Thirsty Street - A Deli Rye with Brown Ale

Drawing by Vince Long © 2025

January 28, 2024

Thirsty Street Brewing Company is another downtown Billings brewery and is located in the former location of Yellowstone Valley Brewing, AKA The Garage.  Like several others breweries in town, Thirsty Street is a great supporter of the Yellowstone Rim Runners' Run Turkey Run race held on Thanksgiving morning.

The menu here is quite eclectic and ranges from common ales like ambers, browns, IPAs but also features sours and brewed cocktails like their excellent Mountain Margarita.  They also serve wines, non-alcoholic drinks, snacks and, as of this entry, Michelle's Pantry will be opening soon to offer small bites.

Thirsty Street is not just a brewery but also an event venue with regular music events on their indoor stage along with ping-pong and trivia nights.  It's a really fun place.

When I perused the menu, the Cardigan Salted Caramel Brown caught my eye and I knew right away what bread with benefit from its addition: New York Deli Rye.  The recipe here is adapted from Peter Reinhart's great book "The Bread Baker's Apprentice: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread."

I stopped by to taste it again and could just smell the aroma of the beer and bread together in my oven.

The Ingredients

The Starter

1 cup sourdough starter - see the Procedure note below*

1 cup rye flour

1/2 cup Cardigan Salted Caramel Brown beer

1/8 teaspoon instant yeast

8 ounces onions, chopped

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

The Dough

3-1/2 cups (16 ounces) bread flour

1 cup (4.5 ounces) rye flour

2 tablespoons (1 ounce) brown sugar

2-1/4 teaspoon (1/2 ounce) salt

2 teaspoons (1/4 ounce) instant yeast

2 teaspoons (1/4 ounce) caraway seeds

2 tablespoons (1 ounce) vegetable oil

1-1/2 cups (12 ounces) Cardigan Salted Caramel Brown beer

1-3/4 cups (8-1/4 ounces) additional flour

The Procedure

The Starter *

I used some of my sourdough starter in this recipe but if you do not have one, just add 1/2

cup of flour to 1/2 cup of water with a pinch of instant yeast.  It will benefit from sitting in warm place for bit or you can just use it right away in place of the sourdough starter in this recipe.

To make the starter for this recipe, I first sauté the onions in the oil.  Just cook them long enough to soften and then remove them from the heat before they brown.  Let them cool before combining them with the rest of the starter ingredient.  Stir and cover with plastic wrap and let this ferment for and hour or two until it bubbles.

The Dough

Add the dough ingredients to the starter except for the final 1-3/4 cups of flour.  Stir either by hand or in a stand mixer.  Once everything is wetted, let it stand for 5 minutes or so to soak up the moisture.  Now start the kneading process as explained on the first page.  I used my dough hook in my stand mixer.  Add the remaining dough as you go to develop a good, strong dough.  It might be slightly sticky.

The Ferment

Give the dough a shot spray of oil and cover with plastic wrap.  Set it aside and let it double in size.  When I made this it was late in the day so I placed the bowl in my garage where it was in the mid-30°F overnight.  You could also use your refrigerator.  The longer cold ferment helps develop more complex flavors.

The Proof

My dough had doubled overnight.  I brought it inside and let it it warm up at room temperature, about 70°F.  It awakened in 3 hours and was rising again.  I placed it on my countertop and degassed it by punching it down and separated it into 3 equal pieces that I formed into long loaves.  I placed these on parchment-covered baking sheets, sprayed lightly with oil, and covered with plastic wrap.  I let them rise for just over an hour.

The Baking

After slashing their tops, I baked them at 375°F in a convection oven for 17 minutes.  I thought they might be browning too quickly so I reversed their order on the baking racks and lowered the temperature to 350°F, letting them bake another 16 minutes.  When they were done I let them cool before slicing.

The Illustrations

Sauté the onions.

The starter when just mixed.

The starter after fermenting a while.

The dough before rising.

A loaf, shaped and ready to proof.

Out of the oven.

A view of the crumb.

