Before today, I'd made beer bread twice. Both attempts were absolute failures. I had been so excited about all the flavor possibilities that I wrote out a whole list of combination ideas:

• chocolate stoudt
• cornmeal & scallion with fresh corn
• sharp cheddar & dill
• rosemary & parmesan with an IPA
• oatmeal & raisin with a pumpkin ale
• christmas ale with cranberries
• Magic Hat #9 with dried apricots
• lemon-zested hefeweizen

All that and I hadn't even tested the basic recipe. You can imagine my disappointment when my first attempt left a lot to be desired.

I was at my parents' house without the recipe in front of me (it's a simple recipe and I was sure I remembered it). Apparently I forgot how long to bake it for, and I think it was underdone when I pulled it from the oven. But even the parts that were done didn't really taste right. I think I had tried to make a garlic and italian herb version, and I can't remember what kind of beer I used (something that my parents had in their fridge), but I was greatly discouraged.

The next attempt was almost exactly a year ago. According to my notes, it was September 15, And I tried to make an Oktoberfest dill version. I ended up throwing most of it away. I figured that since Oktoberfest is my favorite style of beer, Oktoberfest beer bread would be awesome. Apparently not true.

After that I gave up on the whole thing. Why waste a good bottle of beer to make a lousy loaf of bread when I could just drink it?

Around Christmas-time this past year, a friend of mine brought beer bread and spinach dip to a party at my parents house. It was really tasty! I asked her how she made it, and she said someone had given her a mix. When I asked what kind of beer she used she said Coors Light. Was that the secret? Use a beer that has no flavor?

A few days ago I got the urge to try again. It wasn't until I looked back on my notes that I realized I had already tried an Oktoberfest version, which was the kind of beer we had on hand. I nearly decided to forget about the whole thing, but then I saw a couple neglected bottles of beer in the back of the fridge - a Sam Adams Light and a Genesee Cream Ale. I thought, what the hell, and pulled the cream ale from the shelf.

I wanted to make the basic recipe, no added herbs or seasonings. The result? This one actually tastes good! It could have used a few more minutes in the oven, but other than that it's great.

Adapted from Farmgirl Fare

3 cups flour
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
12 oz (1 bottle) beer

Combine dry ingredients, then slowly stir in beer and mix just until moistened.

Pour into greased 8" loaf pan. Brush with egg wash, if desired (1 egg + 2 tsp water, beaten).

Bake at 375°F for 45 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool 10 more minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.