Mmmmmm. . . .beer bread

Can’t you just hear Homer Simpson say those words? You’ll be saying it too, once you get a whiff of this easy-peasy loaf baking in your oven.
Why am I writing this article? Where’s Laura, your no-nonsense instructor for Collinwood Cooks 101? Well, the deal is that she’s also in school and working full time, so she’s going to do her column every other issue and we’ll run a recipe or whatever you submit the odd weeks.
I’m not just an editor—I’m a mediocre cook who’s married to the son of a great chef who cut his chops in the heyday of Nevada’s entertainment scene. My father-in-law, Gene Robertson, got his start cooking very meat and potatoes meals in his mother’s kitchen in Klamath Falls, Oregon, graduated to commercial kitchens in Tahoe, and later, some of the most famous entertainment establishments in Vegas and Reno. Out there, folks don’t expect to win, but they do count on getting a great meal.
So my father-in-law’s legacy to my children is—among other things—a great series of cookbooks called In the Heat of the Kitchen, a Family Recipe Collection. I’m sharing this now with his permission because it’s Fall, a time for chili and hot soup, and there’s nothing better than beer bread for mopping up what you can’t quite get with the spoon.
Now, I have a couple of aunts who love to throw product parties, and I’ve seen beer bread mixes marketed for something like $4.95 a bag. And it doesn’t include the beer. That’s insane, I know you’ll go without before you pay that much for a loaf of bread you have to make yourself. But neighbor, I can’t let you go without. So grab 12 ounces of your favorite brew and get baking.
Note: Dad’s official brew is Miller High Life, I use MGD, Homer loves Duff, and the fireman next door to us who brews his own beer prefers porter for the bread, so clearly it’s a matter of personal preference. You might as well try what you like!

Beer Bread

You will need:

3c self-rising flour

1/2 c sugar

12 oz. beer--your preference!

2 tablespoons melted butter

2 teaspoons of sesame seeds

Loaf pan, approx. 9" x 5" 

Shortening or butter to grease pan

Hint: 1c self-rising flour = 1c flour + 1 1/2t baking powder + 1/2t salt    
Directions: Preheat the oven to 375°. Grease the loaf pan. To make the loaf easier to remove, line the bottom and sides with an 8” long piece of waxed paper. (A waxed paper butter wrapper works too.)In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar and beer. Mix well. The mixture should be sticky. Pour into the loaf pan. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top and bake for 50-60 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from oven, brush the top of the loaf with melted butter and return to oven for 3 minutes longer. Only mix one loaf at a time—do not double the recipe! You may bake two or more loaves in the oven at the same time, but you may need to increase the time if it’s crowded in there.   
Variation: For Gene’s Beer Belly Biscuits, use a muffin pan and bake at 400° for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.