3000 miles 'til dinner.

This bread has a lovely thick, chewy crust and dense, hearty crumb. You will love it the next day when you pop it in the toaster & slather with Apple Butter and a steaming mug of  Stumptown Coffee. The beauty of making this bread is you can start it when when you have a minute and bake it two days later if you are busy and not home long enough to finish the process. 

Prep time:  10 minutes

Rising time:   3 hours (room temp) *refrigerate dough for up to 24 hrs. to slow the rising time,  anytime during the process

Oven temp:   400 minutes- 15 minutes - middle rack

                     350 degrees - 35 minutes

Baking time:   50 minutes

Quantity:   1 loaf  (standard bread pan, 9 1/2”x 5 1/2”)

♥PANTRY, FRIDGE, MARKET♥♥

1 pkg. dry yeast (1 T.)

1/4 C. warm water

1- 12 oz bottle beer of choice, cold or room temp.

3 T.  granulated or brown sugar 

2 tsp. sea salt

1- 1/2 C. whole wheat flour (not pastry flour)

2 C. unbleached flour

♥Prep

In large bowl, mix yeast with water. Stir in beer, sugar and salt. Add all the flour and mix until a thick, sticky dough. It should be thick enough you can still stir, but not batter consistency. Add more flour if needed. 

Scrape down the sides of the bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Leave at room temp — warmish spot — for 2 hours.  (It can be left at room temp. for up to 8 hours or refrigerated for up to 24 hours)

When you are ready to bake the loaf, spoon into greased bread pan and let rise until the dough has risen almost to the top of the pan or at least 3/4 up the sides. (you can also put the filled pan in the refrigerator, lightly covered with plastic wrap, and the dough will slow rise within 4-8 hours. Remove it from the fridge and bake)

♥Bake

Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes; turn dial to 350 degrees and bake 35 minutes longer. Bread should be very brown and “hollow sounding” when you tap on the loaf. If there is a “heavy thudding sound” when you tap the loaf, it is not ready, still “doughy” in the center; also you can insert a skewer into the center to test — it should come out perfectly clean.

When done, remove from pan and cool at least 15 minutes before cutting.

♥♥WAYS TO “just wing it”.♥♥           consider substituting

*consider all unbleached white flour  (do not use all whole wheat)

*reduce either flour by 1/2 and add: 1/2 C. cornmeal, oatmeal or rye flour

*reduce beer by 1/2 C and sub. cottage cheese or sour cream

*add 1/4 C fine chopped onions and 3 T. fresh herbs or 2 tsp. dried herbs, such as dill

♥ Helpful Hints♥

*if you remove the baked loaf from the pan and it doesn’t seem done, pop right back in the oven. It is very forgiving!

*if you don’t have a standard bread pan, wing it and use a round oven-proof heavy bottom dish or pot

*the type of beer you use will make a difference in the flavor (light beer versus dark beer    

(MIL post)