Cheddar Beer Bread

So, today while reading through BakeBakeBake (one of my favorite sources for new recipes and ideas...it's a Livejournal community and arguably the only reason I'm still on LJ), I found a recipe for Alton Brown's Beer Cheese Bread.

Cheddar Beer Bread (adapted from Alton Brown's Beer Cheese Bread)

INGREDIENTS
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill
5 ounces sharp Cheddar, grated
12 ounces cold beer, ale or stout (I used Budweiser)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9in x 5in loaf pan and set aside. Mix together the flours, baking powder, sea salt, sugar, and dill in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Add in the grated cheddar cheese. Slowly pour in the beer until it is all mixed together (do not overmix or it will get too tough!). Put it in the oven and bake for 45-55 minutes.

My sister/sous chef and I attacked it right out of the oven and both thoroughly enjoyed it. The cheddar and beer flavors balance one another out perfectly! One thing I might change for next time, though, is baking it slightly longer. I only baked it for 46 minutes this time and, while it was still tasty, I think the middle could've used a few more minutes to be all the way finished. It might also be fun to experiment with the flavor when using other beers...I used Budweiser because it was all I had on hand (and you can't buy alcohol on Sunday in Indiana), but it might be fun to see how it tastes with a stout. I'd imagine you could get quite a range of flavors just from changing up the beer!

Happy baking!

Riley