Krusteaz – Beer Bread Artisan Bread Mix – Just Add Beer!!

Back in Jan 2014, I first tested Krusteaz Beer Bread, and if you remember my article you’ll remember how much I liked it…so I’m excited to follow up a year later and try out Krusteaz once again.

First off I should point out just how easy this bread is to make.  When the box says you can have homemade bread in less than one hour, they’re being pretty accurate…and that even includes the baking time.  There’s no waiting around for the dough to rise and no complicated yeast proofing.  Stir in the Krusteaz bread mix, add 12-ounces of your favorite beer, and boom!…you’re read to bake.

Since we were celebrating St. Patrick’s Day, I decided to use the first box of beer bread mix with a dry Rye Stout and I was really surprised how good it came out.    The baking filled our house with the aroma of fresh bread and just like my last go around, I decided to bake at just over 350 (rather than the 375 suggested on the box) for a few minutes longer.  This was to compensate for our older oven but it worked out really well, creating a firm crust and soft interior.  The rye-based stout added in just a touch of rye and roasty flavors, the crust once again ended up light and crispy and the bread itself was soft, warm and just begging for some Irish butter.  The Krusteaz beer bread tastes great and not only did we try it out with butter, but also with peanut butter, blueberry jelly and if I do say so myself, one of the best toasted cheese sandwiches I’ve ever had.  Think Krusteaz bread, fresh Irish butter and a blend of Swiss and sharp cheddar cheese….the perfect St. Patrick’s Day sandwich.

We decided to use our 2nd box of Krusteaz to make the box recipe Beer Brats In a Blanket.  I substituted some vegetarian brats into the mix and the results were not only easy, but really tasty.  For a beer I used a lighter Kolsch in the mix and I think it was a great match.  The Krusteaz “blankets” were a perfect compliment to the vegetarian brats, and the mustard butter really brought it all together…and yes of course we also used fresh Irish cream butter.

Be sure to try out Krusteaz for yourself and let me know what you think.  I’ve only tried a few different beers myself, but the sky is the limit for what beers you can use.  If you hit on another good combination let me know…and thank you to Krusteaz for letting me try out their yummy Beer bread once again.