Happy Fall (well sort of)!

It's currently dumping snow here in Colorado Springs, but this is the perfect weather (in my opinion) to heat up the kitchen and make a family favorite of mine, beer bread! My mom has been making beer bread for as long as I can remember. She would always make a loaf for us and a loaf for our neighbors. It's such a comfort food for our family and honestly a great recipe to share with friends. It goes well with soup, chili, stew, or even just by itself with some jam or butter on it (my favorite)! 

This recipe is crazy easy and I'm excited to share the memories of making it with my little guy, Charlie. He is at that stage now where he loves to help in the kitchen. For this classic recipe you will only need 5 ingredients! But another great thing about beer bread is that you can add lots of different ingredients for extra flavor like cheese, jalapeños, onions, etc.! 

You will need: 

1. 3 cups of Self-Rising Flour: This makes the recipe a little easier and gets the bread to a nice fluffy consistency on it's own
2. 1/4 cup of sugar: It gives just a subtle sweetness that mixes so well with the savory taste of the beer (do I sound like a food blogger yet?) 
3. One teaspoon of salt (give or take)
4. One 12 oz can of any beer: The main ingredient that gives the bread it's flavor and moisture. The best part about this ingredient is you can literally use any can of beer you have in your fridge
5. Last ingredient is butter: A very important addition for the end of the baking process. I usually like to use about a 1/4 of a stick of butter but you can use as much or as little as you would like

While you are mixing your dry ingredients, preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Put the beer in next. I recommend mixing in the beer with your hands at room temperature otherwise it's too cold straight out of the fridge. I also recommend including some little hands for some fun sensory play. Charlie wasn't too sure about this part! Grease your pan with a little bit of the butter and you will save the rest of it for the end. Pour in the mixture and pop it in the oven! 

Bake the bread for 55 minutes. Melt the butter and pull out the bread. You will pour the melted butter over the top of the loaf to help it brown up a little and get a nice crust. Put the beer bread back in the oven for 5 more minutes. Once the timer goes off, pull it out again and let it rest in the pan.

You don't want to take it out of the pan too soon or else the bread might break apart. I like to take a knife and loosen the edges of the bread in the pan while it's cooling. Flip over the pan and let the bread slide out on to a cutting board. You might have to help it wiggle out!

Once it's on the cutting board, cut yourself a big ol' slice and slather it with butter or jam. Finally, enjoy! Share with your family and friends, and remember to include your littles in these experiences!

Happy baking and stay warm!

Emma