Kelly's Whole Grain Beer Bread

Most of my clients and my readers know that I am large proponent of whole grains- there are countless studies showing people who eat whole grains tend to be much healthier than those that don't. These people tend to live longer, have reduced rates of heart disease, diabetes, certain cancers, etc. Much of those findings can be attributed to the high fiber content, antioxidants, and nutrient quality of most whole grains. However, I am not advocating that people eat processed grains- as with everything food related, the closer to nature it is, the better it is. That is why I have my clients eating oat bran for breakfast and trying to cook bulgur, barley, quinoa, farro, freekeh, buckwheat, etc as their grains for lunch and dinner.

However, I realize sometimes it is unrealistic to expect a busy or traveling person to have cooked grains on hand at all times. I, personally, do enjoy a hearty piece of whole grain bread from time to time. However, with my affinity for baking, I realize it's silly to buy bread from the supermarket. Not only is this a pricey way to feed yourself, but it is not the healthiest with all the sugar, stabilizers, preservatives, etc that most manufacturers add to the product.

When I have time, I love to make a good homemade yeast bread or pitas. However, those are time intensive, and most of us don't have that kind of time every week to dedicate to preparing our family's bread basket. Enter the super simple, super delicious, and super quick BEER BREAD! Believe it or not, you can make beer bread healthy. I've adapted a recipe (which I modify slightly every time I make it depending on the ingredients I have on hand and the types of beer). While you may think using a light beer will really reduce the calories of the bread, I recommend going with something more flavorful- since the beer is diluted through the bread, a 120 calorie beer versus 200 calorie beer isn't going to make that big of a difference in 1/12 of a loaf. Below is my recipe (average) of what I generally put in my beer bread. This is a big crowd pleaser since I make it slightly sweet, and it has a very crusty crust and soft center that make it oh so delicious. But as with every carb, make sure you MOVE after you eat it- DO NOT SIT for a while after eating. ;)

Kelly's Whole Grain Beer Bread

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (I get in the bulk bins at Whole Foods)
• 1 1/2 cups even mix of old fashioned oats, wheat flakes, wheat bran, and oat bran
• 1 tbsp + 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4- 1/3 c pure maple syrup, honey, or agave
• 1 - 12 oz bottle of a good beer (I recommend 5-7% ABV)

DIRECTIONS

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Spray loaf pan with light oil coating

3. Mix all dry ingredients, then add in beer and sweetener. 

4. Mix until just combined- do not overmix.

5. Pour into loaf pan.

6. Bake about 45-50 minutes until crust is browned and a knife inserted comes out clean.

7. Enjoy!