Ingredients:
3c Bread Flour
2t Salt
1 Package Instant Yeast
1T Extra Virgin Olive Oil (plus extra for finishing)
1 - 12oz Can Beer
1T Dried Rosemary (plus extra for finishing)
1t Maldon Flaked Sea Salt
Directions:
1. In large metal bowl, mix flour, yeast, and salt
2. With wooden spoon or spatula spoon, mix in 1T dried rosemary and olive oil
3. Slowly add in beer, making sure to incorporate it well. If you add in the beer all at once, often times you will end up with dry spots
5. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let it sit in a warm place, approximately 2-3 hours (or up to 18 hours)
6. Once the dough is ready, it should be doubled in size
7. Place cast iron dutch oven (with lid on) in oven and preheat to 450F (this takes my oven about 15 minutes)
8. While oven heats, on a sheet of parchment paper, punch down dough and form into a ball
9. When oven has heated, carefully remove dutch oven lid and place parchment paper / bread inside, cover
10. Let bread bake for 35 minutes
11. Remove lid from dutch oven. Brush top of loaf with additional olive oil and sprinkle with dried rosemary and flaked sea salt. Let bread cook another 5-10 minutes, uncovered
12. Cool bread on wire rack, a minimum of 1 hour before slicing bread, it will continue to cook as it cools
Notes:
Beer bread is safe to consume for all ages. Beer contains a very low percentage of alcohol, 3-5%, which is evaporated out of the bread during the baking process. If you are avoiding alcohol in any capacity, this is easily swapped for 1 1/2c warm water!
To store bread, slice cooled bread into desired thickness, loosely wrap in plastic wrap, store in a paper bag on the counter. To reheat homemade bread, popping a slice in the toaster will perk it up or wrap in foil, heat in oven at 350F for 10 minutes
