If you often find yourself with a few dregs of beer left in the bottle, this recipe offers a delicious solution. Using just 150ml of leftover beer, you can create fluffy, flavourful cheese rolls that are perfect straight from the oven or served with a hearty stew.
The recipe calls for 500g bread flour (a mix of white and wholemeal spelt works well), 1½ tsp dried fast-action yeast, ½ tbsp sea salt, 300ml liquid (150ml beer and 150ml milk or water), 60g melted butter, 2 tbsp honey or sugar, 120g grated hard cheese like cheddar or gruyère, and 10g finely chopped chives or parsley.
Start by lining a deep 20cm x 24cm tray with baking paper. Mix the flour, yeast, and salt in a large bowl. Add the liquid, 40g of melted butter, and honey, then combine into a sticky dough. Knead on a clean surface for eight minutes until smooth and elastic. Return to the bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and leave to rise for an hour until doubled in size.
After proving, turn out the dough, stretch it into a rectangle, and scatter with 80g of cheese and most of the herbs. Fold the dough to enclose the filling, knead briefly, and rest for 15 minutes. Divide into six pieces, shape into rolls, and arrange on the tray. Scatter half the remaining cheese over the top, cover, and leave to rise for another 45 minutes.
Bake at 200C (180C fan) for 25 minutes until golden. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with the last of the cheese and herbs. These rolls are a great way to use up leftover beer and cheese rinds, and they freeze well too.
