Bodacious Beer Bread

We are having bacon wrapped tenderloins for supper tonight. Yeah, I say supper. I know that everyone else calls the last meal of the day dinner, but I prefer supper. I'm old school like that. When I hear 'dinner' I think of big, delicious meals, like Easter dinner or Thanksgiving dinner. I do not think of mac 'n cheese and fish sticks. That's supper.

OK. Now that we have that squared away, we are having bacon wrapped tenderloins. Exciting, right? We are having them because we have a pack of mushrooms in the refrigerator that are perfect, but probably just through the weekend. Then they are going to turn south. So, it was obvious. Perfect mushrooms require a perfect sauteing with some butter and onions and should be placed next to a nice piece of meat. Something is missing, though. A carb. I wasn't really in the mood for potatoes. Beer bread sounded perfect. It is really easy to order beer bread mix from your local party person who sells such treats, but it is really even easier just to make it. You don't know how? Well, don't fret, precious. I have the solution: a super easy, short recipe that will have your mouth watering in no time.

Add some flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar to a bowl. You can sift it or you can stir it with a whisk to get out all of the lumps.

Next, add some shredded cheese. Incorporate it into the flour mixture. I used sharp cheddar. You can't see it, but it is there. Trust me. It is. I would never lie about cheese.

Finally, add the beer. Mix it until the beer is incorporated into the dry ingredients. You want to do as little stirring as possible at this stage. If you add the beer and have to stir like crazy, your bread is going to be dense and tough. We want it to be light and airy. Your dough is going to be lumpy and seem dry. But don't worry, all is well.

Dump the dough into a greased loaf pan. Spread it out carefully, patting it down slightly to make sure there aren't any gaps in your loaf.

Melt some butter. Those are Avery's little fingers in the right corner. It was her job to whisk the dry ingredients. She said it was really hard to mix because it was so light and her arm was getting tired. She decided to just observe from that point. Alright.

Pour the butter over the top of the loaf. Look at it fill the crevasses and divots. That's yummy.

Bake it and relish in the intoxicating aroma that is about to fill the air in your house. It's OK, you won't really get intoxicated. Not when you smell it or eat it.

That's a close-up of the top. Look at the pieces of cheese melted in there. It's heavenly.

Remove it from the pan and cool on a rack for fifteen minutes. At that point, you can cut it open to discover the deliciousness that awaits you. See all the little air holes in it? That's because I didn't over mix once the beer was added. Little air holes are good.

I put some butter on a slice and only got a few bites because Kendall kept sneaking nibbles. Avery didn't want to try it because it smelled like beer. I told her she was missing out and she told me she didn't care. Well, then.

In case you feel the need, the need for speed, or beer bread, here is the recipe:

Bodacious Beer Bread

3 cups flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons sugar

1 cup shredded cheese-any variety (optional)

1 can of beer

2 tablespoons melted butter

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Sift or whisk all of your dry ingredients and cheese in a medium bowl.

Stir in the beer only to incorporate. Do not over mix.

Dump the dough into a greased loaf pan. Even spread and pat your loaf to remove any pockets.

Pour butter over the top of the loaf.

Bake 35-40 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool on a rack for 15 minutes.

Now, I bet you can't eat just one piece!