You gonna love this Cheddar-Dill Beer Bread....

 

For quite a while I’ve been hearing about the wonder that is beer bread, but I just recently got around to making it myself.  

This bread has a crisp, salty top and is soft and chewy inside. The sugar is a nice balance to the beer’s bitterness (you could even increase the sugar by one tablespoon if you want), and the cheddar and dill adds yet another flavor dimension. You can really taste the beer, so be sure to use a beer that you enjoy the flavor of (and just an FYI, non-alcoholic beer works fine!). This bread is delicious as-is, but I like it even better toasted (it somehow mellows the flavors and helps them mesh)…and if you want to add a pat of butter, all the better.

 

Yields 1 loaf

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cups (10 fl oz) beer, room temperature (non-alcoholic is fine)
• 4 oz sharp cheddar, shredded
• 2-3 tablespoons minced fresh dill
• 2 tablespoons salted butter, melted (plus a little more room temperature butter to grease the loaf pan)

Method:

Preheat oven to 375F; grease a 9- by 5- by 3-inch loaf pan with butter.
Whisk together the flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Stir in the beer with a wooden spoon, being careful not to over-mix; fold in the cheddar and dill. Pour into the loaf pan, drape a piece of plastic wrap on top, and let it sit in a warm place for 20 minutes (the batter will puff a bit).
Pour the melted butter on top; bake until a toothpick inserted inside comes out clean, about 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely before slicing.