Spent-Grain Bread

This original recipe was created in honor of the release of The Catholic Drinkie’s Guide to Homebrewed Evangelism by Sarah Vabulas. While not a recipe book, it does include several recipes for home-brewed beer.

One of the by-products of beer brewing is spent grain. Frugal brewers have figured out that this grain can be dried and used as an ingredient in cooking. You can substitute around 10% of flour in a recipe with spent grain with good results.

Since my older son enjoys brewing his own beer, he was kind enough to supply me with some spent grain that he’d dried. I thought the spent grain smelled like Grape-Nuts Flakes (remember that cereal?) Since this recipe makes two loaves, my son’s kindness was repaid in a loaf of fresh bread.

This is a soft bread, great for toast or for serving with meals.

Spent-Grain Bread

makes 2 loaves

1 3/4 cups warm water
2 TBL butter
3 TBL honey
2 tsp salt
4 1/2 cups bread flour
1/2 cup dried spent grain
1 TBL active dry yeast

Add all ingredients to your bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Use the dough cycle. When cycle is complete, remove dough to a floured surface. Divide in half and shape into loaves. Place loaves in prepared bread pans. Cut 2 or 3 diagonal slashes in the top of each loaf. Allow to rise 1 hour. Preheat oven to 375 and bake 35 minutes. Remove to wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

Nutrition information is based on 16 slices per loaf.

Recipe and photos copyright 2015 Barb Szyszkiewicz. All rights reserved.

Link to the Catholic Drinkie’s book in this post is an Amazon affiliate link. Your purchase of this book adds a little something to my Amazon “tip jar” but costs you nothing extra.