Friday, April 27, 2012

Draft Notice: Taste McAuslan Brews May 1 at Bon Appetit Ottawa 2012

Next Tuesday, May 1 is the Bon Appetit Ottawa 2012 Food and Beverage show at Ottawa’s new CE Centre at 4899 Uplands Drive.
Yours truly, with the help of good friends and family, will be hosting the McAuslan Brewing Exhibit Table.  (Note Funds raised from the show will go to local charities. For more, visit: www.bonappetitottawa.ca)
If you have a ticket to this sold out, splendid event, do stop by our table for a wee tasting of: 
  •  St. Ambroise Apricot Wheat Ale- a favourite among the ladies, don’t ya know!
  •  St. Ambroise Pale Ale – a favourite among everyone
  • St. Ambroise Oatmeal Stout – my absolute fav ...for breadbaking too!
McAuslan's St Ambroise suds are available at Beer stores and most LCBOs. To quote a funny friend of mine, "Beer is not just for breakfast anymore...." So why not mix things up a bit and try a few of these bread recipes I have developed using McAuslan brews.

 McAuslan Brewing St. Ambroise Apricot Wheat Ale Mushroom and Brie Focaccia
Equipment you will need: Breadmaker with a dough cycle, spray grease for baking pans, two pizza pans or two cookie sheets, a pastry brush. Cornmeal to sprinkle on baking sheets.
For Topping:
4 cups thinly sliced or chopped Cremini (white) mushrooms
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c butter
1 bottle St. Ambroise Apricot Wheat Ale

1/2 pound (250 grams) brie, sliced into small cubes
salt and pepper to taste
Melt the butter in a medium sized fry pan and sauté the mushrooms and garlic. Add a little salt and pepper to taste. Add the beer and cook over medium heat until the beer is almost completely reduced. This may take about 20-30 minutes in total.
For Dough:
1 1/3 cups St-Ambroise Pale Ale (Room Temperature) (This is almost one 12 oz./341 mL bottle-heck drink the remaining 1/4 cup yourself! )
1 ½ tsp salt
1 tsp granulated sugar
3 1/3 cups all-purpose or breadmachine flour
2 ¼ tsp bread machine yeast
Measure ingredients into breadpan in the order given. Place breadpan in breadmachine. Choose the Dough Cycle. Press Start.
Ingredients for pan preparation and dough:
1 tbsp cornmeal, divided in two to sprinkle on pans
2 tsp olive oil, divided, to brush over fresh dough for baking
Meanwhile, prepare focaccia toppings and prepare baking pans; using two pizza pans or cookie sheets. Spray grease each sheet and sprinkle with cornmeal.Preheat oven to 350F. Place oven racks on the mid-level shelves in the oven.
When breadmachine dough cycle is complete, remove dough from pan and slice in half.
You will be making two 8”x10” rectangular focaccias. Stretch each piece of dough gently and roll each piece into an 8x10 rectangle. Place dough on prepared sheets. Using fingertips, lightly press indentations into flattened dough. With a pastry brush, brush 1 tsp olive oil over each piece. Roughly divide the mushrooms and cheese in half and spread over the dough. Press the toppings gently into dough to make them stick.Place pans in oven and bake for 15 minutes, then switch pans on shelves and turn pans around and bake for another 10-15 minutes until gold brown around the edges.
Remove from oven and allow to cool on cookie racks. Slice with pizza cutter or serrated knife into the size of squares you wish. Serve as an appetizer or salad accompaniment.
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MCAUSLAN APRICOT WHEAT ALE CRANBERRY-APRICOT FOCACCIA
Equipment you will need: Breadmaker with a dough cycle, spray grease for baking pans, small fry pan, two pizza pans or cookie sheets, colander or slotted spoon, pastry brush. Cornmeal to sprinkle on baking sheets.
For Dough:
1 1/3 cups St-Ambroise Apricot Wheat Ale (Room Temperature) This is almost 1 bottle of beer. You will have about 1/4 cup of beer left over--help yourself. I WON'T tell!
1 ½ tsp salt
1 tsp granulated sugar
3 1/3 cups all-purpose or breadmachine flour
2 ¼ tsp bread machine yeast

