Herbed Beer Bread

Note:  You can substitute pop such as a cola, root beer, or lemon lime in place of the beer but it’s not quite as complex a flavour without the beer.  I don’t even drink beer but I do keep some in the house for recipes such as this super tasty bread.

Ingredients:

3 cups flour

1 T. sugar

1 tsp salt

1 T. baking powder

1 tsp. fresh rosemary

1 tsp. dried lavender

1 tsp. dried mint

1 cup finely shredded cheese (optional – it’s still a delicious bread without it; my choice is an old cheddar)

12 oz. beer (use a dark beer for even more depth of flavour)

1 tsp. rolled oats, sunflower seeds, or sesame seeds (optional)

Instructions:  Combine flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, herbs and cheese.  Stir in the beer and mix well.  Spread batter into a greased loaf pan and top with the oats/seeds.  Bake at 375 F until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.  The bread should be golden brown.

Note:  Mix together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and some dried herbs.  Package this in a bag or jar and present as a gift along with a can of pop or bottle of beer and the instructions for making the bread.  Or you can even line a loaf pan with a pretty dish towel and then put the jar/bag of bread mix and beverage in that.  Makes a really nice housewarming gift.