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. 

1. How large is your loaf?
2. What is the temperature of your home?
3. What season is it outside?
4. How much yeast did you use (and how “fresh” is your yeast)?
5. 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.

Time To Cook

Let’s Create a Brine

First, we’ll discuss the steps. Then, later in the article, we’ll discuss the fine points of brining. I have two methods of brining. This one uses heat. My other recipe does not use heat to create the brine. I use the heat method when I am adding herbs, spices, or other ingredients I really want the brine to be saturated with. The cold method is the easy, no-heat method of creating a brine…easier, yes. Better? Not really; they both have their place.

First, let’s get the how-to covered and then we’ll discuss the why-to. If you need to know more about brine and the brining process, I’ll offer that information later. I kinda figured you are here for the how-to more so than the why-to.

This brine recipe is a template only. Once you get the basic brining method down, then you can use this template recipe to create 1000s of different brine “flavors” or varieties.

This recipe will create a 36-ounce batch of brine. It will be very simple and will include garlic and a few herbs. This is not a recipe; it’s a TEMPLATE. The “flavor” of your brine depends on what you are cooking.

If you are only creating a beer brine without adding anything else, I suggest you create your brine using my “cold” method. Here’s the link: https://beerandiron.com/2023/01/how-to-beer-brine-whole-chicken.

The video presents this recipe with 36-ounces of brine created WITH herbs and garlic. All in all, 36-ounce brines are relatively small amounts compared to most brine recipes. We’re using beer to create these brines and using a zipper bag to reduce the needed volume of brine to keep the meat submerged.

Before you get started, you will need to prepare for these things:

1. The beer will form a LARGE head when you add the salt. You will need a pot large enough to handle the foam that will form as soon as you add the salt to the beer.
2. Your pot will need to have enough room to hold the full amount of brine you are planning to create.

Step 1: Pour two 12-ounce beers (24-ounces) into a sauce pot or other container large enough to hold the brine you are going to create. We will be heating only a portion of the brine. The rest of the beer will be added to the brine later and will work to cool the brine. We’ll add all the salt initially to the pot of hot beer on the stove. The cold beer we’ll add later will balance the brine to the 12 ounce to 1 tablespoon ratio.

Step 2: Slowly add your salt to the warm beer. WATCH THE FOAM! We will add 3 tablespoons to this simmering beer. Later, we will add the third 12-ounce beer to cool the brine down a bit.

Step 3: Heat the beer over a medium low heat and until just a bit of steam is rising from the beer. 

Step 4 : When the brine is hot and simmering is the point where you will add the herbs and spices if you were planning to do so. The simmering liquid will “draw” the flavors from the herbs, spices, fruit, or other ingredients you want to add to your brine.

Step 5: Let the brine simmer until the salt has dissolved completely. If you have added herbs and spices, you can let the brine simmer a bit longer. You’ll lose some of the volume to steam and alcohol gas-off. Remember, alcohol has a lower boiling point than water. Consider a beer with a 6% ABV also known as alcohol by volume 6% of the volume will be gone pretty quickly. We’ll top this off to 36-ounces later.

Step 6: Once your brine has been simmering for a bit and you are pleased with the way it is turning out, remove the brine from the heat. We transfer the brine to another container to cool the brine. Cast iron takes a bit of time to cool down and transferring the brine helps it cool quicker. 

We are going to add the third 12 ounce beer to another container. We are going to add that 12 ounce beer to a larger Pyrex container. That Pyrex can handle that hot brine. Take that third 12 ounce beer and add it to the Pyrex first and before adding the hot brine to that Pyrex.

Step 7: Add the hot brine with the herbs to the container with the cold beer. You can just leave it out to cool or speed up the cooling by placing the brine in the refrigerator. It will still be HOT even after adding the hot brine to the cold beer in the Pyrex.

Check the volume. Do you still have 36-ounces? Do you need to add any beer or water to bring the volume up to 36-ounces?

Step 8: Let the brine cool completely. Do not add the meat to the still-warm brine. You can refrigerate the brine a bit to cool it more. Even with the addition of the third cold beer, the brine will still be very warm. 

