Made from scratch and better than the mix. Add Cheddar, onions, peppers for color and flavor.
While you have a garden bounty, make two loaves and freeze one for later.
I make this beer bread using the peppers and onions from my garden.
Make this recipe your own. Use your favorite cheese, whatever beer you like and any pepper combo that suites your palette.
Garden Beer Bread
by Patsy Bell Hobson
Makes one loaf.
Preheat oven to 375-degrees.
3 cups flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup sugar
½ cup shredded cheese
½ cup chopped peppers
½ cup chopped onion
1 (12 ounce) bottle of beer, minus one swig
3 Tablespoons butter, melted
Whisk together in a large bowl, flour , baking powder, salt and sugar. Add cheese peppers and onion. Pour in the bottle of beer.
Using a wooden spoon, mix until the dough forms. Don’t over mix. Dough will have lumps.
Pour dough into a heavily buttered large loaf pan. The dough will be wet.
Melt butter, pour over loaf.
Bake for 50 – 60 minutes, until top is golden brown. Or, until toothpick comes out clean from center.
Let it cool 10 minutes and then turn the bread out on a wire rack. Try to let it cool before devouring.
Chefs notes
- cheese – Choose your favorite cheese or combination of cheese to make ½ cup.
- peppers – Combine chopped mild and hot peppers to suit your taste. (Bell peppers and a jalapeno for example.)
- onions – Your choice of sweet or hot onions. I include a green onion or chives for color and flavor.
You will want to eat this bread still hot from the oven. It’s good that way, but it will crumble and fall apart. To slice and serve, wait for 30 minutes (or, until completely cool).
I hope this book will inspire you to include a few herbs and flowers in the vegetable garden. Not only are they tasty recipe additions, but will also improve vegetable pollination. Growing herbs and flowers will attract butterflies, bees and hummingbirds to your gardens.