Carters - Island Fever Bread

Drawing by Vince Long © 2025

January 17, 2025

Carters Brewing is in the heart of downtown Billings' historic district, located right along the railroad tracks which rumbles the building as the train goes by.  Along with several other breweries in the city, Carters is another supporter of the Yellowstone Rim Runners' Run Turkey Run, keeping the participants hydrated after their jaunt through the city on Thanksgiving morning.

The range beers at Carters is impressive and Mike is fearless when it comes to the recipes he designs and he is not afraid to add the hops and to brew the higher gravities.  I've sampled many over the years and on a recent visit I went back to his "Island Fever" coconut porter and it was better than I'd remembered.  This had to be the one to base a bread recipe on.  Just thinking about the possibilities took me back to my youth, growing up for a time in Honolulu, Hawaii, that left me with a continual hankering for the tastes of those tropics.

The bread I made turned up quite well.  While I used the porter, I did not go in the direction of a dark bread but kept things light, like a tropical breeze.  The addition of mango, coconut, and macadamia nuts is pure Hawaiian and the finished bread straddles the line between sweet and savory.  It is decidedly great toasted and eaten plain but works well with a coating of honey or a slice of strong cheese.  Let's get into the making...

Carters - Island Fever Bread

2-1/2 cups (583 grams) Carters "Island Fever" coconut Porter

6-1/2 cups (36.6 ounce) (1,039 grams) Wheat Montana bread flour

2 cups (6 ounces) (167 grams) coconut * see notes

1-1/2 cup (7.6 ounces) (211 grams) mango, chopped * see notes

1-1/2 cups (7.6 ounces) (215 grams) macadamia nuts * see notes

2 teaspoon kosher salt

2 teaspoon instant yeast

Yield: 2 loaves

Notes:

The Coconut - I used shredded coconut but what I could find had sugar on it so I placed it in a colander and gave it a good rinse.  I shook out the water and then spread it on my large bread board and let it dry for a while.

The Mango - I used dried mango, the type that is just mango, without sugar.  I wanted it a bit softer so I placed it in a bowl, covered with water, and microwaved it for a few minutes.  I drained the water and the mango had reconstituted nicely.  I could have used fresh mango but was concerned that the flesh might be too soft to survive the kneading process.

The Macadamia Nuts - The ones I found were not chopped and mostly halves with a few whole ones but they were salted.  I rinsed them in a colander and then dried them on a towel.  I thought about chopping them but decided to see how they worked this way and I think they were fine.

The Process

I generally followed my standard procedure outlined on the first page.  I warmed the Porter to lukewarm and placed it in the bowl of my stand mixer.  I added the coconut, salt, yeast, and a few cups of the flour.  I mixed this at a medium speed for a few minutes before slowing it down and adding the rest of the flour.  When it was all combined, I let it stand for 15 minutes and then switched to my dough hook and let it knead for  5 minutes.  I then added the mango and the nuts, letting it knead a bit more until they were evenly distributed.

Once kneading was completed, I gave the dough a short spray of oil, covered the bowl with plastic wrap, and set it aside to rise. I let it go for about 2-1/2 hours.

Instead of loaf pans, I decided to make rounds so I shaped half of the dough, placed it on parchment, spayed with oil, and covered with plastic wrap.  This will be baked in my Dutch oven and since I only have one of those, the second loaf will be about 45 minutes behind the first so I wait that amount of time before shaping and proofing the second loaf.

At baking time, I had preheated my convection oven to 400°F with the Dutch oven inside.  I placed the first loaf in the Dutch oven, put the lid on, and baked it for 18 minutes.  At that time I removed the lid and baked for another 18 minutes.  I repeated this with the second loaf.

The bread is left to cool on a wire rake before slicing.

Illustrations

The dried mango.

The mango after rehydrating.

The coconut getting rinsed in a colander.

Drying the coconut.

The mango chopped are ready to add.

The macadamia nuts ready to add.

The dough after kneading.

The first loaf dropped into the preheated Dutch oven.

The finished bread.

Canyon Creek - A Dark Bread with Fruit

Drawing by Vince Long © 2025

January 13, 2025

Canyon Creek Brewing was our first brewing to stake out a claim on Billings far West End but it didn't take long for it to attract a large following.  It has regular food trucks, holiday celebrations, along with a wide range of beers.  And, like Angry Hanks, is a great supporter of the Yellowstone Rim Runners Run Turkey Run.

