Your Room Temperature Beer Is Perfect For Fluffy Baked Goods
Baking or cooking with alcohol is an age-old practice. After all, the flavor profiles of different spirits often lend layered substance to the dish being cooked. If you've ever upped your baking game using spirits, have you thought instead of using room-temperature beer? A splash of bourbon is sometimes exactly what your cake needs, and there is also the delicious chocolate Guinness cake made with — you guessed it — Guinness. In reality, though, room-temperature beer makes for perfect fluffy baked goods, no matter what they are.
With the boom in people creating craft beers, there are now numerous types of beer on the market. Each one adds a unique flavor, so why not experiment with them to create a variety of baked items? The more beer varieties you play around with, the more likely you are to create unique and delicious bakes. Keen to learn more about the process? Let's dive in.
How beer elevates your baked goods
The basic science behind adding beer to the baking process is that beer is a carbonated drink. This helps with the leavening of any baked goods you are making, including cookies, bread, and cakes. The results are soft and fluffy bakes that are delicious and irresistible.
You may be confused, however, about the kind of beer to use. For beginners, stout beers and porters are a great place to start because they can add a hint of coffee and cocoa — both of which enhance the taste profile of most baked goods, particularly those that are chocolate-flavored. Do keep in mind that porters are more chocolatey and higher on the malt, while stouts tend to be more bitter because of the higher amount of alcohol and stronger taste of coffee, so it helps to balance out the sweetness of other ingredients. Ambers and brown ales add a nuttiness that can also be very tasty, and paler beers are perfect for making lighter baked items like cookies.
The importance of using room temperature beer
When baking with beer, there are certain things you must keep in mind. First and most importantly, the beer you use should be room temperature and not cold or frozen. In fact, you shouldn't even use it straight from the bottle or can. Instead, pour it into a glass and leave it for five minutes. At this point, you can add the beer as the recipe calls for it. This simple little move will ensure that the foam has dissipated and some of the carbonation is released making it easier to cook with.
Another important thing to note is that the fresher your beer, the better the results of your baking will be. So, don't wait longer than five minutes after opening that can or bottle! Interestingly, beer works best with full-fat ingredients as its acidic nature is more likely to curdle reduced-fat ones. Most importantly, once your baked product is ready, it's best to consume it fast, as the addition of beer may change its flavor over time.
Armed with these tips, go forth and make some delicious beer goodies, including savory ones like cheddar beer bread and beer chicken pot pie or sweet ones such as strawberry or chocolate cakes.