Beer Cheese Bread

Fall and winter are the perfect time of year to make bread. The oven adds a nice touch of warmth to a chilly house and the smell of homemade bread is comforting and warming in its own way. I’m used to making yeast breads so this recipe was a breath of fresh air. I was able to make a loaf of bread from start to finish in about an hour. This bread was a wonderful side to a pot of vegetable soup we had for dinner.

I loved that this recipe adds savory elements to the bread. The onions, garlic and cheese melt into the batter giving such a warm flavor. Best of all, this recipe is very flexible. I have listed the basic recipe below but the link will give you a few more ideas on how to use different flavors to make this bread perfect for you. Instead of the yellow onion I used green onions. Instead of Monterey Jack cheese I used cheddar. Delicious! Use what you have on hand; you never know what tasty combination you will come up with.

Enjoy!

1 Tablespoon olive oil

½ cup finely chopped yellow onion

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 garlic clove, minced

3 cups flour

3 Tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

4 oz. Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

12oz. lager-style beer

2 Tablespoons melted butter, divided

Preheat oven to 375°.

Heat oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add onion to pan and cook ten minutes or until browned. Stir in pepper and garlic and cook one minute more.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl with a whisk. Make a well in center of mixture. Add the onion mixture, cheese, and beer to flour mixture, stirring just until moist.

Spoon batter into a 9 x 5–inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Drizzle one tablespoon butter over batter. Bake at 375° for 35 minutes. Drizzle the remaining  butter over batter. Bake an additional 25 minutes or until deep golden brown and a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for five minutes before removing. Serve warm with additional butter.

Adapted from Cooking Light – November 2008

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/basic-beer-cheese-bread-10000001853977/