I've tried all the beers here at one time or another and the Porter is a real keeper.  When I developed this recipe in 2017 there was no question which Porter I would use.  It is well-rounded, robust, and speaks with the power of roasted grains.  This recipe is featured in my cookbook and is called my Signature Loaf.  I am repeating the recipe here.

Canyon Creek Dark Bread with Fruit

This bread is a sourdough so the day before putting it together, feed your sourdough starter.  If you don't have one, you can either make one, buy one online, or get one from a friend.  You could also just try replacing it in the recipe with two teaspoons of instant yeast mixed with 200 grams of water and 200 grams of flour.

The Process

15 ounces  (442 g) Canyon Creak Porter

1/2 cup (2-1/2 ounce) (71 g) dried cherries

1/2 cup (2-1/4 ounce) (60 g) dried blueberries

14 ounces (410 g) sourdough starter, fed and active

6-1/2 ounces (185 g) bread flour

5-1/4 ounces (150 g) whole wheat flour

14 ounces (400 g) general purpose flour

1/2 ounce (17 g) salt

1/2 teaspoon instant yeast

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cloves

1/2 tsp ginger

2 teaspoon cocoa

Additional water as needed.

Yield: 2 loaves

Soften the fruit by placing the Porter and the dried fruit in a microwave-safe container and heating them for about 5 minutes in the microwave oven.  After heating, remove the fruit so that it does not over-soften.  Allow the beer to cool.

Combine all the ingredients, except the fruit and a cup or two of the flour, in a mixing bowl and mix together until everything is wetted.  Let it stand for 15-20 minutes.  Knead for 5-10 minutes depending on your kneading method, adding flour as needed.  As you get near the end of the kneading, add the fruit and see that it distributes evenly.  Place into a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside to ferment.  It should double in about 2-3 hours.  You may choose to place it in the refrigerator overnight.

Once fermentation is complete, shape into loaves and let them rise again.  I usually shape this bread into boules and rise them on parchment and keep them covered with plastic wrap.

I preheat my baking oven to 425°F with the Dutch oven inside.   Bake each loaf in the Dutch oven for 18 minutes covered with the lid and then 18 minutes uncovered.  Cool on a wire rack.

Note: I only have one Dutch oven so my loaves have to take turns.  Since one loaf will be about 45 minutes behind the other one, I usually shape the second loaf 45 minutes after the first so it ends up proofing for the same amount of time and not over-proofing.

Illustrations

The sourdough starter is primed and ready.

The kneading is complete and the fruit has been added.

Shaped are ready to proof.

Proofed and ready to bake.

Slashed the top and dropped into the preheated Dutch oven.

Fresh out of the oven.

The second loaf.

A nice crumb.

1889 Brewing - Apricot Wheat Bread

January 10, 2024

Drawing by Vince Long © 2025

As of this writing 1889 Brewing is Billing's newest brewery having opened earlier last month.  They are located in the Billings Industrial Revitalization District (BIRD) on the corner of 2nd Ave. N and N 13th Street, a part of town that holds great promise in the future.  I stopped in on December 23rd to try out a few of their beers that might work with a bread.  Here's the flight I ordered:

I went for the Apricot Wheat, the Porter, the Brown, and, because of who I am, the IPA.  I made notes and when I was done there was no question: the Apricot Wheat.  I could just taste it in a bread with dried apricots, toasted cashews, and a bit of cinnamon and cardamom.  Here's the recipe:

1889 Brewing Apricot Wheat Bread with Apricots and Cashews

2-1/2 cups (556 g) 1889 Brewing Apricot Wheat beer at room temperature

1/4 cup cardamom tea, * see notes

2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp instant yeast

1-1/2 tsp honey

45 ounces (1,260 g) Wheat Montana bread flour

6 ounces (170 g) toasted, chopped cashews * see notes

9 ounces (225 g) dried, chopped apricots, about 1-1/2 cups

The Process

Combine everything except the flour, cashews and apricots.  Add about half the flour and stir.  Continue to add flour until the dough ball comes together.  You can use a wooden spoon and bowl or a stand mixer.  Start adding the cashews and the apricots and enough flour to get a good dough consistency.  Once all combined, cover with plastic wrap and let stand for 15-20 minutes.  

