This bread is quick to mix and bake and the perfect choice to serve as part of a starter or topped with additional cheese and spicy relish or pickles.
750 ml self-raising flour
1 ml salt
15 ml sugar
1 x 330 ml can or bottle of beer
60 ml melted butter or margarine or oil
250 ml finely diced or grated Mozzarella
2.5 ml mixed dried herbs
15 ml finely chopped fresh rosemary
5 ml chopped garlic (optional)
Topping
freshly ground black pepper
sprigs of fresh rosemary
- Preheat the oven to 180 ºC and grease a medium loaf tin (23 cm) generously with butter or spray with cooking spray.
- Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
- Add the beer and melted butter or margarine or oil and stir to combine. The mixture should be moist and sticky – add a little water if it seems too dry.
- Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin, smooth the top, sprinkle with black pepper and stud all over with sprigs of rosemary.
- Bake in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes until golden and cooked through if tested with a metal skewer.
- Turn out onto a cooling rack and cool for a short while.
- Serve warm with butter or slice and freeze for later use and toast before enjoying as good as freshly baked.
Serves 12.
Variation – Individual breads
- Grease the cups of a muffin tin or muffin tins well as explained above. For smaller breads grease 18 to 24 cups, for jumbo breads use 12 cups.
- Divide the batter between the cups and top with rosemary sprigs and pepper.
- Bake 15 minutes for smaller or up to 25 minutes for larger breads until cooked.
Recipe by Carolié de Koster.
Also see the Quick Bacon & Herb-flavoured bread on p. 708 of the Art of cooking recipe book by Carolié de Koster for a beer-less quick bread.