For Toppings:
1 bottle McAuslan Apricot Wheat Ale (Cold or room temperature-it doesn’t matter)
2/3 cups dried cranberries
2/3 cups chopped dried apricots
250 g goat cheese (or half of a 454 g goat cheese log)
1 tbsp cornmeal, divided in two to sprinkle on pans
2 tsp olive oil, divided, to brush over fresh dough for baking
For Dough: Measure ingredients into breadpan in the order given. Place breadpan in breadmachine. Choose the Dough Cycle. Press Start.
Meanwhile, prepare focaccia toppings:

The beer bath part!
To avoid froth, slowly pour McAuslan Apricot Wheat Ale into a medium sized glass or Pyrex bowl. Gently stir in cranberries and apricots. Allow mixture to soak while dough is mixing. Stir occasionally. Strain the mixture using a metal colander or slotted spoon. Save the liquid mixture for a late night sweet fix or to enlighten your granola before your morning run. Beer is NOT just for breakfast anymore!
The cheese appearance:
Crumble goat cheese, divide into 2 portions and set aside.
Prepare baking pans: using two pizza pans or cookie sheets. Spray grease each sheet and sprinkle with cornmeal.
Preheat oven to 350F. Place oven racks on the mid-level shelves in the oven.
When breadmachine dough cycle is complete, remove dough from pan and slice dough in half. You will be making two 8”x10” rectangular focaccias. Stretch each piece of dough gently and roll each half into an 8x10 rectangle. Place on prepared baking sheets. Using fingertips, lightly press indentations into flattened dough. With a pastry brush, brush 1 tsp olive oil over each piece. Roughly divide the apricots and cranberry mixture in half and spread over the flattened dough. Sprinkle goat cheese evenly over each piece. Press the toppings gently into dough to make them stick.
Place pans in oven and bake for 15 minutes, then switch pans on shelves and turn pans around and bake for another 10-15 minutes until gold brown around the edges.
Remove from oven and allow to cool on cookie racks. Slice with pizza cutter or serrated knife into the size of squares you wish. Serve as an appetizer or lunch accompaniment to a green salad.
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MCAUSLAN ST-AMBROISE PALE ALE
JALAPENO CHEESE BREAD (for a BreadMachine or Shaped loaves)
This bread recipe is for a 2 lb breadmachine loaf, using the Sweet Cycle. You may also use the dough cycle on the breadmachine, then shape the dough into two small loaves and bake them in the oven.
1 1/3 cups McAuslan St-Ambroise Pale Ale
1 tsp Hot pepper sauce
¼ cup Skim milk powder
1 ½ tsp Salt
2 tbsp Granulated sugar
3 ½ cups All-purpose flour
1 cup Cornmeal
1 tbsp Crushed dried jalapeno peppers*
2/3 cup Shredded extra-old Cheddar Cheese
1 1/2 tsp Bread machine yeast
Measure ingredients into baking pan in the order given. Place pan in breadmaker oven chamber. Choose the Sweet Cycle. Press Start.
When done, remove the loaf from the breadpan and allow to cool on a rack for 1 ½ hrs before slicing. The crusts make delicious breadcrumbs or croutons.
* Instead, you may also use 1 tbsp diced fresh (or bottled) jalapeno peppers or red chilli pepper flakes.
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Note: some of the following recipes use Griffon Red Ale but McAuslan's Blonde Pale Ale may be substituted
McAuslan Brewing Griffon Red Ale Sourdough Bread
Start-me up Starter:
2/3 Cup McAuslan Brewing Griffon Red Ale (room temperature)
1 level cup white all-purpose Canadian Flour
1 tsp active dried yeast
In a large glass bowl, mix these ingredients together with a wooden spoon. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and be sure to mix in all the flour. Cover the top of the bowl with plastic wrap. Place the bowl in a large clear plastic bag (lawn bags work well!). Seal the bag with a twist tie or string or something. Set aside to rise a room temperature for 5 hours or more….it’s very forgiving! It’s ready to use when it begins to bubble and is about double in size.
For the bread:
In a large breadmaker pan (3lb breadmaker is required) assemble ingredients as follows:
All of starter
6 ½ cups white flour
2 tbsp whole wheat flour
1 level tsp active dried yeast
2 cups water.
Topping:
Egg white mixed with 1 tsp water
1 tbsp cornmeal
Variation on this recipe:
Use McAuslan Brewing St-Ambroise Oatmeal Stout instead of Griffon Red Ale
Substitute all flour with:
4 cups whole wheat Canadian flour
1 cup white all-purpose Canadian Flour
½ cup oats
On the breadmaker, choose the Dough option. When cycle on breadmaker ends, remove dough and knead on a very lightly floured breadboard into a smooth elastic ball. Place in a lightly greased bowl (the one you used to make the starter would be fine), cover with lightly greased plastic wrap and a heavy tea towel and let rise in the fridge over night or for one or two hours at room temperature until doubled in size. In the morning or after two hours, remove wraps, punch down dough in the centre of the dough and knead again into a smooth ball. Let rest under tea towels on a breadboard for 10-15 min.
Divide dough into 4 equal pieces. Knead each piece until smooth. Shape each piece into a round loaf by pulling the top of the round underneath and then pushing the up with your thumbs on the bottom…as if you were making a mushroom shape. Place unrisen rounds (2 per baking sheet) on parchment paper-lined large pizza pans or flat unrimmed baking sheets. You will need two pans/sheets. Cover each loaf with greased plastic wrap and tea towels and let rise in a warm, draft-free, humid atmosphere (above the fridge or in a cupboard for instance) for 20-25 minutes.
In the meantime, preheat oven to 350F. When loaves have risen (BTW you can probably only bake one pan at a time), brush with 1 egg white mixed with 1 tsp water and sprinkle with cornmeal. Slash the top of each loaf about 3 times with a sharp exacto knife.
Spritz oven with a few squirts of water to achieve a “crusty” crust. Bake for 25 minutes or until browned. For the manual method, mix all ingredients together well. Use your hands if necessary. Set aside, covered with a tea towel for ½ hour.
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Cheddar Ale Bread

