Pre-heat the oven to 350°F.

In a large dutch oven, heat some olive oil over medium heat.

Toss the diced stewing beef with 1 1/2 tbsp of flour.

In batches, brown the meat cubes until seared. Remove to a plate as you go.

Add more oil to the dutch oven if needed.

Add the chopped celery, onion, and minced garlic to the pot.

Cook and stir the vegetables until they are soft.

Add the thyme and season with salt and pepper.

Stir in the chopped button mushrooms and bay leaves.

Add the beef broth, tomato paste, and Guinness stout to the pot.

Bring the stew to a boil.

Cover the dutch oven and put it into the preheated oven.

Let the stew bubble away in the oven for two hours.

While the stew is cooking, prepare the dumplings.

In a bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, a pinch of nutmeg, salt, and pepper.

Cut in the cold butter with a pastry cutter.

Stir in the cheddar cheese.

Add milk, stirring until you get a wet dough. Adjust the amount of milk as needed.

Spoon out portions of the dough about the size of a ping pong ball.

Roll the dough with your hands to form dumplings.

Place the dumplings on a cookie sheet.

Put the cookie sheet with dumplings in the fridge to chill while the stew continues to cook.

When the stew is finished cooking in the oven, remove from oven and remove lid.

Plop the chilled dumplings into the stew one at a time, pushing them under the juices to absorb moisture.

Put the lid back on the dutch oven.

Allow the dumplings to cook in the stew for another 30 minutes, or until cooked through.