Bake a beer bread

Few aromas can beat that of a warm bread straight from the oven. This bread is made with baking powder and not yeast, so it’s a quick and easy way to have a warm bread at your table. South Africans love to bake and beer bread is always a popular side dish at a braai. The beer acts as another rising agent and adds to the delicious taste and texture. There are many recipes for beer bread, but the flavour combination of fresh herbs, sundried tomatoes and cheese in Heleen Meyer’s version, is really good. If you are lucky enough to have a few slices left over, she says it makes delicious toast the next day. So, perhaps you should plan to bake two breads – one to spoil family and friends with at the braai and an extra one for toast the next day.

Beer bread with cheese and herbs

Recipe by Heleen Meyer

Makes 1 loaf

300 g (500 ml) wholewheat flour (preferably stone ground)

280 g (500 ml) cake flour (preferably stone ground)

20 ml (4 tsp) baking powder

5 ml (1 tsp) salt

100 g (250 ml) grated mature white cheddar cheese

30 ml (2 tbsp) fresh thyme leaves

1 x 340 ml can or bottle beer or cider of your choice

125 ml (½ cup) water

30 ml (2 tbsp) olive oil

6-8 marinated sundried tomatoes or sweet piquanté peppers (Peppadew®), cut into strips

sunflower, poppy or sesame seeds or a mixture of seeds

• • Preheat oven to 200 °C. Line the base of a 1,5 litre bread tin or any other heat-resistant containers, like different shaped and sized tins or individual bread tins, and lightly grease with butter.
  • Mix the flours, baking powder and salt together in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the cheese and herbs.
  • Whisk the rest of the ingredients, except the seeds, together in a separate bowl.
  • Stir the liquid into the dry ingredients and mix just until all the ingredients are incorporated. Do not overmix.
  • Spoon the batter into the prepared tin or smaller tins and sprinkle the seeds over. Lightly press the seeds down. Bake the large bread for about 40-45 minutes or the smaller breads for 20-30 minutes or until a skewer or cake tester comes out clean.
  • Allow the breads to stand in the tins for about 2-3 minutes. Carefully turn them out. Serve warm with braaivleis.

Visit Heleen’s website for more recipes like this one.

Image by Adriaan Vorster