Today I decided that I wanted to bake some bread. So, I almost went into my closet and pulled out the bread machine, along with one of the boxed mixes I keep on hand. But then I remembered I had something different on hand. I had a box of Trader Joe's Beer Bread Mix. All I had to do was add a 12oz. can of beer (I used Budweiser) to the mix, spread it in a loaf pan, and top with 1/4 cup of melted butter. The box said you could adjust to taste, using herbs or cheese. So, I added about 1/2 tsp. each of garlic powder, dried thyme, and red pepper flakes, along with about 1/4 tsp. of Black pepper.
I put the bread in a 375 degree, preheated oven, and set the timer for 55 minutes (the instructions say 45-50 minutes, but my oven always takes longer.) I made sure to use my clay loaf pan, because I notice when I use metal pans, bread gets overcooked on the outside by the time the inside is cooked through. When the timer went off, I had a perfectly beautiful, golden brown loaf of bread.
The taste of the bread was very good, but next time, I will probably add a bit more of the garlic, pepper flakes and black pepper, and maybe a little bit of salt. I do not like the taste of beer, so I was a little nervous to try this, but it did not have that strong beer taste. The crust was tender and salty (from the butter) and was very light (I hate dark crusts on bread). The texture left a little to be desired, it was a little bit rubbery (I think I over mixed it, which the box specifically says not to do).
Overall, I really enjoyed this bread. I think it will be delicious toasted with a little bit of butter or margarine spread on top. The box says that it freezes well if you cannot use the whole loaf right away. I believe I will be making this product again, but will add a little bit more seasoning, and I will refrain from over mixing. But, I would give it 3 1/2 stars out of 5. I think with the addition of a little more seasoning and less mixing, this would get 4 stars.
Nutritional information:
16 servings
170 calories
3.5 g. fat
28 g. carbohydrate
Friday, June 4, 2010
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2 comments:
My family loves beer bread! I have never found it at TJ's, but don't get there often. I have bought mixes from Pampered Chef & Tastefully Simple, but I think they're a little high priced. I wanted to share with you a link to a great recipe I found as an alternative to the mixes, so you can give it a try sometime. She has a lot of great variations on it, too. My family's favorite I've made so far is the basic recipe with cheddar cheese and I brush it with garlic butter while it's still warm--tastes just like a Red Lobster biscuit! Hope if you try it you like it!
Jessica (jasper3975 on TOH)
http://foodiefarmgirl.blogspot.com/2005/11/beyond-easy-beer-bread.html
Thank you so much for this recipe... it looks really delish! I bookmarked it for the future (I have one bag on Tastefully Simple mix left) I actually made the first loaf the canned cream corn instead of beer! (Suggested on the Tastefully simple box!)
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