Bacon and Cheese Beer Bread: Step by Step

Beer Bread is just awesome. Boyfriends, girlfriends, puppy friends, they all love it. And, it's something you probably already have in your cupboard without even realizing it! I'll show you step by step how to do this terribly delicious version. 

Now, this particular recipe I originally got from gimmesomeoven (hey, not all names can be this obvious that it is a baking blog), and I've used it a thousand times! It's just so fool proof and easy. I even had the power go out mid baking during one time, and it still turned out pretty okay! So definitely save this one. 

What beer should I pick?: Since I happen to be in love with a beer "snob" I have learned some things about beer. You will want a lighter beer that isn't too heavy, unless you're doing a super sweet bread (I've made a version with graham cracker crumbs, cinnamon, and extra honey once), so no porters/stouts or hopadillos (yes, that's a real beer from a local brewery, Karbach). 

Who doesn't like a hot blond(e)?

I chose this gem (cauuuse it was in the fridge), but I've used Coronas, Real Ale (pale ales), and even a Bud Light with Lime once (don't tell the Boyfriend that I ventured into the "dark side" of beer). 

The cool "science" part of it, is that in the recipe you will add the beer to the flour, and no need to wait for yeast rise time. Beer is made with sugar, hops, yeast, barley, and water. I could tell you the whole story, but the only part you'd listen to is that the yeast eat the sugar and make the carbon dioxide out of their farts. 

That's right.

Yeast. Farts. 

Every brewery tour you go to will make this joke, and.....it doesn't get old. 

So, the left over yeast is still in the beer. When you combine it with the dry ingredients (i.e. sugar), it will bubble! (why?) Because you're making more yeast farts!! That is how bread is made. By Farting.

 You're Welcome, America.  

Okay, here's how to make beer bread. (Complete with yeast farts!!)

Your Basic Beer Bread Ingredients

Bacon n Cheese Honey Beer Bread, Adapted from Gimme Some Oven

Ingredients: 

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 Tbsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 Tbsp. honey or agave nectar
• 1 bottle (12 ounces) beer
• 4 Tbsp. (half stick) butter, melted 
• 1 cup shredded cheese (or cut up slices of American, which melt really nicely)
• 3 Tbsp. Bacony Bits (or more, if you'd dare...)

Method: 

Time: 1 Hr 15 min (max)

Tastiness: A whole freaking lot

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9″ x 5″ x 3″ inch loaf pan [Use plenty of grease]
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. 
3. Using a wooden spoon, stir the beer and honey into the dry ingredients until just mixed. [Pop honey in the microwave for 15 seconds if you want to make pouring easier] 
4. Pour half the melted butter into the loaf pan.
5.  Spoon the batter into the pan
6.  Pour the rest of the butter on top of the batter.  
7. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until top is golden brown and a toothpick/knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. [I usually only need 45. Depends on where you are and your oven]
8. Gorge theyself

Out of Baking Power? Mix 2 parts cream of tartar with 1 part baking soda in a pinch. (Tartar increases the acidity of the mixture)

Notes: I've found the long serrated knife cuts bread the best without crushing it. Or fingers work, as well. 

Variations: Pepper Jack Cheese & Jalapenos, Sub 1 cup flour for graham cracker crumbs with cinnamon and nutmeg versus cheese and bacon, whatever you want to make!

Here are some photos of my baking process: 

Mix Dry Ingredients

Add Honey

Induce Yeast Farts

Stir

........Give Cheese to a Puppy Friend

Add Cheese and Bacon          

Add Half of Melted Butter

Dump into pan (Pour Butter on Top)

Then you put into the oven! Viola.

Oh. My.

Variation on a Theme: Grilled Cheese Rolls

What if you could have cheese rolls, but be different! (.....hipster)

So, I recently saw these grilled cheese rolls on Care's Kitchen. My arteries screamed, my heart sang, but either way my body was making a whole lot of noise. These must be important. 

But, such genius!! Simple, tasty, and what I've become to think of as the perfect soup dipper or munchie for the big parties. With that turkey/santa guy coming to town, it's good to have backups. Let's get real gang, I may just need these when ordering pizza online is just too much. Although, I can't resist the sweet sounds of the Domino's Soap Opera tracker guy. I mean, he is a charmer. 

 And, I think the most brilliant thing about these is that it's so easy to do, while still getting most ingredients from Walgreens! How cool is that? I mean Walgreens may have let me down in the past ("What do you mean  that the Walgreen's chocolate wine isn't perfect????!?! ITS CHOCOLATE WITH WINE."), but here is it's shining moment. 

I saw these, and thought, what variations of these could I make? Could there be some sort of fanciful version of these?

That's when the brain went into food OVERTIME. 

The Smokehouse: Why hello Senor Bacon. Do you know Kevin?

What if we added spinach, or bacon, or maple syrup?!?!?! Soon, I came up with a nice list of these grilled cheese rolled up variations. I immediately emailed them to The Boyfriend (that would be my boyfriend), and I got the very serious contemplative email nod of approval. 

Want to make these? Grab some crust-less bread, stuff them, roll, and cook!

 All you have to do is pop them in the oven for 5 minutes, seam side down (as Care's Kitchen advises) at 350F. I also had some made in the microwave, very quick and easy (great for college kids). 

NOTE: Not all need to be popped into the oven to be delicious.

