Beer Bread

3 cups (15 ounces) all purpose or bread flour
1/4 tsp. instant or rapid-rise yeast
1 1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup plus 2 Tbs. (7 ounces) water at room temp
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbs. (3 ounces) mild flavored lager (like budweiser)
1 Tbs. white vinegar

1. Whisk flour, yeast and salt in large bowl.
2. Add water, beer and vinegar.
3. Using rubber spatula, fold mixture, scraping up dry flour from bottom of bowl until shaggy ball forms. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 8 to 18 hours.
4. Transfer dough to lightly floured work surface and knead 10 to 15 times. Shape dough into ball by pulling edges into middle.
5.  Lay 12- to 18-inch sheet of parchment paper inside the bowl and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
6. Transfer dough, seam-side down, to parchment-lined bowl and spray surface of dough with nonstick cooking spray.
7. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until dough has doubled in size and does not readily spring back when poked with finger, about 2 hours.
8. About 30 minutes before baking, adjust oven rack to lowest position, place 6- to 8-quart heavy-bottomed Dutch oven (with lid) on rack, and heat oven to 450 degrees.
9. Lightly flour top of dough and, using razor blade or sharp knife, make one 6-inch long, 1/2-inch deep slit along top of dough.
10. Carefully remove pot from oven and remove lid.
11. Pick up dough by lifting parchment overhang and lower into pot (let any excess parchment hang over pot edge). Cover pot and place in oven.
12. Reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees and bake covered for 30 minutes. Remove lid and continue to bake until loaf is deep brown and instant-read thermometer inserted into center registers 210 degrees, 20 to 30 minutes longer.
13. Carefully remove bread from pot; transfer to wire rack and cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.

Chocolate cake for 6-inch pans (high altitude recipe)

1/2 + 1/8 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 +1/8  teaspoons baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sugar minus 2 tablespoons
3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons flour (120 grams)
1/4 cup plus 2 TBSP cocoa (1/4 cup regular, 2 TBSP dutch process; 38 g total)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup plus 1 TBSP milk
1 egg
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup boiling water

1) Preheat oven to 375. Butter pans, line with parchment, and dust with cocoa powder.
2) Sift dry ingredients together, and mix with the paddle attachment of a stand mixer on low to combine.
3) Add eggs, milk, vanilla, and oil and beat on medium speed two minutes
4) Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin).
5) Bake for about 20-25 min, until tester comes out clean.
6) Let cool in pan for ten minutes, then turn out onto wire rack to cool completely.

Chocolate frosting
2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 stick butter, at room temperature
enough milk or cream to make spreading consistency

Beat all ingredients except milk on low speed until combined, then keep beating and add milk slowly until desired spreading consistency is achieved.