I wanted to make an easy sweet loaf that featured the lovely unsulphured apricots I get from Ceres. Decided to riff on a yeast-free, gluten-free, dairy-free version to prove it can be done and it uses beer as a raising agent. You can make a plain loaf by omitting the apricots and honey and increasing the salt to 1 Tbsp. This is adapted from Pure Delicious by Heather Christo (Pam Krauss Books, 2016).

1/2 c dried apricots, chopped

1/4 c water

4 c flour of choice (I used a GF wholemeal mix)

1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp salt

2 Tbsp butter or non-dairy spread or coconut oil

1 Tbsp honey

1 x 330ml bottle beer (I used alcohol-free Clausthaler)

Preheat oven to 180C. Line a loaf tin with baking paper.

In a small pot heat the apricots and water until boiling and cook for about 5 minutes until softened. Let cool.

In a large bowl whisk the flour, xanthan gum, baking soda and salt.

Melt the butter and honey in a small dish and pour into the flour mixture along with the beer. Mix until just combined, then stir in the apricots.

Transfer into your tin and bake for around 50-60 minutes until the top is puffed up and golden. Let cool in the tin for 15 minutes before turning out onto a cutting board.