Description
This beer bread is made with pumpkin, fresh rosemary, sharp cheddar, and pumpkin ale! It’s the perfect savory quick bread to eat alongside chili, soups, or even enjoy by itself.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Bread:
- 3 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose flour)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1 bottle (12 ounces) pumpkin beer (or your favorite beer)
- 1 1/2 cups freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese
For the Topping:
- 1 tablespoon pepitas (raw pumpkin seeds)
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan: Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan and line it with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the long sides for easy removal. Set aside.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the flour (whole wheat pastry or all-purpose), baking powder, salt, garlic powder, and chopped fresh rosemary. Whisk well to combine.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, maple syrup, and beer until smooth.
- Combine Wet and Dry: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until just combined. Do not overmix; a few streaks of flour are okay.
- Fold in Cheese: Gently fold in the freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese until distributed.
- Prepare for Baking: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top with the spatula. Sprinkle the pepitas evenly over the top of the batter.
- Bake:
- Bake for 40 minutes.
- Remove the loaf pan from the oven and brush the top evenly with the melted butter.
- Return the pan to the oven and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. (Total bake time approx. 55 minutes).
- Cool: Let the bread cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes before using the parchment paper overhang to lift it out. Let it cool completely on the wire rack before slicing.
- Serve: Slice and serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Flour: Whole wheat pastry flour yields a slightly tenderer crumb than regular whole wheat flour. All-purpose flour can also be used.
- Pumpkin Puree: Ensure you use 100% pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
- Beer: Pumpkin ale enhances the fall flavors, but any beer you enjoy (lager, ale) can be substituted. The alcohol mostly cooks off. For a non-alcoholic version, use non-alcoholic beer or seltzer water.
- Cheese: Sharp cheddar provides a nice contrast to the sweetness of the pumpkin and maple. Freshly grated cheese incorporates better than pre-shredded.
- Do Not Overmix: Mix the batter only until the ingredients are combined to keep the bread tender.
- Storage: Store leftover bread tightly wrapped at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to a week.