Rustic Beer Bread

with Whipped Guinness Honey Butter

If you are serving my Irish Stew for dinner tonight, it is best enjoyed with a loaf of warm, crusty bread. This rustic-style beer bread is made with, you guessed it, a bottle of Guinness. To really kick it up a notch, grab some Kerry Gold butter and whip it up with some more Guinness and some buckwheat honey.

Rustic Beer Bread

3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting 

2 teaspoons rapid-rise instant yeast

2 teaspoons salt

1 (11.2-ounce) bottle Guinness Irish Stout

2 tablespoons Irish butter, melted and cooled

Oil, for greasing bowl

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, yeast, and salt. Pour in the bottle of Guinness beer and the melted and cooled butter. Mix until combined. Turn out the dough on to a floured work surface. Wipe out the bowl and lightly grease the bowl with oil. Gently shape the dough into a ball and place in the greased bowl. Flip the dough over once to grease both sides.   Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 2 hours to rise.  

After about 1:15 has passed, position a rack in the center of the oven and start preheating to 450 F. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the size of a 5 or 6-quart cast-iron Dutch oven or heavy pot with a lid. The paper should cover the bottom and come up the sides, but you can trim the top so the lid can easily fit. Set the parchment paper aside.

Once the oven reaches 450 F, place the pot (with the lid on) in the oven and allow it to warm for 30 minutes.

Once the dough has risen, turn it on to a floured work surface. Gently lift the dough to coat both sides with flour and form the dough into a ball. Place the dough in the center of the prepared piece of parchment paper. Carefully remove the warmed pot from the oven, remove the lid, and place the dough with the parchment paper in the center. Place the lid back on and transfer the pot back to the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Carefully remove the lid and continue cooking until the bread is a deep golden brown, about 10-15 minutes more.

Carefully lift the bread inside the parchment paper out of the pot and place it on a rack to cool completely before slicing, about 2 hours.

Whipped Guinness Honey Butter

1 cup Irish butter, softened (I use Kerry Gold)

1 tablespoon Guinness Irish Stout

1 tablespoon buckwheat honey

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, place the softened butter, beer, and honey. Whip until combined and smooth. Transfer to a small bowl and cover with plastic wrap until ready to serve. Butter can be kept at room temperature or refrigerated.