Ever since my mom used to make that beer bread that comes from a box, I’ve been a fan of the stuff. I love its naturally yeasty flavor, and I love that the outside bakes up all crusty-like but the inside is a soft crumb. And I especially love when I can add things to it like fresh rosemary and shredded Gruyere cheese — you know, fancy adult things like that.
The thing about this beer bread is that it’s got serious oomph in the flavor department. I used a locally brewed black ale which gave the bread a real (read: crazy good) depth of boozy flavor, but the creamy, savory tones of the cheese combined with the herbal freshness of rosemary offset any bitterness rendered by the beer. If you’re not the greatest fan of dark beer, you can swap it out for a lighter lager. You can also add other stuff to the bread, too, like bacon, or swap the Gruyere for gouda. Just be sure to always, always top it with melted butter.
Ingredients
- 3 cup bread or unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 11/2 tsp salt
- 12 oz beer
- 1 cup shredded Gruyère cheese
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
Directions
Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan; set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder and salt to combine. Add beer; stir until just combined. Fold in Gruyere cheese and rosemary.
Pour batter into prepared pan; smooth top. Pour melted butter evenly over top of bread.
Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes; remove from pan and cool completely on a cooling rack before serving.
*To make beer bread croutons: Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut leftover or day-old beer bread into 1-inch cubes and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle lightly with olive oil, then sprinkle a little salt and pepper on top; toss to coat. Toast in oven until edges are a deep golden brown, about 10-15 minutes, flipping once during baking. Cool slightly.