NOTE: Some folks add ice to cool the brine more rapidly. And, that is A-OK. However, note the amount of ice you’ve added. You will need to make sure that your overall ratio is 1 tablespoon of salt to 12 ounces of liquid.

Step 9: Once the brine is cool, place the meat in a zipper bag large enough to accommodate both the volume of brine and the size of the meat you’re going to brine. Then, pour the cool brine over the meat.

Let the meat brine for as long you feel it needs to brine.

Step 10: Wrap  up that meat-in-the-brine and let the meat brine in the refrigerator for as long as you feel it needs to brine. And, after those hours or days…it’s time to cook. It’s that easy.

I have a few how-to cook the brined meat “suggestions.” You can find those links on the website. There’s a recipe for how to cook a whole chicken, a coffee-crusted pork roast, and one to describe how to low-and-slow a beef roast. There’s also a link on how to salt a dish or a recipe. Don’t you struggle with those recipes that say, “salt to taste?”

Let’s talk a little more about the process. The rest of this podcast will explain some of the factors that you should consider when creating a brine and brining meat.

https://beerandiron.com/2023/01/how-to-beer-brine-whole-chicken

https://beerandiron.com/2023/02/beef-brined-coffee-crusted-pork-roast

https://beerandiron.com/2023/01/low-and-slow-roast

https://beerandiron.com/2022/11/salt-to-taste

Let’s talk a little more about the process. The rest of this article will explain some of the factors that you should consider when creating a brine and brining meat.

Time To Cook

Let’s Create a Brine

First, we’ll discuss the steps. Then, later in the article, we’ll discuss the fine points of brining. I have two methods of brining. This one does not use heat. My other recipe does use heat to create the brine. I use the heat method when I am adding herbs, spices, or other ingredients I really want the brine to be saturated with. This is the easy, no-heat method of creating a brine.

Start with a bowl large enough for the piece of meat you are planning to brine. I use zipper bags to hold my brine for two reasons: 1) It keeps the brine from sloshing and spilling and 2) I don’t need as much brine to keep the meat submerged. Less brine means I used less beer. In this case, less beer will not make a difference other than the cost to make the brine (a factor that outweighs the cost of the zipper bags). And yes, I will reuse my bags if I am brining back-to-back.

Step 1: Zipper bags leak. Use a large container like a pot or bowl to let the zipper bag rest in.

Step 2: Add your beer to the bag. How much beer? 3-4 12oz beers will take care of a whole chicken. Just let the beer head up as you pour; we ain’t drinking it and it’ll flatten out anyway after we add that salt.

Use enough beer that will allow for the meat to be fully submerged when we wrap up this bag.

Step 3: Add your salt. Keep in mind that if you are using a smaller container, the beer will head up like a volcano and it may just erupt over.

Here’s your mixture: 1 tablespoon of salt (15-grams) to 12-ounces of beer. Keep in mind that not all salt weighs the same. And “heavier” salt does not mean saltier. If you stick with the same measurement each and every time you create a brine, you will fine-tune your unique ratio of beer to YOUR particular brand and grind of salt.

Step 4: Pick up the bag and mix things up a bit. Dissolve as much salt as possible. It’s okay if some is left at the bottom.

Step 5: Place the meat into the bag. It may not look submerged in that zipper bag, but that is okay. We’re going to wrap it up a bit.

Step 6: After the foam has subsided, get the air out of the bag and zip up the bag. The meat may not appear submerged right now, but it will after we wrap it up.

Step 7: Don’t roll the top of the bag down. We want the air out of the bag and the top of the zipper bag to remain standing up so the bag does not leak from the top.

Step 8: Loop the bag edges together. This will keep the pointed ends from drooping and leaking.

Step 9: Use the chip clip or something similar to keep the edges looped.

Step 10: Let the meat rest in the brine for as long as it takes (the rest of this article will attempt to clarify that). You can leave it at room temperature for a very short period of time, or in the refrigerator for 1-5 days; it depends on your end goals and the time you plan to cook.

Let’s talk a little more about the process. The rest of this article will explain some of the factors that you should consider when creating a brine and brining meat.