Cheddar Onion Beer Bread

{Published originally in 2013; photos updated 2018}

Cheddar Onion Beer Bread and stormy weather just go together.

There is something about preparing for bad weather that makes me want to cook and bake. Saturday afternoon we were hunkered down for the storm that, as it turns out, never came. Since I had already embarked on a baking kick, I continued to excitedly page through screen after screen of bread recipes.

I was looking for the perfect accompaniment for the thick, savory beef barley soup that was bubbling in the crockpot. First, it had to be easy. Second, it had to be dense enough to handle being dragged through the rich gravy.

Also, and I like my bread on the lower-fat side, if you don’t mind.

I chose a cheddar onion beer bread recipe because…

a) It sounded like big-time YUM,
b) Mark wanted an excuse to hit the liquor store,
and
c) I wanted to avoid using yeast.

To be honest, I’m not too handy with yeast – at least not yet. However, beer provides most of the leavening here. Isn’t that cool?? Bread is made with yeast. Beer is made with yeast. Ooh, I think I just got it…

Onion, cheese, and a bottle of beer is really all you need.

This is a simple quick bread that uses common ingredients. Aside from the stars (onion, cheese, and beer) there’s just the usual stuff – flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Mix it up, bake it up, and drizzle a little bit of butter part-way through, and you’ve got a hefty loaf of the most gorgeous, tastiest savory quick bread you’ve ever tasted.

‘But bread-making is scary.’

If you are still sitting there, shaking your head, thinking “I can’t make fresh bread. Too many things could go wrong.” PULL UP YOUR BIG GIRL PANTIES! I promise you, this is as simple as Measure. Stir. Bake.

**Just a quick word on measuring flour, to ensure the heavenly texture that you want. As with all baked goods, measure your flour carefully and with a light hand. I tend to fluff up the flour in the container first, usually with a whisk or fork, so that it is not all packed tightly together. Then I carefully spoon the flour into the measuring cup, and level off the top with the flat edge of a knife. Check out King Arthur Flour’s short video demonstrating this technique!

YOU CAN DO IT 🙂

Print

Cheddar Onion Beer Bread

A hefty loaf of savory beer bread with a flavor boost from sharp cheddar and onion. Easy to make ahead, and great for dunking in soups and stews. A crowd-pleaser for sure. 

Course Side Dish

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Resting Time 5 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Servings 8 people

Author Julia Robarts

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup finely chopped yellow or sweet onion
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
• 1 12-oz bottle beer or light beer
• 4 teaspoons butter melted

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare a loaf pan (9x5 inchese) with spray oil.

2. In a small pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and ground black pepper and saute for 1 more minute. Remove from heat and set aside.

3. While the onions are cooking, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Pour in the beer, and stir just until all the dry ingredients are moistened. Fold in the cheese and the onion mixture. Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan. Drizzle 2 teaspoons of the melted butter over the top. 

4. Bake for 35 minutes. Drizzle the remaining 2 teaspoons of butter over the top, then return to oven and bake for 10-15 minutes more. The bread is done when the crust is a golden brown, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

5. Let rest in the pan on a cooling rack for 5 minutes before turning out onto a cutting board. Store leftovers in sealed container for 3-4 days.

Recipe Notes

I've used both regular and light beer, and both have worked well. The beer does add a mild flavor to the bread, so keep that in mind when choosing your beer.

Gluten Free Notes: I have not attempted to make this recipe gluten free. However I've used gluten-free all-purpose flour as a substitute for regular all-purpose flour in several of my baked good recipes, and the result is always super. As for substituting the beer for a gluten-free version, I would think the principle chemical reactions would be similar, resulting in a similar loaf. If you try it, do let me know!