Ray Mears' beer bread
King of the outdoors Ray Mears has spent his life travelling the globe, and food has always been central to his journey. He joins us live from his local woodland to chat about his first ever cookbook and he’ll be making his delicious beer bread for us live over a campfire.
Serves: Makes one loaf
Ingredients
2 cups (250g) plain flour, plus extra for dusting
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
About ⅔ cup (175ml) beer
Method
1. Mix the dry ingredients well and then add the beer a little at a time until the dough is holding together well. The beer provides a yeast bread-like flavour.
2. Sprinkle some flour in the base of a preheated camp oven – a layer 2–3mm in depth will do
3. Place the loaf in the oven and with a sharp knife, slash a cross in the top of it.
4. Put the lid on and cook the bread surrounded by embers. Drink the beer that is left over. Check the bread after 30–40 minutes.
5. Once the loaf appears to be reaching completion, place embers on top of the lid to brown the crust.
6. Test the bread with a skewer. When it can be drawn out dry, remove the pan from the heat, turn out the loaf and allow it to rest prior to serving, though few have the patience to let it cool for long.
7. Serve with butter, golden syrup and a mug of tea.