An easy-to-make rustic bread with a slightly moist texture and excellent flavour. It is great toasted or used for cheese sandwiches. It's also terrific with soups and stews. Using a dark beer gives it too much of beery taste, but wheat beer or lager are excellent. Because there is yeast in beer, it helps to make a structured loaf that you can use for sandwiches although it is really a quick bread.
Servings: Makes 1 loaf.
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 cup chopped dill
1 cup grated old Cheddar cheese
341 millilitres (12 ounces) wheat beer or lager.
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Method
Preheat oven to 350 F. Generously butter a loaf pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
Combine all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Add the dill and cheese and stir to coat with flour. Stir in beer and mustard until mixture forms a dough. You may need to knead dough with your hands to bring it together.
Turn the dough into a buttered loaf pan and use a damp hand to smooth the top. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until light golden and firm to touch.
Lucy Waverman