Beer Bread

This recipe came from my German minister.


3 cups self-rising flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 12oz. beer
1 tbsp melted butter

Combine the flour and the sugar, then pour the beer in slowly and blend the three ingredients. Place the dough in a greased and floured small bread pan. Pour the melted butter over the top of the loaf. Bake at 350 for 50 minutes.


Science behind the recipe

*granulated sugar - is almost pure sucrose, which is a disaccaride. Used as a sweetener for the bread.

*self-rising flour - already has baking powder and salt included. The baking powder acts as the levening agent which causes the foaming action. This causes the bread to rise, making it lighter and softer. Cream of tartar is part of the baking powder, which uses the water from the beer to produce the carbon dioxide. The salt is for flavor, and helps control the actions of the yeast. The baking powder is a "double-acting" agent. It will release carbon dioxide right away when the beer is combined with the dry ingredients, causing the foaming, and will also release carbon dioxide when warmed in the oven.

* beer - has four main components. 1) Yeast is uncellular organisms that convert sugar into alcohol, carbon dioxide, and flavor compounds. 2)Barley stores energy as starch. The starch has to be broken down into malt before the yeast can digest it. This process, called malting, includes keeping the barley kernels warm and moist until they germinate, which produces enzymes. These enzymes break down the starch so the yeast can continue the process. 3)Hops produces oils, acids, and resin that help as natural preservatives. 4) Water is the moisture and also reacts with the baking powder.