1-2-3 Bread

The bread had the expected golden crust and tender nubby dense texture. Unfortunately the flavor was ultra, ultra bland. I used a good quality beer, but think this seriously needs salt and more sugar. I would add at least 1/2 teaspoon salt and another tablespoon or two of sugar to the batter. As written, my family did not care for this.

I've been making this bread for 25 years. In fact, I'm preheating my oven right now for my gazillionth loaf. It's a great recipe. [Make sure you don't use a lite beer. But you can use dark beers, porters, etc. for a different taste...even try rasberry limbic and add fresh raspberries to the batter]. The bread is more dense than a yeast bread and doesn't thinly slice well, but who cares? The flavor and texture are outstanding and it's a snap to make. Besides, if some slices fall apart crumble them up, toast them and mix in with some fresh cooked pasta, extra virgin olive oil, fresh herbs, parmesan reggiano or stravecchio romano for a great, traditional Italian treat. I vary the recipe a lot. I add everything but the kitchen sink: all sorts of grains, bran; nuts, fruits, spices [cardamom and raisin make a nice Scandinavian flavor]; onions, cheese and peppers for quick frugasa bread; any herb, including fresh ones [rosemary and lemon zest...yummy]; a three-layered bread with a brown sugar, cinnamon and butter mixture...essentially if you think of it, try it! Use your creativity to create your own sweet or savory versions. Enjoy! Sofia G.