make the beer bread, or maybe at the same time! lolam

Smiles,

Sooz

I love your enthusiasm Sooz!!! Hahahaha!

Bread that is low in fats and sugar doesn't freeze as well and a rich bread....but for a short period I am sure it would be more than fine.
Wrap it in foil as well as plastic so it doesn't dry out at all.
I make 2 kinds of beer bread, one is a quick bread with baking powder and the other is a traditional yeast bread with beer as the liquid. The yeast bread is by far the better bread.

Thanks, Linda, for your helpful input!

Smiles,

Sooz

I'm guessing that you won't have a crusty exterior if you freeze it but I'm sure it will taste delicious. I'm going to try that one! I'm all for easy bread.

The link that Sooz posted mentioned sifting flour is a 'must' when making bread. I never have, so I'm going to do that this weekend.

The breads also look similar (hers and mine). I made mine in a 7x11 baking dish, as per Sara Moulton's directions. They are both lumpy and dense, just the shape is different. :-)

grainlady......what is your recipe please?