Baltimore Beer Bread #BEDM

I made this a while a go and kept forgetting to put it up here. It’s a delicious beer and cheese pull apart bread baked by my friend Martine over at stuffed grapes. It’s the perfect bread to share with friends at a party but that’s if you can bear sharing it!

I don’t know much about beers to be honest, I don’t drink them. I do enjoy them in bread (I have a Guinness bread here) and in cakes (Guinness Brownies). However, when I saw this beer, I knew I had to use it in this bread as Martine has a ferret! This bread also uses Old Bay, a seasoning that Marylanders are mad about and that Martine very kindly sent to me to try. I love it, I use it on wedges, on corn, I’ve tried it on a few other things as well that hopefully I’ll get around to blogging about!

 

Baltimore Beer Bread

Recipe from stuffed grapes

Ingredients

For the dough

4 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup and 1/3 cup beer

2 1/2 cups of plain flour, as well as an additional 1/3 cup for dusting

2 tablespoons sugar

1 packet instant dry yeast

1 tsp salt

2 large eggs

Filling

3 tablespoons butter

1 heaped teaspoon of Old Bay spice (or you could use paprika or mustard powder)

1 1/2 heaping cups of grated sharp cheddar

Method

1. Make the dough first. Melt the butter over low heat, along with 1/4 cup of beer until butter is barely melted. Add the 1/3 cup of beer, take off heat and leave to cool, you want it warm to the touch.

2. Add 2 cups of flour along with rest of dry ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine. With mixer on low, slowly add the cooled butter and beer mixture until dry ingredients have just moistened. Add one egg at a time and stir to combine. Add remaining plain flour and stir until just combined.

3. Replace mixer with dough hook and knead for 3-4 minutes, until the dough isn’t as lumpy. It will still be wet and sticky. You can do this by hand if you wish.

4. Place in an oiled bowl, cover with cling film and allow to rise for 1 hour, until it doubles is size.

5. While the dough is rising, you can prepare the filling. Grate the cheese with the large holes of a grater. Put into a container, add Old Bay and shake to cover the cheese. Melt your butter and set aside to cool.

6. Once dough is ready, place onto a well floured surface and roll into a rectangle 20”x12”. To prevent the dough from sticking, pull it up off surface and add more flour if needed. Brush the entire dough, edge to edge, with the melted butter. Cut into five 4″x12″ strips (pizza cutter is best for this).

7. Evenly sprinkle the buttered side of one of the strips with cheese. Then place another strip on top, butter side up, and repeat process until all strips are gone. With a serrated knife, slowly cut about 6 or 7 strips about 2″x4″.

8. Now for the tricky part. It’s best of prop your bread pan short side up and start stacking the pieces of dough in. It’s easier than doing it the other way, as the pieces might fall down if stacking them into the pan. Once filled, cover again with cling film and allow to rise again for 30-45 minutes.

9. Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until nicely brown. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before turning it out of pan. Best eaten when warm from the oven, when cheese is still gooey, but it’s still delicious warm!