Beer Bread

By: Dungeons and Dragons' Cookbook

Makes one 9-inch loaf

Ingredients:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• One 12-ounce bottle ale (preferably an IPA), or another style of beer (see Cook's Notes)
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Instructions:

1. With a rack in the middle position, preheat the oven to 375°F. Coat a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and pepper and whisk to incorporate. Add the beer and, using a flexible spatula, stir to form a lumpy batter (do not overmix).
3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it into the corners, if necessary. Pour about 2 tablespoons of the melted butter evenly over the batter.
4. Bake the bread until deep golden brown and a skewer inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean, about 55 minutes, rotating the pan and brushing the top of the loaf with the remaining 1 tablespoon butter halfway through.
5. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for about 10 minutes. Remove the loaf from the pan, and let cool on the rack for 20 minutes longer. Slice the bread with a serrated knife and serve barely warm or at room temperature.

Other Info (pictures, nutrition, etc)

Cook's Notes:

Different types of beer produce different flavors in this bread. For instance, India pale ale (IPA) provides a noticeably pleasant beer flavor, whereas American-style lagers are so mild they can be difficult to detect. Dark beers such as porter or stout provide a richer flavor along with a bit of residual bitterness.

Beer bread is sensational with soups, as a snack on its own, or as a sponge to soak up the gravied jus of roasted game. Just don't expect it to last long once it's out of the oven.

Lore / Background: Many eateries across the multiverse claim to have the best beer-bread recipe, but Fortune's Wheel, an upscale canteen in Sigil's aristocratic Lady's Ward, really does. Any bread with beer in the dough is considered a beer bread, and the results are usually as middling as the common brew. However, this recipe from Fortune's Wheel yields a moist and chewy loaf that is bound to become a mealtime staple on any dinner table. Different types of beer yield distinctive flavors of bread and, depending on the varietal, it may even add leavening to the baking process, changing the ultimate density of the loaf. But regardless of the beer you choose (the Fortune's Wheel uses a dark, dry stout), it's all about the quality of the batter.