Guiness Bread--March 2009

So. When the challenge was announced, I was very excited. I searched for ideas, thinking I would create something truly awesome and amazing and completely of my own invention. However, as the month progressed, each day sucked harder than the next, culminating in pneumonia for me while Jay was out of town and... my dreams of loaf domination went out the window. I found myself coming back to the Simply Recipes website again and again. There was an interesting recipe for Guiness Bread with molasses that involved six ingredients. This, I could do.

The ingredients:

• 3 cups self-rising flour*
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup molasses
• A pinch of salt (roughly 1/8 teaspoon)
• 12 ounces of Guinness beer
• Butter for greasing the pan and painting the top, about 3 tablespoons

* If you don't have self-rising flour, you can substitute using a ratio of 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder, plus 1/8 teaspoon of salt, for every cup of self-rising flour.

I dumped the flour, the sugar, and the salt into the mixing bowl, and gave it a quick toss. Then, I sloooowly added the Guinness as it mixed. See the action shot below.



When there was just a little beer left in the can, I stopped pouring, and allowed it to congeal...




Then, I added the molasses. It became a batter, like a quick bread. No kneading. Which is best, as I am a coughing machine. I don't think my family needs my germs.


Isn't the color nice? Like caramel. Next, I buttered the loaf pan and poured the batter into the pan.



Two quick sidenotes: First, that loaf pan used to have various baked-on stains that I thought were there for life. I took the pan to my grandparents' house for Thanksgiving a few years ago, and my grandfather returned it to me in pristine condition. He is a miracle worker. Or obsessive-compulsive. Maybe a little bit of both. Second, the guy who wrote the recipe on Simply Recipes strongly urges you to fill the pan no more than 2/3 of the way to the top. Please believe him. Or else you will end up with this after you bake the bread for 50 minutes in a 350 degree oven:




And you should see the bottom of the oven. Anyway, I brushed the loaf with melted butter, and hacked off a hunk.


The verdict?


It's a very flavorful bread-- I think I'll try it with a lighter beer next time. The writer suggested trying it with Harp's. But, it was very good. And so, so very easy-- took about 15 minutes from start to finish, and that was with the photo breaks. And it smells lovely. In closing, the loaf was a success. I shall end with a picture of my child.


The end.