Here’s what we are going to do today: We are going to learn to create an easy…very easy…loaf of beer bread. We’re going to make this loaf by partially using a bread maker…but…we are going to proof this bread and bake this bread in cast iron. Stick with me…this bread recipe will work with a bread maker, KitchenAid® Stand Mixer, or your own two hands lovingly kneading that dough into life.
Bread is more than just a loaf constructed from grains; bread is more of an experience. I both love bread and I love “to bread.” That blending and kneading…the wait and anticipation…the aromas that fill the home…then…crumbs. The one thing I have learned over the years of cooking for folks was this: I have cooked everything from bread, salt-crusted prime rib, gumbo, to paella…they always remember the bread.
For you all that like bread in camp and fresh baked in your cast iron camp Dutch ovens, you’re in for a treat. I will often mix up the dough and let it proof inside the Dutch oven as we are driving to camp. By the time we get there and set camp up (provided it’s only a couple or four hours away), the dough has proofed and ready for those hot coals. I’ll have an article and video on that coming soon.
Hang on, I’ve got something to show you.
Bread. It’s gotten a bad rap over the past few years. What’s changed? In the 1970’s and 1980’s we would always have a plastic wrapped loaf of soft, white bread in the home for sandwiches and for just eating. I loved that soft crust.
Mamma always said, “don’t eat with your fingers!” I never could figure this out. Why? And, “Clean your plate!” What? How many of my life’s moments were centered around cleaning a dinner plate and trying to herd loose, rolling, little green peas or corn kernels onto a spoon “corral?” Woulda been easier to just pick it up with my fingers! Just sayin’
And what about all that juiciness from a good roast or soup? Woulda been easier just to tip up that bowl or plate and single-slurp it down all at once rather than slurping multiple times from a spoon…”clean your plate,” right?
Who made all these rules? My grade school’s library encyclopedia showed pictures of folks who ate with their fingers and drank from their bowls and plates. All those World Book photos of Nepalese, Arabs, Tanzanians, and Ethiopians…their mammas didn’t slap them silly when they ate with their fingers.
Asking for bread was a planned tactic. You had to be quick, “Mamma, can I have some bread I don’t want to eat with my fingers.” Normally there’d be a semi colon in that sentence but if you paused even for a moment, mamma would say, “No, you’ll get fat!” She may be thinking “no” when we were asking for bread but how could she say “no” to we don’t want to eat with our fingers?”
You all from the South know why we were asking for bread, right? For all the rest of you all: we used that bread to push along food toward our forks and spoons. Then, when we were all done pushing, scooping, and sopping, we’d eat that gravy-soaked piece of bread…with our fingers!!
Bread is more than just a loaf constructed from grains; bread is more of an experience. I both love bread and I love “to bread.” That blending and kneading…the wait and anticipation…the aromas that fill the home…then…crumbs. The one thing I have learned over the years of cooking for folks was this: I have cooked everything from bread, salt-crusted prime rib, gumbo, to paella…they always remember the bread.
I mentioned a bread maker. Used to be that I considered the bread maker a form of cheating. I enjoyed (and still enjoy) the beauty of a hand-kneaded ball of dough (an article and video for another day). Then there came a day where I was “agreeing” with a production baker. He and I both frowned on those using a bread machine. But, boy howdy, was he proud (and I jealous) of his home’s KitchenAid® Stand Mixer that he used to knead his dough. Then…I changed my mind. I’ll leave it up to you to change your mind if you think like I used to.
In this article, we are using a bread maker or a bread machine to create our beer bread loaf. This recipe will work A-OK with your KitchenAid® Stand Mixer or even in a bowl-to-counter, by means of hand kneading. I like my bread maker and consider the bread maker to be the poor man’s KitchenAid® Stand Mixer. The bread maker I have right now was purchased from a friend for 10 bucks. Lots of your friends will have a bread maker that they haven’t used for years. My advice is to share this bread recipe after they give you their bread machine (tongue-in-cheek).
Here’s How We Are Going to Do This:
Step 1: Measure out our dry ingredients directly into the bread maker basket or bread bucket.
Step 2: Get the bread machine started and then add our wet ingredients.
Step 3: Wait for the bread machine to finish creating the dough.
Step 4: Butter the cast iron pan you plan to bake your bread in.
Step 5: Remove the dough from the bread bucket and form our loaf.
Step 6: We’ll let the loaf rise a bit and then we’ll bake the loaf in the oven.
Step 7: After the loaf has baked, we’ll remove it and let it cool before enjoying it.
There’s more waiting on this bread to “do its thing” than participating with the loaf itself.
Easy!
The Beer
Stick with a flavor-neutral beer like an easy-drinking craft lager or AAL (American Adjunct Lager). Now, flavor-neutral does not mean “blah” beer; there are a lot of beautifully crafted flavor-neutral beers that taste AMAZING!
Later, if you want to experiment with different beers, the beer cooler is the limit. But, for your first loaf, stick with an easy-drinker.
