Liquid and Solid Bread
If bread is the staff of life and beer is liquid bread, then what is bread made with beer yeast and spent grains? This article explores the blurring of lines between beer and bread. Enjoying warm, fresh bread along with a well-made homebrew is a doubly satisfying experience. The bread recipes included are for people who are new to baking, so take a leap and raise your level of baking and include your homebrewing byproducts (spent grain and yeast) to add even more malty goodness to your life.
Sourdough Gose bread
This malty and slightly sourdough bread has a soft, creamy inside and a crusty exterior that makes it delicious to enjoy warm with fresh, creamy butter. I use this recipe as part of a food board that might accompany a flight of craft beers along with cheeses and charcuterie. When adding the small amount of beer yeast for this bread, simply save some of the yeast (from the homebrew recipe that follows) after kegging/bottling and use that as your addition. The beer yeast will only add flavor and will not contribute to overall chemistry of the dough.
Ingredients
2 cups sourdough starter*
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1⁄2 cup Gose spent grains, dried and ground to a flour
4 oz. (118 mL) 100 °F (38 °C) water
1 tsp. local honey
1 tsp. GigaYeast GB150 (Sour Cherry Funk) yeast
1 tsp. active dry yeast
* Sourdough starter must be made at least 24 hours in advance. Make it by combining 1.5 cups unbleached all-purpose flour and 4 oz. (118 mL) Gose beer, and leave at room temperature uncovered. If dry, add a little more beer).
Step by Step
1. Put all ingredients into stand mixer and mix at speed 3 for 7 minutes. (Use large bowl and mix by hand for 15 minutes if you do not have a stand mixer).
2. Form dough into ball and place in a bowl twice the size of the dough, cover and keep warm until dough expands (about 1 hour).
3. Preheat oven to 350 °F (177 °C) and butter a 9×5-inch (23×13-cm) bread loaf pan.
4. Bake bread for about 45 minutes. Internal bread temperature should read 190–200 °F (88–93 °C) (Hint, this works for all breads).
5. Let cool. My favorite way to eat this is as a grilled cheese with ham alongside a nice homebrew Gose. Which brings us to my favorite Gose recipe.
What Gose Around
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1051 FG = 1.010
IBU = 7 SRM = 4 ABV = 5.3%
Ingredients
5 lbs. (2.3 kg) white wheat malt
3.5 lbs. (1.6 kg) Pilsner malt
2 lbs. (0.91 kg) acidulated malt
8 oz. (0.23 kg) rice hulls
2 AAU Hallertauer hops (60 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 4% alpha acids)
1 oz. (28 g) coriander seed (fresh cracked) (10 min.)
0.5 oz. (14 g) kosher salt (10 min.)
5.5 g calcium chloride
1 Whirlfloc tablet (15 min.)
GigaYeast GB150 (Sour Cherry Funk) blend
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
This is a single-step infusion mash. Mill the grains, then mix with the calcium chloride and 15.75 qts. (14.9 L) of 162 °F (72 °C) strike water to reach a mash temperature of 148 °F (64 °C). Hold this temperature for 60 minutes. Raise the mash temperature through infusion of boiling water or recirculating system up to mash out at 168 °F (76 °C). Hold this temperature for 5 minutes, then begin vorlauf. Sparge the grains with enough water to obtain 6.5 gallons (24.6 L) of wort. Boil for 60 minutes, adding hops at the beginning of the boil. After the boil, whirlpool for 5 minutes, then let settle for 5 minutes. Chill the wort to about 65 °F (18 °C) and then pitch mixed culture.
Once fermentation commences, allow beer to free rise up to 67 °F (20 °C). You can hold this temperature for 14 days or until the completion of primary fermentation. If more acidity is desired, rack into secondary and age up to 3 months. Bottle or keg the beer and carbonate to approximately 2.5 volumes.