Knead the dough using one of the methods described on the first page.  When kneading is complete, give the dough a quick spray of oil and cover the bowl with plastic wrap.  Set aside in a warm place and let it rise until doubled, about 90 minutes.

Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a floured board and press down to degass it.  Form into 2 loaf shapes.  I used tradition loaf pans that I sprayed with oil and put the dough in each of these.  Spray the tops with oil, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside to proof.  The dough will about double in 45 minutes.

Remove the plastic and place the loaf pans in a 350°F oven and bake for about 40 minutes.  Remove the loaves from the pans and thump the bottoms to test for doneness.  If you hear a hollow sound, they are done.  Cool on a wire rack.  

Enjoy.

* Notes:  

I was out of ground cardamom but had some whole cardamom seeds.  I crushed about 2 heaping tablespoons of the seeds, placed them in a cup with 1/2 cup water, and microwaved them for 2 minutes.  I let this stand for a bit to steep and cool before straining it and adding to the rest of the ingredients.

I used chopped raw, unsalted cashews which I toasted on a baking sheet for about 10 minutes at 325°F.  After they cooled I chopped them some more.

Illustrations

The liquid ingredients and yeast getting ready to ferment.

Initial mixing.

Getting the cashews ready.

Nuts and apricots included near the end of the kneading.

Ready to start the fermentation step.

Into the loaf pans for the final rise.  I had a little one left over.

They have raised enough to bake.  Note that they haven't really doubled.

After baking.

Angry Hanks - Anger Management with Cranberries Bread

December 8, 2024

Drawing by Vince Long © 2025

Angry Hanks Microbrewery is a big supporter of the Thanksgiving Day Run Turkey Run presented by the Yellowstone Rim Runners.  It's a 5K and 1-mile race that takes place in downtown Billing early in the day.    At the finish we have awards, snacks, and beverages.  The beverages include a beer garden and, yes, people will drink beer that early in the morning.

A few years ago I started taking a bit of the leftover Anger Management beer, a Belgian wheat beer, and making a bread with it, gifting some to Tim, the owner of the brewery.   I tweaked the recipe a bit over the years, with nuts or without nuts, with fresh cranberries or dried ones and this season I came up with this recipe below as the standard.  It's slightly sweet due to the honey and the beer itself which has none of the bitterness found in other ales and that sweetness is balanced by the fresh cranberries.  Here's the makings for two loaves:

Angry Hanks Anger Management
with Cranberries Bread

2-1/2 cups (556 g) Anger Management beer at room temperature

8-1/4 cups (1,260 g) Wheat Montana bread flour

2 tsp (11 g) kosher salt

2 tsp instant yeast

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp coriander (optional)

1-1/2 tsp honey

5-1/2 cups (152 g) fresh cranberries chopped into quarters

The Process

Place the beer and honey in the mixing bowl and combine.  Mix the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl, except for 3 cups of the flour.  Add this the flour, yeast, salt, and spices mixture to the wet solution and stir well to combine.  Continue to add flour to achieve a good bread dough texture.  Let stand for 15-20 minutes and then proceed with the kneading process.  When kneading is almost done, begin adding the cranberries until they distributed evenly.  After kneading, cover, set aside, and let it ferment for about 90 minutes.

After it has doubled, divide the dough, and  form into the desired shapes. Mist with oil and cover, letting them rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.

Bake at 350°F for about 40 minutes,  

Illustrations

During the kneading process in a stand mixer.

Placed in a bowl for the start of the fermentation.

Fermentation complete as the dough has doubled in size.

One half of the dough shaped into a round and placed on parchment.

The other half placed in a loaf pan for proofing.

Before baking, the round gets its top slashed.

The round is placed into the preheated Dutch oven.  Both loaves are placed in the oven together for baking.  The lid of the Dutch oven is removed halfway through the bake.

The baked loaves.

The crumb of one of the loaves.