The Cast Iron
A cast iron loaf pan is not essential for making bread. If you don’t have a loaf pan but want to make the bread, then rock on! We can make that happen (I will show you in a bit).
You will need one of these loaf pans (affiliate links):
Lodge 8.5″x4.5″ Cast Iron Loaf Pan 4.69″D x 12″W x 2.88″H: https://amzn.to/3KkBlUq
Camp Chef Home Seasoned Cast Iron Bread Pan 11.75″D x 5.75″W x 3.25″H: https://amzn.to/40LWM68
Navaris Bread Loaf Pan with Lid – Cast Iron Bread Baking Dish for Bulge Top or Flat Top Breads Meat Veg Meatloaf – Baking Tin 13.4″x5.3″x6.7″: https://amzn.to/40IyuK8
WEES-CK Unique Enameled Cast Iron Loaf Pan, Meatloaf Pan, Casserole, and Bread Baking Mold (Cherry, 1 Pound) 10″D x 4.7″W x 3″H: https://amzn.to/40L3LMB
Loaf Pan – Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron 11-3/4 inches By Old Mountain 11.75 x 5.75 x 3 inches: https://amzn.to/3nu95Wq
Supplies You May Need (Affiliate Links)
Measuring Spoons: https://amzn.to/3n8o5J5
Measuring Cups: https://amzn.to/3yWrz41
Bread Knife: https://amzn.to/3KpWIDy
Cutting Board: https://amzn.to/42nIGt4
Baking and Cooling Rack: https://amzn.to/4310Pxa
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients:
2 Cups of White Flour
1 to 1 ½ Teaspoon of Salt
1 Rounded Teaspoon of Yeast
1 Tablespoon of Sugar (that’s yeast food right there)
Wet Ingredients:
¾ Cup of Beer
2-3 Tablespoons of Oil
Also, you’ll need a tablespoon of butter to get the loaf pan ready for the dough.
Ready to Cook
Step 1: Measure out our dry ingredients directly into the bread maker basket.
I add my dry ingredients to the bread machine’s basket first. I start with the flour and then add the rest of the ingredients on top of the flour. Seems that things mix up a bit better this way.
Make sure your bread machine setting is on “DOUGH.” Truth be known, you can cook this right in the bread machine and make this a one step process. But today, we’re going to use cast iron.
Step 2: Get the bread machine started and then add our wet ingredients.
Once you’ve measured out your dry ingredients, turn the bread machine on. Let the kneading paddle mix the dry ingredients around a bit first. Then add your room-temperature beer and oil to the mix and watch things a bit. DON’T drink or toss the rest of that beer in that bottle or can; we may still need some of it.
Beer is a tricky ingredient; if the beer “heads-up” in the measuring cup, it’ll throw the measurement off. Take note of the foam!
Once the ingredients (dry and wet) are mixed well, what does that dough look like? Too sticky? Too dry or maybe even crumbly?
Too Sticky: Add a little flour to the basket while the kneading paddle is running. We are looking for the dough to knock around a bit and not stick or suction to the side of the basket. We want a semi sticky ball that is being rolled around by the bread maker’s paddle and not a sticky wad that makes a sucking sound as the kneading paddle spins.
Too Dry: If the spinning dough looks crumbly and looks a bit too dry, add a bit of the remaining beer from the bottle or can. Be careful. It will go from dry to a sticky mess with just the smallest amount of extra beer.
Give the machine a bit of time to spin before you add anything (more flour or more beer). It may look too dry or too wet initially but wait about 4-5 minutes and see how the dough is coming along.
Step 3: Wait for the bread machine to finish.
Depending on the bread machine’s settings, the mixing-of-the-ingredients to the-dough-is-ready-to-form state is about an hour or two (this depends on that timer on your specific bread machine).
Enjoy the rest of that beer and maybe another one.
Step 4: Butter the cast iron pan you plan to bake your bread in.
USE BUTTER. Nothing else will work as well…maybe lard. I’ve tried other oils and even bacon grease, but the non-stick nature of butter is unmatched in the bread baking process. It’ll help you get that successful, easy-to-pop-out loaf of bread.
After the bread machine has started working away, pull out between a teaspoon to a tablespoon of butter and put the butter in the bottom of the pan you are going to bake your bread in. Just let it sit there for a bit to soften up at room temperature. We’ll spread it with our fingers in a moment.
You will not preheat your cast iron. Your loaf will proof in the pan you plan to bake the bread in. To clarify, the term “Proof” or “Proofing” identifies the final rise the dough goes through and before you place it in the oven.
Before the bread machine *beeps* to let you know your dough is ready for your attention, use your bare hand and smear the butter all over the inside of the pan you are going to proof your loaf in. If you are using a square loaf pan, watch those corners. The butter needs to be in the edges and the four corners where the edges and the bottom of the pan meet.
Step 5: Remove the dough and form our loaf.
Now we get to handle the dough.
