Three Cheese Beer Bread

As soon as I saw this bread, I was completely and hopelessly in love. There was no turning back. I couldn’t get it out of my head and plotted the soonest possible moment I could get it into the oven. For as much as I love cheese it’s almost inconceivable that I have never made a quick cheese bread, but lookout, I’m hooked. This bread is fabulously moist, as cheesy as it looks, and has the perfect hint of herbs speckled throughout.

I totally forgot that I had specifically listed “Herbed Cheese and Beer Bread” on my Top 100 list until after I had already made this bread. Bonus that I get to cross something else off of the list!

Although a quick bread, this takes a little bit of time to assemble, especially if you’re grating all of the cheese by hand, but it’s absolutely worth it. You’ll notice a number of “interesting” ingredients listed here and at first I thought tomato juice and Worcestershire sauce were slightly odd for a bread, but the combination creates a deep and complex flavor, allowing all of the intense cheese flavors to shine through. You’ll be happy that this recipe makes two loaves, because one will be gone in the blink of an eye.

Leftover beer? Try this Cheddar Ale Spread. Perfect for any get together – cookouts, watching the big game, game nights, you name it!

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Three Cheese and Beer Quick Bread

6½ cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons dry mustard

1 tablespoon dried Italian herbs

1½ cups sour cream

2 cups beer, at room temperature

½ cup tomato juice

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 eggs, beaten

2 cups (6 oz) Gruyere cheese

1 cup (3 oz) Parmesan cheese

2 cups (6 oz) white cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 9×5-inch loaf pans.

2. Grate all of the cheese.

3. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, dried mustard and Italian herbs.

4. Remove a 1/ 2 cup of the white cheddar and 1/2 cup of the Gruyere cheese and a 1/4 cup of the Parmesan and set aside for the topping of the bread. Add the rest of the cheeses to the flour mixture. Using your fingers mix in the cheese so all the cheese is coated in flour.

5. In a separate bowl whisk together the beer, sour cream, tomato juice, eggs and worcestershire sauce until thoroughly combined.

6. Add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients and mix with a spatula just till mixed. Do not over mix.

7. Divide the batter between the two greased loaf pans and press down with a spatula. Sprinkle the top with the cheese that was set aside earlier.

8. Bake for 50 -55 minutes or until done. Allow to cool in the pans for 15 minutes before removing them from the pans. Place on a wire rack to cool.

(Adapted from The Knead for Bread)