Friday Feast | Festive Beer Bread for the Harvest
Welcome to Friday Feast in the tavern! Though today is the second day of August, I’d like to mention the Celtic festival of Lughnasadh—August 1st. Lughnasadh is Irish Gaelic and means "the násad (games or assembly) of the Celtic hero, Lugh. This day was also considered the first of three harvests, especially with grains. A time to give thanks for the bounty of the land. Lughnasadh is also called Lammas Day, from the Anglo-Saxon hlaef-mass, meaning "loafmass." In the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle of 921 A.D., it states as "the feast of first fruits." It marked the first harvest when the grain was gathered, ground, and baked into a loaf.
In addition, this day also marks my knight’s birthday. The oven will be fired up early this weekend to make one of his favorite breads. With the horrific heat we’ve endured this summer, my baking has been limited. Yet we’ll celebrate the first harvest with a loaf of bread along with his birthday.
If you are able, spend some time outdoors and notice the shifting of the sun. In the Celtic wheel of the year, Lughnasadh is also the first day of autumn. Though the temperature here will be over 100 degrees, I’ll yearn for the cool autumn breezes that will follow in the coming months.
Sláinte!
Festive Beer Bread
Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons baking powder
4 tablespoons sugar
1 garlic clove, minced
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
12 oz. beer, room temperature***
¼ cup of melted unsalted butter
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Grease an 8x4 loaf pan.
Mix all dry ingredients, chopped garlic, and rosemary into a large bowl.
Slowly pour in the beer and let sit for a couple minutes. Mix with wooden spoon.
Place into prepared pan and gently pour melted butter over the top.
Bake for 50 minutes to an hour until golden brown.
***NOTE*** I prefer using a Scottish pale ale instead of Guinness in this savory recipe.
And if you're so inclined, celebrate those hot August knights with ones of these tales HERE!
