Friday, July 07, 2017

BEER BARS

Beer is actually the world's oldest and also one of the most popular drinks, along with water and tea. Although beer can be used in sweet pastries, I usually use it in savoury ones. Primarily because those were the ones I started with, but also because I like how it pairs with sauces and stews. When baking with beer, the dough tends to be very flaky, with much less used fat, and I like that texture.
Now, all beers produced today can be divided into two groups – ales and lagers. I used the Löwenbräu original in this recipe, but if you are not a fan of it, use another pale lager that you prefer. Always cook with ingredients you like, and of course, even in pastries never use a beer you wouldn't want to drink. You can spice up the dip, though. Use more Sriracha if you wish, and you can add a bit of chili powder, too.


Ingredients
For the beer bars
400 grams plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
100 ml vegetable oil
1 medium egg
150 ml light beer
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, for brushing before baking
1 tablespoon of butter, optional
For the spicy dipping sauce
100 grams mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Sriracha, or to taste


Preparation
Sift the flour with the baking powder, add salt and paprika and whisk well. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg with the oil, then add the beer and blend well. It will foam up a bit, but that is fine. Add about half of the dry ingredients to the beer mixture, and mix well with a wooden spoon. Keep adding the rest of the flour, while mixing with a wooden spoon until you get a soft dough that doesn't stick to your hands. Transfer it to a floured counter and knead it for a few more minutes, to make it more elastic.
Depending on your flour, you may need to add another tablespoon or two, while you knead. Roll the dough out to about 5 mm thickness, and using a pizza wheel, cut out dough bars of desired size. Arrange them on a baking sheet lined with baking paper, brush them with oil and bake them in a preheated oven at 200˚C (400˚F) for 10-12 minutes. If you wish, as soon as you take them out of the oven, brush them with butter (for a softer crust) and serve warm with a spicy mix of mayonnaise and Sriracha sauce. Yields 32 beer bars.