Bread using only beer instead of water? Let’s give it a shot! This idea has been tossing itself around in my head for a while and I figured it’s finally time to give it a try. I used a sweet milk stout for all of the hydration in this bread and also threw in some oats to give it a silkier texture and also mimic some oatmeal stouts.

Schedule: I based this loaf off of my bakers yeast schedule.

I autolysed the flour with stout for 30 minutes while at the same time soaking the oats in a equal parts stout.

Ingredients:

Dough

• 450g Bob’s Red Mill bread flour
• 50g King Arthur whole wheat flour
• 75g quick oats (soaked with 75g stout beer)
• 390g Tractor Brewing Co’s Milk Mustachio Stout
• 11g sea salt
• 2g bakers yeast

Method:

After mixing the dough, I performed 4 stretch and folds within the first 90 minutes, separated by 20 minutes.

I proofed for 45 minutes in the banneton before scoring it with a lame and placing it in the dutch oven.

I baked the loaf in a preheated dutch oven at 450’F for 38 minutes covered, then removed the lid of the dutch oven and baked for an additional 14 minutes.

Result:

I was a little hesitant to use solely beer instead of water in this loaf since I wasn’t sure how it would affect the fermentation and leavening of the bread. I guess that worry was unfounded since it didn’t affect it at all.

This loaf exudes the aroma and flavor of Tractor Brewing Co’s milk stout. The roast and chocolate flavors from the beer can be tasted very clearly when eating a slice.

I’m still learning how deeply to score with my new lame and don’t think I scored deep enough so it was a little moist inside (the steam couldn’t properly vent). Next time I might reduce the hydration percentage since the soaked oats bring in quite a bit of moisture too.

My Baking Notes

• Ambient Temperature: 71’F
• Started autolyse @ 11:50am
• Beer temp: 92’F
• Dough was 84’F at autolyse
• Mixed @ 12:25pm
• Dough was 79’F after mixing
• 4 stretch and folds over first 90 minutes
• Started proof @ 5:20pm
• Into oven @ 6:12pm