Happy Halloween! Since the holiday falls on Monday, I give you full permission to put bacon, cheddar and a spiced beer or cider into your bread. Yes—do it.
How great would it be if every week started like this?
I’ve made beer bread before, though growing up ours usually came from a boxed mix. Still, it felt special—perfect with soup or simply slathered in butter. I wasn’t a typical bread-and-butter kid; I was oddly picky about butter. I blame my brother for that. When I was about eight, I walked in on him eating an entire stick of plain butter off a plate. I still shudder at the memory.
Now, browned butter? That I could understand. Maybe.
For this loaf I didn’t use traditional beer—I used a hard pumpkin cider full of spice and flavor that behaves just like beer in the recipe. You can use any beer or cider you enjoy drinking; if you like the drink, you’ll like the bread. I also spread the warm slices with some leftover pistachio butter, which was unexpected but very good. That’s optional, but tasty.
Beer bread has such great texture—chewy and soft inside with a slightly crisp exterior. Adding white cheddar and bacon amps up the flavor and makes the loaf downright irresistible. A touch of pumpkin spice keeps this autumnal without being cloying.
Also: why do I put cheese on everything? It’s a real question. Last week I taught a cooking class focused on small holiday bites for entertaining, and only when setting up did we realize every single recipe was loaded with cheese. I usually consider dairy restrictions when planning menus, but apparently when I wrote this one I wasn’t thinking about that. The recipes were delicious, yes—very cheesy—but delicious nonetheless.
Would you hate me if I tried a beer-cheese-bread grilled cheese? Why is that now my dinner plan?
Pumpkin Cider Beer Bread
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Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 6 ounces white cheddar, freshly grated
- 6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 12 ounces pumpkin cider or beer
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a 9×5 loaf pan with nonstick spray.
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In a large bowl, sift together the all-purpose and whole wheat flours. Stir in the baking powder and salt. Pour in the beer or cider and stir until a thick batter forms. Fold in the grated white cheddar and crumbled bacon. Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan and pour the melted butter over the top.
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Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the center is set. Remove from the oven and let cool about 30 minutes before slicing. Serve warm.
Notes
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Not even kidding.