Wholemeal Cheese and Ale Bread

I saw an idea recently for a Bara Brith made with stout and walnuts, a brief Google episode lead me to ale and cheese bread recipes and I looked no further! 

This isn’t a yeasted bread so is very quick to put together, it’s simply a matter of folding wet ingredients into dry.  It would make a lovely accompaniment to soup or a Ploughman’s lunch and is absolutely delicious toasted and buttered generously.

For one loaf you need :

200g wholemeal self-raising flour

175g self-raising flour

40g golden caster sugar

150g grated cheddar cheese (extra mature or vintage by preference)

1 ½ tsp mustard powder

1tsp cayenne pepper

1tsp salt

350ml ale (I used Gower Power)

30g grated cheddar to scatter over the top of the loaf before baking

Weigh out the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl and stir together to combine well.  Measure out the ale and add to the mixing bowl, folding gently to bring it all together. 

Spoon into a lined 2lb loaf tin and level off the top.  Scatter over the 30g of grated cheese. 

Bake at 150^oC (300^oF, gas mark 2) for 50 minutes – until a skewer comes out clean.