(Makes a 2 lb loaf in a breadmaker)
1 ½ cups McAuslan Griffon Red Ale
1 ½ tsp salt
2 tbsp white sugar
1 tsp McAuslan Griffon Mustard
3 ½ cups white all-purpose Canadian flour
½ cup buttermilk powder
¾ cup extra old Cheddar cheese, shredded
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 ½ tsp bread machine yeast
Measure ingredients into the breadpan in the order given. Choose the Sweet cycle. Alternatively, choose the Dough option, shape into loaves, let rise 30 min covered in the loaf pans. When risen, brush with milk and bake at 350F for 20-25 minutes. Sprinkle with 2 tbsp shredded cheese during the last 10-15 of baking. Let cool in pans 10 min. Then, remove from pans and let cool on rack before wrapping.

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McAuslan Brewing St-Ambroise Oatmeal Stout Bread
(For a 2 lb breadmachine loaf)
1 ½ cups McAuslaun St-Ambroise Oatmeal Stout
¼ cup buttermilk powder
1 ½ tsp salt
¼ cup molasses
2 tbsp soft butter
1 ½ cups whole wheat Canadian flour
½ Spelt flour
1 ¼ cups all-purpose Canadian flour
¾ cup quick cooking rolled oats
½ cup less 2 tbsp 12-grain cereal
2 tbsp wheat germ
1 ½ tsp bread machine yeast
Topping: mix together 1 tsp oats and 1 tsp wheat germ.
Measure ingredients into baking pan. Choose the whole wheat cycle, light crust. During the last 15 minutes of baking, sprinkle with topping.
Alternatively, choose the Dough option on the breadmaker, shape into 2 loaves, let rise 40 min covered, in 2 small loaf pans. When risen, brush with milk and sprinkle with mixture of wheat germ and oats. Bake at 350F for 20-25 minutes. Let cool in pans 10 min. Then, remove from pans and let cool on rack before wrapping.
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McAuslan Pale Ale and McAuslan Griffon Ale Mustard Rye Bread
For a 2 lb loaf in the Breadmaker:
1 1/3 cups McAuslan Pale Ale
1/3 McAuslan Griffon Ale Mustard or Dijon mustard
¼ cup skim milk powder
¾ tsp salt
2 tbsp packed brown sugar
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 cups all purpose flour
¾ cup rye flour
1 tbsp dill seeds
1 ¾ tsp bread machine yeast
Measure ingredients in to the breadpan in the order given. Set pan into the breadmaker. Select the Whole Wheat Cycle.