Cheese Roll Ups and Soup Pairings Suggestions

• Smokehouse: Smoked House Cheddar, bacon ...... and maple syrup (As Mr. Takei says: Ohh myyy).
• Try it with a Corn Chowder
• Caprese: Basil, mozzarella, sun dried tomato
• Classic Minestrone
• The Boyfriend: Swiss, ham chunks
• French Onion Soup
• The Boyfriend Strikes Back, Attack of the Meat: Pulled Pork Meat (go with the crock pot), Goat cheese
• Any sweet based soup, like raspberry
• Tex Mex: Mexican mix, pico de gallo, chirozo
• Chicken Tortilla Soup
• Italian Stallion: Pizza Cheese (I used mozzarella), mini pepperonis, dab of  your tomato sauce
• Anything with a good amount of garlic
• French: Gruyere, brie, cheddar, sauteed onions
• French Onion or Potato
• The Cinnamon Roll: Cinnamon sugar mixed with melted butter, icing (use cinnamon raisin bread!)
• Pumpkin Soup
• The Buffalo: Cooked buffalo wing meat, ranch, blue cheese 
• Does it matter? Your gentlemen friend will eat it watching the game anyway!
• Gronk Melter: Pepper jack, jalapenos, Chipolte flavored Tabasco sauce, brisket
• Water. Lots and lots of water.
• The Bernie: American Slice, cooked elbow noodles, broccoli (optional) 
• Tomato Basil
• The Philliy: American Cheese, Brisket
• Broccoli Cheese 
• The Doctor (Who?): Custard, Fish-sticks
• (Don't worry guys, it's just a TV show reference)

I see you have a bug there. Let me ....eat it. (well, after you remove the picks)

 As you see above, I have a serious team of experts working hard here at Witty Munch. There is Doctor Oscar, approving the American Cheese and Brisket Combo. Doctor Oscar got his doctorate at the Cici's Unviersity of Cheese and Flavor. He is one of my most trusted sources for food opinions. My other is The Boyfriend, and TB told me that his namesakes would be welcome at any time at his apartment. 

  But, as Dr. Oscar the Monster points out, you may need to use toothpicks! I used wheat, and it tends to be not as bendable. Don't worry! pop them into the microwave for 20 seconds, and they'll bend nicely. 

The Italian Stallion: My Favorite

  With all of these photos, you notice that I used different breads, but all wheat. You're free to use any kind of bread, I'd suggest more white for easier rolling. However, you never know what flavor combos you'll make. Or eat. 

Till later, make these. Your buds (of the taste nature) will thank you.

-Kat 

Croquembouche, The beginning

So here we are, gang. Starting off the beginning of a blog.

What do I hope to talk about, you ask? Oh you didn't, well I'll tell you anyway (deal with it).

 I happen to be a person who likes the nerdier quality of life, and also to bake. Here I'll show you what I eat, my food musings, hopefully how I bake it, and some other random items that are meant to amuse.

To start off, I'm going to describe something that I have never,ever baked: croquembouche.

By God that is nomnomable. 

 This is a lofty french pastry tower. It consists of flavored (chocolate, hazelnut, vanilla, pistachio) cream filled into round puffs of pastry. They're then stacked in a high tower (the photo is an extremely small one), and then wrapped in spun sugar (i.e. Caramel...car-amel...care-amel....quarmel). 

I have tried to make puff pastries, but filling it with cream has been my disaster. I don't have the tools, or patience. Maybe in the future?

 Regardless, this is a grand dish. The French bakers particularly love to use it for when they have weddings, baptisms, etc. It is so interesting (as an American) to compare it to American pastries. It definitely shows a culture shock. American pastries (such as cakes, rice krispie treats, cookies) are fast, easy , and sugary sweet. This tower is disgustingly messy. Usually you dip these balls of goodness into chocolate, or roll it into coconut, powdered sugar, whatever, before double dipping into the spun caramel sugar. But it is completely balanced out with the blandness of the flour based poof (puff) pastry. That's the delicate nature of this dish.

 Now, it wouldn't be safe to compare this beaut to the traditional Wedding Cake. However, turns out I do quite like the danger.  

Plant Branch + Sugar = Bakery Magic?

  This guy, also towering, also tall, also. adored, also really freaking awesome to eat. But, nothing mixes. The layers are clear. 

Fondant.

Icing.

Cake.

BOOM. Got that cake. In the belly. 

  Wedding Cakes? Always personalized. I can see bridezillas screaming "MORE FLOWERS", and all that does is make me think of that movie Stranger than Fiction where Will Ferrell brings the girl.... (wait for it)...

flours (go ahead, sigh dreamily). But, they're always adored with flowers, or the bride and groom, or lately birds have been a trend. I guess having some quail makes people think of weddings?

  Croquemboche? Well first off, that's way more fun to say. It'll get you the ladies, trust me. Just say "croquemboche", then watch the dreamy glaze their eyes mold into. And, it is a great interface to make it specifically "yours", but not like the wedding cake. Think about. How many French shows are there showing people making croquemboches into shapes/blowing up/people? Is this what the Wedding Cake is known for around the world? Something to be molded into for our personal needs? Another source for capitalist adventures to ruin American People's values? 

Whoa whoa whoa whoa, come back. Come back. 

Alright, maybe not so much political thinking and more about drooling? Alright I'll focus on that. My deepest apologies.  I'm still figuring this out. 

Either way, both dishes bring deliciousness back into the world. Which is better? No one knows (except Chuck Norris). 

Alright, broseph, let's just let the puppy eat the cake.

NO BODY MOVE. I got this.

Still working out the kinks. We'll get into blogging time soon enough. 

This is a test

testingtestingtestingtestingTESTING tesssssssssssssssst.