First, notice that the dough in the bread maker’s bread basket has gone through the first rise. There is an upside that is puffy round. When you pull the dough out, the bottom will be a bit more sticky than the top. Flip the dough when you place it on the countertop.
Lay a light dusting of flour on a countertop, reach into the bread machine basket and pull the dough out, and just plop it on the countertop with the sticky side UP. We’ll flip it again when we put it in the cast iron.
Don’t knead the dough.
Forming the loaf is not hard but it’s easy to make things complicated here. Think of the side on the counter that’s face-down as the top (or eventually will become the top) of the loaf. The side that’s up will be the bottom. We want to create a rounded top.
All you must do here is press the dough flat and bring the dough’s edges back around on itself like closing a bag or purse. Then, pinch the bottom of the loaf and create an oval loaf that is even in thickness on the edges as it is thick in the center.
The loaf will want to take the shape of a football with a thick middle and tapering sides. A little football shape is okay, but we really want the loaf to sit evenly in the pan and rise evenly. If it’s not even, don’t sweat it. The pan will restrict its rising upward and often the loaf will even out more during proofing.
Let the loaf rise for about an hour or three or so. Don’t let it rise for too long or it will start to collapse or a weird air pocket will form just under the top of the loaf and create a space between the top and the rest of the bread.
Step 6: We’ll let the loaf proof (or rise) a bit and then we’ll bake the loaf in the oven
The bread needs to rise to the optimum point and then placed in the oven. How long…well, that depends.
The loaf in the video (see above) took 2.5 hours to rise and double in size.
Bread baking is not a skill that can be mastered after watching a video or reading an article. Like any recipe, it must be tried, tried, and tried again. The time it will take for optimum rising or proofing depends on a few factors.
- How large is your loaf?
- What is the temperature of your home?
- What season is it outside?
- How much yeast did you use (and how “fresh” is your yeast)?
- What kind of beer did you use and what was the temperature of that beer when you mixed it in?
These are just a few variables. Expect your first loaf to have some issues; it will not be perfect. But, after your first loaf, you will be able to identify things that you will do differently next time. Then, make bread again.
Don’t wait until the loaf proofs to the size of the loaf that you expect to come out of the oven. It will rise more in the oven for sure. Not only will it rise as the internal temperature of the loaf rises with the oven, the air pockets that cause the loaf to rise will expand as well. This is what often will cause the top of loaves to burst open or crack like artisan bread cracks. And, it is one of the reasons the loaf collapses on itself in the oven.
Step 7: After the loaf has baked, we’ll remove it and let it cool before enjoying it.
Now! That smells amazing!! But you must be patient here.
Remove the bread from the oven and let it rest in the pan for a minute or two. Then carefully turn it out onto a drying rack.
Optional: Using a basting brush, apply some melted butter or oil on top of the loaf and sprinkle a bit of flaky salt on the top. Let it rest for about 10-15 minutes more and then…well…now it’s time to enjoy.
Summary
Well, there you have it; the recipe is yours. Now you know how to bake a loaf of beautiful beer bread in a cast iron loaf pan. I’ll be offering more beer bread recipes soon including the round loaves that are cooked in skillets and Dutch ovens, beer bread hamburger buns and rolls, even buttermilk beer biscuits, and beer cornbread.
We’ll be on a beer bread roll for a bit. ENJOY!
Beer Bread Baked in a Cast Iron Loaf Pan Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Bread Machine A bread machine, stand mixer, your own loving hands.
- 1 Cast Iron Loaf Pan
- 1 Rubber Spatula
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons:
- 1 Kitchen Towel To cover the loaf while proofing
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 Cups White Flour Plus some to dust with
- 1 tsp Salt 1-1½ Teaspoon Salt
- 1 tsp Dry Yeast Any Kind Will Work
- 1 TBL Sugar 1 Tablespoon of Sugar or 3 Teaspoons
Wet Ingredients
- ¾ Cup Beer Any easy-drinking lager will work A-OK.
- 2 TBL Oil 2-3 Tablespoons of Oil
Set 1 Tablespoon Pat of Butter to the Cast Iron Bread Pan – Do not add to the bread machine.
Instructions
- Measure out our dry ingredients directly into the bread maker basket or bread bucket.
- Set the Bread Machine to the Dough Cycle and press START
- Measure out our wet ingredients directly into the bread maker basket or bread bucket.
- Add 1 Tablespoon of Butter to the Bread Pan and let is sit at room temperature while the bread machine works the dough.
- Wait for the bread machine to finish creating the dough.
- Smear the Butter and cover the inside surface of your cast iron pan you plan to bake your bread in. You may not need all that butter.
- Remove the dough from the bread bucket and form our loaf. Set the formed dough into the buttered bread pan.
- Cover the dough and let it rise until it doubles in size – about 2-3 hours.
- Bake the loaf in the oven at 400℉ or 205℃ for about 25 minutes until golden brown. If unsure, check the temperature. Bread is considered done at 190℉ or 88℃
- After the loaf has baked, let it rest in the pan for about 5 minutes before removing it from the pan.
