Ah, opening up. After all the hauling and cleaning, and then even more hauling and cleaning, you want a snack. Or a beer. Or both at the same time. That’s why we’re sharing this simple, cheesy beer bread recipe from Fraiche Food, Fuller Hearts by Jillian Harris and Tori Wesszer (Penguin, 2023). “We have loved beer bread for as long as we can remember,” they explain in the recently published cookbook. “In fact, Jillian’s mom, Peggy, owned a home decor store in Peace River, Alta., called Beyond the Picket Fence, and she always carried beer bread mix in the store. Jillian would whip up a loaf in the little kitchen in the back. This recipe has long since replaced the old bread mix, but the nostalgia and joy we feel each time we bake it remains.”
Easy, cheesy beer bread
Jillian Harris and Tori Wesszer
Sometimes, you want a snack. Or a beer. Or both at the same time.
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup grated cheddar cheese
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 4 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 can lager beer 12 oz/355 ml
- ½ cup butter melted and divided
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan and line it with parchment paper, leaving extra to overhang on the sides to make it easier to remove the loaf.
In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, cheese, dill, sugar, baking powder, salt, oregano, thyme, and garlic powder. Add the beer and 1⁄4 cup of the melted butter and stir with a rubber spatula just to combine. The dough will be lumpy.
Transfer the dough into the prepared loaf pan and bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes. Pour the remaining 1⁄4 cup melted butter evenly over the warm loaf. Remove the loaf from the pan, transfer to a rack, and cool slightly before slicing. Store in a resealable container in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Keyword beer bread, bread
Excerpted from Fraiche Food, Fuller Hearts by Jilliam Harris and Tori Wesszer. Copyright © 2023 Jillian Harris and Tori Wesszer. Photography by Rachelle Beatty. Published by Penguin, an imprint of Penguin Canada, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the publisher. All rights reserved.
This recipe originally appeared in our Mar/Apr ’24 issue.
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