Extract option:
Replace all of the malts and the rice hulls in the all-grain version with 3 lbs. (1.4 kg) wheat dried malt extract, 2.5 lbs. (1.13 kg) Pilsner dried malt extract, and 1.5 tbs. 88% lactic acid. Heat 6.5 gallons (24.5 L) of water in the brew kettle to 158 °F (70 °C). Add the dried malt extracts and lactic acid, then stir thoroughly to dissolve completely. Turn the heat back on and bring to a boil. Boil the wort for 60 minutes, adding hops at the beginning of the boil. The remainder of this recipe is the same as the all-grain version.
Rye Country Loaf
This bread is hearty and fantastic when used with pastrami or corned beef sammies! The aroma off of this bread is mild enough that even my kids will try it, but does have notes of rye and malt. Like the sourdough Gose bread, this recipe is also one of my go-to breads for grilled cheese sandwiches, especially in the cooler months! When adding the small amount of beer yeast for this bread, simply save some of the yeast (from the homebrew recipe that follows) after kegging/bottling and use that as your addition. The beer yeast will only add flavor and will not contribute to overall chemistry of the dough.
Ingredients
2 oz. (57 g) Rye IPA spent grains, dried and ground to a flour
10 oz. (283 g) all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
Flaked rye for topping
8 oz. (237 mL) of 100 °F (38 °C) water
1⁄2 tsp. White Labs WLP029 (German Ale/Kölsch) or Wyeast 1007 (German Ale) or Safale K-97 yeast
1 tsp. active dry yeast
Step by step
1. Put all ingredients into stand mixer and mix at speed 3 for 7 minutes. (Use large bowl and mix by hand for 15 minutes if you do not have a stand mixer).
2. Form dough into ball and place in a bowl twice the size of the dough, cover and keep warm until dough expands (about 1 hour).
3. Preheat oven to 400 °F (204 °C) and butter a 9×5-inch (23×13-cm) bread loaf pan.
4. Bake bread for 25–30 minutes. Internal bread temperature should read 190–200 °F (88–93 °C) (Hint, this works for all breads).
5. Let cool. My favorite way to eat this is with warm pastrami, melted swiss cheese, and good mustard with a nice homebrewed rye IPA, such as the recipe that follows.
It’s Fun to Stay at the RyeMPA
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.075 FG = 1.015
IBU = 60 SRM = 10 ABV = 8%
Ingredients
10 lbs. (4.5 kg) pale ale malt
2.5 lbs. (1.1 kg) flaked rye
1 lb. (0.45 kg) crystal malt (40 °L)
1 lb. (0.45 kg) Pilsner malt
1 lb. (0.45 kg) red wheat malt
8 oz. (0.23 kg) rice hulls
12 AAU Magnum hops (60 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 12% alpha acids)
7 AAU Hallertauer Merkur hops (30 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 14% alpha acids)
1 Whirlfloc tablet (15 min.)
1 capsule Servomyces (10 min.)
5.5 g calcium chloride
White Labs WLP029 (German Ale/Kölsch) or Wyeast 1007 (German Ale) or Safale K-97 yeast
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
This is a single-step infusion mash. Mill the grains, then mix with the calcium chloride and 23.3 qts. (22 L) of 166 °F (74 °C) strike water to reach a mash temperature of 152 °F (67 °C). Hold this temperature for 60 minutes. Raise the mash temperature through infusion of boiling water or recirculating system up to mash out at 168 °F (76°C). Hold this temperature for 5 minutes, then begin vorlauf. Sparge the grains with enough water to obtain 6.5 gallons (24.6 L) of wort. Boil for 60 minutes, adding hops according to the ingredient list. After the boil, whirlpool for 5 minutes, then let settle for 5 minutes. Chill the wort to about 65 °F (18 °C) and then pitch your yeast.
Once fermentation commences, allow beer to free rise up to 67 °F (20 °C). You can hold this temperature for ten days or until the completion of primary fermentation, whichever is later. Bottle or keg the beer and carbonate to approximately 2.5 volumes.
