There’s an easy way to make your own bread at home- and here it is!
In this simple recipe, beer takes the place of yeast and raises the bread for you. None of the yeasting, kneading, raising, and waiting is necessary here; you only need mix the ingredients together and bake.
What’s more, this loaf can be made savoury or sweet. Here, I’ve chosen a savoury route, with the addition of fresh garden herbs, cheese and a nutty topping. It’s just as easy to take the flavours in the opposite direction, and add in a few dates, dried apricots and walnuts. Whichever you choose, this delicious beer bread is sure to become a family favourite.
You can use any type or brand of beer you like, but know that beers with a higher yeast content will rise better. This example uses a strong stout which gives something of a black-bread-type taste, but for a lighter colour and milder taste, simply choose a different beer. Top tip: beers brewed in Germany usually have the perfect combination of yeast content, mild taste and pale colour.
Here’s How to Make It
First, grease your loaf tin with a little butter, then blitz the nuts and set them aside. Go outside and pick your herbs (here, I’ve chosen parsley, oregano and rosemary), chop them and set aside. Preheat the oven to 180C (350F).
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and sugar, then make a well in the centre.
Gently pour the beer into the well. It will foam up quite a lot!
Add the cheese and the herbs, then mix with a knife or similar (I find a cake icer works well) until just combined. It is very important not to overwork the dough, otherwise the gluten strands will tighten, resulting in a bread that is too dense and heavy.
Turn the mixture into your loaf pan, and gently flatten it a little. Sprinkle the nuts on top (optional) and press them lightly into the batter so they don’t roll off. Bake for 50 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
Once removed from the oven, pour the melted butter over the top. Leave the loaf in the tin to cool completely. I mean, if you can wait that long…
Beer Bread with Herbs & Nutty Topping
Equipment
- 1 loaf tin
- 1 Oven
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 blender or food processor optional- for crushing nuts
- 1 wire cooling rack
- baking paper
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups self-raising flour
- 375 ml beer
- 1/4 cup sugar standard white sugar is fine
- 4 tbsp butter, melted
- 1/2 cup cheese, grated
- 1/2 cup fresh herbs, chopped
- 1 handful nuts of your choice, crushed
Instructions
- Grease your loaf tin with a little of the butter.
- Blend or pulse the nuts briefly in a food processor. (If you have neither, enclose them within a teatowel or thick plastic bag and bash with a meat mallet). Set aside in a bowl.
- Pick your fresh herbs, chop them, and set aside in a bowl.
- preheat the oven to 180C (350F).
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and sugar together.
- Mix in the cheese and herbs (if using) and combine well.
- Make a well in the centre of the mixture and pour in the beer. Mix it with a knife until the foam subsides & all the flour is absorbed. Do NOT over-mix or you risk the bread becoming too hard.
- Place the dough in the loaf tin.
- Sprinkle the top with the nuts and press them in just a tiny bit.
- Bake for approximately 50 minutes or until golden brown. Insert a wooden skewer in the centre- if it comes out clean & dry, the loaf is done.
- Remove from the oven.
- Pour the melted butter over the top and sides of the loaf. Leave to cool in the tin.
