I’m a fan of German beer, especially Pinkus because of their Organic farming and production practices. Again, any light beer will do. Once you are ready to throw your bread into the oven, take a handfull of ice cubes, place them in a cake pan and place it in the corner of your oven. This will produce steam, which will in turn, help to produce a nice beautiful crunchy crust.

Ingredients

• 2 cups (10 oz) All-Purpose flour
• 1 cup (5 oz) bread flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 12 ounces of Pinkus Pilsner
• 8 Tablespoons butter melted
• 2 Tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon freshly chopped Rosemary – optional

Preparation

1. Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees. Butter a loaf pan and place a piece of parchment paper on the bottom of the pan. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl mix your first 5 ingredients. Add your beer and mix until just incorporated. Take a spatula and slide the dough into the loaf pan.
3. Melt butter and add honey, mix. Pour 4 Tablespoons of butter on top of the unbaked bread. Take the other 4 Tablespoons of butter and mix in rosemary. Place in refrigerator to harden and use later as a topping.
4. Place loaf pan in oven and bake for about 35 minutes or until a rich golden brown color. You will know when its ready when you hear a hollow sound as you tap the top of your bread.
5. Remove from oven and allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack. Store in an airtight container. Toast before serving.