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Beer Bread
A couple months ago I recall a comment-
"Beer yeast can make good bread, but bread yeast makes lousy beer".
I've been doing some yeast harvesting. The weather is getting cooler, and the idea of a warm loaf of crusty whole wheat bread washed down with a cold brew, in front of a hot fire. A good book or football game. Man!! 
So anybody got experience with baking bread with beer yeast? If so, what yeasts are good? Are there any that should be avoided?
I would just go ahead and try a sample bake....take a generic bread recipe, and sub out the bread yeast for a packet of dry, maybe Safale -04 would work good...I would think the heavier the yeast strain, the more flavour it would impart in the baked dough......
I was thinking about using some harvested yeast, say from the Honey Wheat I'm about to do, or from Brewchez's Blonde that is ready to go to secondary.
But you get like a quart of yeast, probably too much.
Bursting bottles is one thing, overflowing bread in the oven is quite another.
I would certaintly be careful about the amount of yeast you put in...
My cheffin' books say that a good ratio is about 2 and a half times as much fresh yeast as is called for with instant yeast.
It seems weird to me too, that fresh yeast is less "space efficient" than dried yeast, but I've used that ratio a ton of times.. essentially, it goes as follows....
Recipe for Fresh Yeast, substituting dried: use 40% of what is called for.
Recipe for Dried Yeast substituting fresh: use 250% of what is called for.
The only hitch I see is that this ratio is for Compressed (Fresh) yeast, and I have never compared it against "loose" yeast. Allow for more rising time initially, then bulk up your ratio as needed.
And as far as my beer bread making has gone, I'm sure an ale yeast would make a stunning wheat loaf, but for lighter things, I love baking with lagers or pilsners.
Happy Baking!
-R
So, to expand here, I'll be making a vanilla porter in the next few weeks, and I'll harvest some yeast and play around with it. I usually do a lot of baking during the winter.
Here comes english ale sourdough!
-R
Check out the September 28, 2007 - Trading Places: Beer and Bread Yeast video from Basic Brewing.
James makes a Simcoe Ale with bread yeast, and Steve makes bread with beer yeast.
http://www.basicbrewing.com/index.php?page=video
Wild
I think I will give this a try after my next beer finishes Primary. I don't think the quantity of yeast will matter too much as long as there is enough. Fresh, active yeast might also create a very lively proofing.
Just like beer - not adding enough yeast will slow the bread down and adding extra will just help it get going quicker. Unlike beer - all the yeast stays in the the bread when it is cooked (albiet dead) so flavor could be a factor.
I think I will just scoop a couple of tablespoons into my bread machine and see what happens. The worse case scenario is that I lose a couple cups of flour, salt, oil, and sugar.
rubber- what is your recipe for that vanilla porter? i made a holiday spiced vanilla porter two months back that i bottled about a week ago, hoping for it to be ready for thanksgiving/christmas.
you are out in seattle, right? maybe we need to get that seattle area brew team together and meet to throw back some brews and trade beers.
i have an irish stout and i put that in my bread instead of water turns out great
Mmm_Beer wrote:
I think I will give this a try after my next beer finishes Primary. I don't think the quantity of yeast will matter too much as long as there is enough.
The thing with bread, is if it rises too slowly, it may not bake properly... if it rises too fast you could have a spill-over, unless you are willing to baby-sit the stuff overnight while it burns off some energy.
And Kraus.... I haven't developed the recipe yet... I'm collecting a few, but porters can be a tough lot.. I want a good creamy and malty beer... kinda like Anchor or Lazyboy Porter as a base... and Yes... I am in Seattle. I would love to help good beer find a good home 8)
-R
So many Seattle area brewers - Me too.
Thanks for the advice R. I will probably just throw it in the breasd machine and see what happens. I never bake in the machine so I can let is rise and long as needed - even run it twice to develop a good skin.
I'll just let it rise till I am happy them bake it. In the oven it will rise a bit more depending on how elastic the dough ends up.
Like I said there really isn't anything to lose but a dollar or two worth of ingrediants.
BTW - Since a couple of you are from around here you most likely have tried Mac & Jack's. Do either of you have a good clone recipe for that? I got one I am going to try this weekend but would love to compare and contrast different recipes.
Thanks
To be honest, that holiday amber recipe I stole from Brewchz isnt too far off, if you drop the bourbon, oak, and spices, and switch the Hops to Magnum. (and use 2 oz.)
Especially since Mac N Jacks recently upped their hops a touch.
-R
PS: My LHBS does have a clone recipe that is supposedly very good. PM me for the name of the place.
Well, I never could get a bread to rise on beer yeast alone. But here's one that turned out really well. While preparing the dough, one should have a homebrew close at hand.
Recipe:
1-1/2 Cups Bread Flour
1-1/2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour
1 -12oz bottle of amber - dark homebrew
1 Tbl spoon Veg. oil
1/4 cup honey
2 pkg dry bread yeast
3 eggs
Put room temp beer w/ all the yeast in a mixing bowl, add honey & mix
Add dry yeast & mix. Wait until the yeast activates & gets foamy
Mix in 2 eggs & oil
Add flours, mix & knead - You may have to add more beer or flour to get the right consistancy. (Break time, get another brew)
Let it rise to double size
Knead, shape into loaves, put in or on an oiled pan
Let rise again, be patient.
Mix 3rd egg with equal amount of beer.
Baste loaves with same.
Bake at 350 for 20 min, remove & baste again.
Bake another 10 min.
Crack another homebrew. 
Eat, drink, & be merry
NICE!!!! 
Real nice!
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