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Saturday, April 21, 2012

Cheesy Sausage & Beer Bread {Bread Baking Buddies}

I tend to fall madly in love with freshly baked loaves of bread.  I have a problem.  I admit it.  I can't resist.  There's just something so warm...so comforting...so natural about that heady scent escaping through the oven vents to gently blanket the entire house.

If the windows are open?  Fuggedaboutit.  The neighbors will suddenly remember to return that rake they borrowed last Autumn.  Or the cup of sugar they never "paid back".  You may even see ladders being propped up against the sides of houses and a concerted effort to retrieve small balls, misdirected boomerangs, and sun-faded action figures that have been languoring in gutters for years but suddenly need to be returned to you.

Add some dark beer florid with malt and hops.  Perhaps some sharp, tangy cheese.  Go ahead, throw in your favorite sausage.  And a smattering of fennel seeds if you're so inclined.  I was so inclined.  Put 'em all together.  Slide 'em into the oven.  And THROW OPEN YOUR WINDOWS!   Do it.  Throw 'em.  And go tidy up the living room.  You're about to get some visitors.
Cheesy Beer & Sausage Bread
by Heather Schmitt-GonzƔlez
Prep Time: overnight
Cook Time: 30-35 minutes
Keywords: bread cheese beer sausage

Ingredients (2 loaves)
    the night before:
    • 1¼ c. bread flour
    • ¾ c. water, lukewarm
    • ¼ tsp. instant yeast
    the day of:
    • 1 (12 oz.) bottle beer (your choice, at room temp.)
    • ¼ c. olive oil
    • 3 tablespoons dried onion flakes
    • 4 tsp. instant yeast
    • 1½ tsp. salt
    • ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
    • ¼ c. sugar
    • 4 - 4½ c. bread flour
    • ~8-12 oz. bulk sausage (your choice)
    • 1 Tbs. fennel seeds, optional
    • 8-12 oz. Monterey Jack and/or Sharp Cheddar Cheese, grated/shredded
    • cornmeal, for baking sheet
    Instructions
    the night before:
    Put all ingredients in a large bowl and mix to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit overnight. I just put mine into the oven (turned off).

    the day of (finishing the bread):
    Add the beer, olive oil, dried onion flakes, yeast, salt, pepper, sugar, and 1 cup of the bread flour to the bowl. Mix all of the ingredients together using a wooden spoon until well combined. Fair warning: THIS MIXTURE SMELLS SO GOOD - BEER AND ONIONS!

    Mix in another cup or so of the flour at a time until you are able to touch it without getting your hands stuck (in other words...it'll be sticky at first). Flour your work surface and turn the dough out. Knead for ~8 minutes, adding in more of the flour as needed, until your dough is still soft, but not sticky (just a bit tacky). Place into an oiled boil and turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size, ~1 hour.

    While the dough is rising, cook your sausage until golden and cooked through. Add fennel seeds, if using, during the last minute or so of cooking time, just to release some of the oils. Drain any grease from mixture and set aside to cool.

    Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Add the cooked sausage and fennel mixture and half of the cheese. Fold the dough into thirds and then flatten it a bit. Fold into thirds the other way and flatten a bit. Repeat a few times until the ingredients are incorporated. (Alternately, Knead gently until everything is incorporated. Whichever way works for you.) Cover the dough and let it rest for 15 minutes.

    Divide dough in half and form each half into a round or ovular shape. Place onto a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper and dusted with cornmeal. Cover with plastic and let rise for 1 hour.

    Preheat oven to 350° F during last 15 minutes of rise time.
    Score each loaf (with sharp knife or blade) about 1" deep. Divide the remaining cheese in half and sprinkle over the loaves.

    Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted into the center of the loaf reads 180°-190° F. Remove and cool on a wire rack.

    adapted from Living in the Kitchen with Puppies ...originally from Cooking Bread and The Knead for Bread.


    thoughts: Soft, yet chewy. Malty from the beer. Oniony. Awesome bursts of sausage, fennel, and cheese. Addictive. Mine was top-heavy from all of the cheese I put on top...perhaps go for lower amount (gasp!)?
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    I am sharing this post with:
    Bread Baking Buddies (in conjunction w/ Bread Baking Babes) host Natashya
    Yeastspotting
    BYOB Badge

    Would you like to comment?

    1. If I was your neighbor I'd definitely find a reason to knock on your door!! Look amazing!

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    2. If you see a very short woman with a smile and a big appetite walking down your street carrying a ladder, it's probably not me.  But then again...  maybe  :)

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    3. Ha! Come on over... whomever it may be ;)

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    4.  Yum! I'm too lazy to make my own but please let me know if the house next door to you goes up for sale - I'm so there! ;)

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    5. I soemtimes forget how much i LOVE bread baking...until I see posts like this!  This is like bread on crack. In a good way.

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    6. Problems are so much more bearable when we share don't you think .... Thanks for baking with us ;-)  It really is a marvel.

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    7. Wow, this sounds amazing. I can see why you would want to keep your windows closed:)

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    8. Bread filled with every good thing?  Yes, please!

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    9. Aaah!! Cheese, beer and bread all such lovely ingredients and you have combined them to make this really soft and pillowy bread.... I bet your kitchen must have smelled lovely while the bread was baking. Mmmm:)

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    10. Beautiful. I am so impressed! My hubby would love this. 

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    11. Velva- tomatoes on the vineApril 21, 2012 at 5:03 PM

      There is absolutely nothing better than fresh bread baking. The aromas wafting through the windows would be amazing.

      Velva

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    12. Your bread sounds delicious. It's an interesting combination of flavors. I've made bread with cheese and with beer, but never together plus sausage. Very creative. Good job Heather.

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    13. Wonderful! I am so happy you loved the bread- I had a feeling you would! Looks delightful. I am having a beer right now, and I could use a slice... 

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    14. It looks and sounds wonderful, Heather! I can almost smell it from here and I'm thinking I might need to take a stroll in your direction to join the throngs who are retrieving lost frisbees and/or returning cups of sugar. 

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    15. Gerry @ Foodness GraciousApril 21, 2012 at 10:35 PM

      Beer. Cheese. Sausages. If I won the lottery these are the three factories I would build to satisfy my guy appetite....Bring some to Camp :)

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    16. I'm sure I must have borrowed some sugar from you last fall...so can I come over and return it and have a slice of that? It sure looks wonderful!

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    17.  Wow Heather, you've outdone yourself on this one.  I can smell it clear across the country!

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    18. Yum is right!  Dang this sounds fabulous.  I'm so impressed with your bread baking skills Heather.  

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    19. I am also such a sucker for fresh baked bread - I swear I can eat a whole loaf by myself! This version with beer and cheese, oh my!

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    20. Heather, if I lived in your neighborhood, you could be damn sure I would be lurking your house for bread and all kinds of goodies!!! Between this and that Dragon Chicken the other day - I am drooling!

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    21. This has got to be a perfect bread when my 4 sons come to visit; a He Man Loaf! Must really smell good.
      Rita

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    22. What's not to love about this loaf???  Beer.  Cheese.  Sausage.  Oh my!  

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    23. Now I need to make this. I LOVE it! I'll use some venison sausage we made.

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    24. Outstanding! I am definitely trying this one, Heather!

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    25. I'm so happy I find out another bread baking group. I just asked to join the facebook group so I can bake along.
      This cheesy bread sounds delish!

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    26. Mine is in the oven. It smells SO good!

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    27. Oh my gosh, I know! Hope you enjoyed it! :)

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