Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a loaf pan with parchment and/or grease with butter.
In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add shredded cheese and toss together so that each piece of cheese is coated with flour.
Add the stout and stir just until fully mixed. Pour into prepared pan. Allow to rest (preferably in a warm room, but our house is rather cold) for 20-30 minutes.
Cook in preheated oven for 45-55 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Five minutes before removing from oven, rub the top of the bread with butter until its coated with a wonderful melted layer.
Remove from oven as well as from pan and cool on cooling rack. Serve warm with more butter. To store, wrap tightly in plastic wrap.
Notes
Recipe makes one loaf.
Cooking tips:
You can substitute the flour, sugar, and baking powder in my recipe with 3 1/3 cups self rising flour if you have it on hand.
Since I made this bread for St. Patrick's Day, I used Guinness stout for my beer, Kerrygold Irish Cheddar which has a sharp nutty taste, and Kerrygold Irish butter, which, in my opinion, is worth every penny. You can easily swap those ingredients out for a different kind of beer or ale and/or alternate cheddar cheese and butter.
The easiest way to pull the hot loaf of bread out of the pan is to line it with parchment paper first.