Super easy beer bread with basil and tomato

All you need is a handful of ingredients, and an hour to make this super easy beer bread with basil and tomato. Serve warm slathered with butter!

At a recent lunch at one of my favourite restaurants, the lovely Ocean View Estate, chef Tony decided to surprise me with a dish featuring some of the beautiful produce they would be showcasing at the local produce dinner they were having that night.

On the plate were the most amazing Mexican Cucumbers (also known as mouse melons).  Crisp, crunchy and full of flavour they were so amazing I knew I had to find out where they came from. The source was Blue Dog Farm, just a short drive down the road from the restaurant.

When I visited Blue Dog Farm the other day I was lucky to get my hands on a handful of mouse melons (sadly, the rest had been purchased by a restaurant in the city). While we were there Jacki, the owner, showed me around the farm, and picked bits and pieces for me, which included a mountain of basil.

Determined not to let the basil go to waste while my husband drove back from the farm, I furiously began researching ideas online, determined to do more with it than just make pesto.

By the time we reached home I had half a dozen different ways to use up my basil bounty including basil salt, basil, garlic and chive butter, Tuscan Bean soup and this utterly fabulous basil beer bread that I came across on The Guardian website originating from the lovely Drizzle and Dip.

I’ve ever so slightly modified Sam’s recipe. Firstly to account for the 345ml beer that I had (drinking the last few drops wasn’t an option for me as I don’t like beer, although I do like it in this bread) and secondly I added a little wholemeal spelt flour as I love the slight nutty rusticness it adds to the loaf. The loaf was then topped with some of the gorgeous cherry tomatoes from Blue Dog Farm.

This beer bread is so good, especially when served warm slathered with basil, garlic and chive butter (I’ll share the recipe for that another day).

If you have a spare hour, a beer in the fridge, and some basil, I strongly urge you to make this easy beer bread. You won’t be disappointed.

Print

Super easy beer bread with basil and tomato

Adapted from The Guardian website originating from the lovely Drizzle and Dip.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Servings 12

Ingredients

• 185 g plain flour 1 1/2 cups
• 200 g wholemeal spelt flour 1 1/2 cups
• 1 tbsp plus 2 tsp baking powder 15ml
• 35 g basil finely chopped, 1 1/4 oz
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp raw sugar
• 345 ml beer at room temperature, 1 1/2 cups

Instructions

1. Place the flours, baking powder, basil, salt and sugar in a bowl and whisk to combine. Add the beer and stir until all of the flour is absorbed.
2. Line a 23cm x 12cm loaf tin with baking paper and bake for 40 to 50 minutes until golden and a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out cleanly.
3. Serve warm slathered with butter.