Food.com's Beer Bread

My son had a school fundraiser, and one of the items I purchased as a bread mix called, "For What Ales You." Hidden within that clever title is the simple fact that this was a beer bread mix. It was SUPER tasty with the extra yummy yeast-y flavor of the beer... I just had to find a way to make this recipe again, even though I might not ever have the opportunity to purchase that same mix from the school. So, thanks to Google, I found another recipe that is almost EXACTLY the same, but now I can make it any old time I feel like it! This bread is great for a side with some soup on a cold day!

http://www.food.com/recipe/beer-bread-73440

Food.com's Beer Bread

• 3 cups flour (sifted)
• 3 teaspoons baking powder (omit if using Self-Rising Flour)
• 1 teaspoon salt (omit if using Self-Rising Flour)
• 1⁄4 cup sugar
• 1 beer (I used Redd's Apple Ale)*
• 1⁄4-1⁄2 cup melted butter

DIRECTIONS

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. (Marsha's Notes: I used 350 on convection.)
• Mix dry ingredients and beer. *A can of beer can have a few less ounces than a bottle of beer, so if using a can, you might need to add a touch more water to the batter. Conversely, if using a bottle and you find your batter is too wet, next time only use part of the bottle. For us at our elevation, a bottle seems to be perfect and a can takes a couple extra tablespoons of liquid.
• Pour into a greased loaf pan.
• Pour melted butter over mixture. (Marsha's Notes: We use an entire stick (1⁄2 cup), but if that's too buttery for you, use a 1⁄4 stick instead.)
• Bake 1 hour (or 45 min. on convection), remove from pan and cool for at least 15 minutes.
• UPDATED NOTES: This recipe makes a very hearty bread with a crunchy, buttery crust. If you prefer a softer crust (like a traditional bread) mix the butter into the batter instead of pouring it over the top.
• Sifting flour for bread recipes is a must-do. Most people just scoop the 1 cup measure in the flour canister and level it off. That compacts the flour and will turn your bread into a "hard biscuit" as some have described. That's because they aren't sifting their flour! If you do not have a sifter, use a spoon to spoon the flour into the 1 cup measure. Try it once the "correct" way and you will see an amazing difference in the end product.
• I have had many email from you kind folks about using non-alcoholic beverages instead of beer. That is fine to do but I highly recommend adding a packet of Dry Active Yeast or 2 teaspoons of Bread (Machine) Yeast so that you get a proper rise.
• The final result should be a thick, hearty and very tasteful bread, NOT A BRICK! ;).
• Thank you all for the incredibly nice comments and those of you who left a bad review - learn to sift sift SIFT! You will be amazed at the results you get.

Marsha's Notes: I have to use my larger dark bread pan, as opposed to my clear glass (smaller) bread pans.