Partial mash Option:
Replace the pale ale malt with 6.6 lbs. (3 kg) Maris Otter liquid malt extract and omit the rice hulls. Heat 2 gallons (7.6 L) water to 166 °F (74 °C). Place crushed grains in one or more large grain bags and submerge in the water. The temperature of the mash should stabilize at about 152 °F (67 °C). Steep the grains for 60 minutes. Remove the grains and place them in a colander over the brew kettle. Rinse grains with 2 gallons (7.6 L) hot water. Top off your brew kettle to 5 gallons (19 L) then bring wort to a boil. Turn off the heat, add the malt extract and stir thoroughly to dissolve completely. Turn the heat back on and bring to a boil.
The remainder of this recipe is the same as the all-grain version.
Cream Ale Biscuits
These biscuits are light and fluffy and are fantastic when doing a beer-themed breakfast. I make these and use them for biscuits and gravy. For the gravy, I use a mild breakfast sausage and replace a portion of the milk when making the béchamel with a homebrewed porter or stout. These also make a great topping biscuit when making chicken and biscuits! Recipe makes one dozen biscuits.
Ingredients
6 oz. (170 g) all-purpose flour
2 oz. (57 g) cream ale spent grains, dried and ground to a flour
1⁄2 tsp. salt
1 oz. (28 g) cornstarch
2 tsp. double acting baking powder
1 tsp. honey
10 oz. (296 mL) heavy cream
1 tbsp. melted butter (for brushing the tops before baking)
Step by Step
1. Combine and sift all dry ingredients in a large bowl
2. Add honey and cream and slowly stir to combine. Let rest at room temperature for 10 minutes.
3. Roll dough onto floured surface until 1⁄2- to 3⁄4-inch (1.3- to 1.9-cm) thick. Use a 2-inch (5-cm) round or fluted cutter to form shapes.
4. Space cut biscuits on sheet tray and brush with butter, then freeze for 15–20 minutes.
5. Bake at 400 °F (204 °C) for 20–25 minutes. Internal bread temperature should read 190–200 °F (88–93 °C).
6. Enjoy them warm with some salted butter and a nice glass of homebrewed Dream Cream Ale.
Dream Cream Ale
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.045 FG = 1.008
IBU = 15 SRM = 5 ABV = 4.7%
Ingredients
6 lbs. (2.7 kg) 2-row malt
2 lbs. (0.9 kg) flaked corn
1 lb. (0.45 kg) flaked rice
4 oz. (113 g) crystal malt (40 °L)
3.5 AAU Hallertau Magnum hops (60 min.) (0.25 oz. 7 g at 14% alpha acids)
1.9 AAU Saaz hops (10 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 3.75% alpha acids)
1 capsule Servomyces (10 min.)
5.5 g calcium chloride
White Labs WLP080 (Cream Ale Yeast Blend) yeast
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
This is a single-step infusion mash. Mill the grains, then mix with the calcium chloride and 13.8 qts. (13.1 L) of 164 °F (73 °C) strike water to reach a mash temperature of 150 °F (66 °C). Hold this temperature for 60 minutes. Raise the mash temperature through infusion of boiling water or recirculating system up to mash out at 168 °F (76 °C). Hold this temperature for 5 minutes, then begin vorlauf. Sparge the grains with enough water to obtain 6.5 gallons (24.6 L) of wort. Boil for 60 minutes, adding hops according to the ingredient list. After the boil, whirlpool for 5 minutes, then let settle for 5 minutes. Chill the wort to about 65 °F (18 °C) and then pitch your yeast.
Once fermentation commences, allow beer to free rise up to 68 °F (20 °C). You can hold this temperature for ten days or until the completion of primary fermentation, whichever is later. Bottle or keg the beer and carbonate to approximately 2.5 volumes.
Extract with grains option:
Replace the 2-row malt, flaked corn, and flaked rice with 3 lbs. (2.7 kg) extra light dried malt extract, 1 lb. (0.45 kg) corn sugar, and 1 lb. (0.45 kg) rice syrup solids. Use 6.5 gallons (24.5 L) of water in the brew kettle; heat to 158 °F (70 °C). Steep the crystal grains for 20 minutes. Remove and rinse. Turn off the heat. Add the malt extract, corn sugar and rice solids, then make sure to stir thoroughly to dissolve completely. Turn the heat back on and bring to a boil.
The remainder of this recipe is the same as the all-grain version.
