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Bready or Not: Sourdough Beer Bread

This recipe takes all day to make and has a lot of steps, and the result is a hearty, delicious bread perfect for supper. Modified from King Arthur Flour.
Author: Beth Cato

Equipment

  • kitchen scale
  • parchment paper
  • baking stone or cast iron skillet

Ingredients

Soaker

  • 1 1/4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (112g)
  • 1/2 cup boiling water (113g)

Dough

  • 1 cup ripe sourdough starter (227g)
  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons beer (255g beer) such as an amber ale or dark ale, room temperature
  • 3 1/2 cups bread flour (420g)
  • 1 teaspoon instant yeast
  • 1 Tablespoon honey (21g) add more flavor using a variety such as basswood honey
  • 2 teaspoons table salt (12g)

Instructions

  • To make the soaker: Place oats in a heatproof bowl and pour the boiling water over them. Stir. Allow to cool while you start to prepare the dough.
  • Using a kitchen scale and weighing everything is highly recommended.
  • Combine the sourdough starter, beer, flour, and yeast in a large bowl. Mix well, by hand or with a mixer, the dough forms a cohesive mass.
  • Cover and let it rest (autolyse) for about 30 minutes.
  • Add the soaked oats, honey, and salt to the dough, fully incorporating. By hand or with a mixer, knead dough until it’s smooth, though it will still be tacky.
  • Cover dough and let it rise for 1 hour.
  • Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Fold it over itself and stretch gently several times. Return the dough to the bowl and cover.
  • Let dough rise for another hour.
  • Repeat the stretching and folding process one more time. Return dough to the bowl to rise for a third, final hour.
  • At the end of the rise, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Cover with greased plastic wrap and let it rest for 20 minutes.
  • Place a clean cotton towel to cover the interior of a large bowl (or use a brotform). Add a heavy dusting of flour.
  • Shape the dough into a tighter round by tucking dough underneath to tighten the top. Place it seam-side up in the bowl.
  • Cover and let proof for 2 1/2 to 3 hours in a warm place; if your house is cool, it may need 4 hours. An oven with a proofing mode can also be used. When the dough is ready, it will look puffy and will jiggle when gently shaken.
  • When the rise time is nearing end, begin preheating oven at 450 degrees with a baking stone or cast iron pan inside (obviously, if the proof mode was being used, remove the bread to continue rising in a warm spot elsewhere). To use steam during the baking process, to create a crunchy crust, place another empty pan (such as a cast iron skillet or a cake pan) beneath the baking vessel.
  • Gently tip the risen loaf onto a piece of parchment. Slash the loaf several times with a sharp knife or lame--this creates vents for steam inside so the bread doesn’t grossly split--then use the parchment as a sling to CAREFULLY place the loaf on the very hot stoneware or cast iron.
  • While wearing thick oven mitts, pour 1 cup water into the empty pan on the lower rack, with the bread in the pan on the level above. Close oven and keep it closed as the bread bakes.
  • Bake bread for 15 minutes at 450, then reduce temperature to 400 F. Bake for another 25 to 30 minutes, until the loaf is deeply browned and sounds hollow when tapped. Remove loaf from the oven and carefully transition to a cooling rack. Cool at least 30 minutes before slicing.
  • Store leftover bread in a paper bag or loosely covered by plastic wrap for up to a few days. To preserve it longer, freeze and place in a freezer bags. Slicing the bread before freezing makes it easy to pull out portions to quickly defrost for later meals.

OM NOM NOM!