Sourdough Beer Bread
Sourdough Beer Bread is made by simply using beer as the liquid in your sourdough bread dough.
Using my no-knead, overnight method produces a well flavoured bread with a hint of beer, a good crust and the classic holey structure of a sourdough.
As I explained in my post about No-knead Sourdough I love baking homemade bread and have gradually developed a method that consistently works for me and fits in with my life.
So, now I’m pretty confident making sourdough, I’ve started experimenting and adding different flavours to my breads, starting appropriately enough in the Real Bread Campaign’s Sourdough September.
This beer bread was one of those experiments and I think it went rather well.
SOURDOUGH BEER BREAD
Quite simply, I replaced the usual water with beer and used a flour mix of approximately 25 per cent malted grain brown flour, 25 per cent rye flour and 50% white wheat flour.
The main ingredient in bread which helps it rise is gluten. As rye contains less gluten than wheat flour, the addition of it to my mix meant that, as I’d expected, the loaf didn’t rise as much as some of my all-wheat flour loaves.
But the bread had a lovely flavour with a hint of beer, a good crust & the classic holey structure of a sourdough.
For this experimental loaf, I used an unremarkable brown ale. But I’m planning to make sourdough beer bread again, maybe with a much stronger-flavoured beer.
Update 2020: see my recipe for Beer & Cheese Bread with Oats
However, overall I was pretty pleased with this first attempt and liked its rustic, hearty nature.
Full instructions for making this bread are given in the recipe card at the end of the post.
My other recipes for Sourdough September
Roasted Onion Sourdough with Flaxseeds & Toasted Bulgur
Beer Sourdough Loaf
Use beer as the liquid in my easy no-knead sourdough and you'll get a well flavoured loaf with a hint of beer, a good crust and the classic holey structure of a sourdough.
Ingredients
- 60 ml sourdough starter 60g if measuring by weight
- 400 ml beer
- 600 grams bread flour e.g. 50% white/25% malted grain/25% rye
- 2 tsp salt
Instructions
The night before you want to bake the bread:
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In a large bowl, add the salt to the flour
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Dissolve the starter in the beer.
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Stir the liquid mix into the flour then gradually bring together into a rough dough that should leave the sides of the bowl clean.
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Cover the bowl with cling film and leave overnight or 12-16 hours.
On the day of baking:
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Scrape the dough out of its bowl onto the floured worktop. If liked, stretch the dough by flattening then folding into thirds a few times to increase holes in finished loaf, otherwise simply shape to the proving vessel, cover with cling film and leave to rest 10 min.
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After 10 min you can stretch and fold again as above, or simply place the dough into a lined, floured proving basket/tea towel-lined bowl, cover with cling film and leave for 90 min.
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After 60 min preheat oven to 250C/500F/Gas 10 and put cast iron pot with lid into the oven.
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When the 90 min are up, carefully flip the dough from the proving basket into the pot, slash the top, replace the lid and put into the oven. Turn the heat down to 220C/425F/Gas 7. Bake for 30 min.
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Remove pot from the oven, take bread out and put bread directly on the oven shelf. Bake for 10-20 min until the bread is cooked through, turning down the oven if necessary to stop outside burning.
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Leave on a wire rack to cool.
Recipe Notes
Different flours will absorb varying amounts of water so you may need to increase or decrease the liquid measurements.
After unexpectedly losing my husband last August, I have recently begun a beer bread journey as there is quite a lot of beer that I’ll never drink since I’d just done a large Costco run shortly before his death. My sourdough journey began over winter as it’s the only bread I can eat without troubles, and baking has been therapeutic for me. Not only is this THE BEST beer bread recipe I’ve tried thus far, it is THE BEST sourdough bread I’ve made thus far! I did increase the starter to 100g, as I’ve noticed less than 100g in any recipe leads to my GI issues flaring up, but all else I followed the rules on 🙂 I also added King Arthur’s “The Works” bread topping, which was absolutely delicious on this full-flavor bread – thank you for creating this most perfect bread recipe!
So sorry for your loss, Emma. Glad to here that baking has been therapeutic for you and my recipe has played a little part in that.
Thanks so much for getting in touch and do take care.
Made this today. I used 75% white bread flour & 25% rye, and a Porter.
Baked up beautifully! Next time I’ll try a milder beer, this one had a bit too much flavor for my taste. Need to fiddle with my stretch & pull, as had very little crumb compared to your pictures. Over worked? Under worked?
I have a cold house, so the overnight rise was in the water heater closet, nice constant 74*F. Love that this is so basic & easy to put together.
Thanks!
C
Thanks for trying my recipe, Carol. Glad you enjoyed it!
Can you use discard starter? Or does it need to be fed first?
Thanks!
Carol
Hi Carol, thanks for your interest in my recipe. You do need lively fed starter rather than discard to make it.