This beer bread recipe is super easy to make compared to any other bread recipe. You’ll have people fooled thinking you’ve spent hours kneading dough to make this beer bread recipe from scratch.
If you’re cooking with beer, you might as well give this Beer Marinated Chicken recipe a try? You’ll be surprised at how delicious it is. If you want another great quick bread recipe, check out our pumpkin banana bread recipe.
What is Beer Bread?
Beer bread is a simple quick bread, also known as a yeast bread, flavored with beer. Beer and bread are created in a very similar way.
Yeast is used to turn sugars into both carbon dioxide and alcohol but a large portion of the alcohol evaporates during the baking process for bread.
This simple homemade beer bread recipe is perfect when you need a tasty loaf in a hurry. Baking bread doesn’t get much easier than this because there’s no kneading, no messing around with yeast and best of all, no rising time.
Because you get to use beer in this recipe smells the bread smells amazing and unlike any other loaf. Even if you’re not a fan of beer, you’re going to love this beer bread recipe. It’s great for both your breakfast toast or a lunchtime sandwich.
Beer Bread Ingredients You Will Need
Many quick breads get their rising action from baking powder or self raising flour, not yeast and that’s exactly how this beer bread recipe works.
Beer might be made with yeast but most commercial beers don’t contain living yeast organisms, so it’s not yeast from the beer that makes this beer bread rise. The beer is simply there to provide carbonation which helps to make the bread super fluffy and adds a sweet flavor.
To make your beer bread recipe, you will need:
- 3 tablespoons of sugar
- 1 bottle of beer
- 3 cups of self raising flour
Best Beer for Beer Bread
Because the beer you use in your beer bread recipe will have a significant effect on the loaf you make, you want to be sure you choose a suitable beer that matches your tastes. A light-bodied beer will make a bread with a lighter flavor compared to a dark beer or stout.
- Guinness is for stout lovers
- If you’re an IPA lover, use Harpoon IPA
- Pabst Blue Ribbon is good for those who like adjunct macro lager
- Brown ale lovers should try Newcastle
- If you like Belgian beer, Golden Monkey from Victory Brewing Company is the one for your bread
- Oarsman Ale from Bell’s Brewery is the best for sour beer lovers
How Do You Make Beer Bread?
This homemade beer bread recipe will make one loaf but you could always double or triple it to make more.
Mixing the ingredients for this beer bread recipe will take about 5 to 10 minutes and the baking time about one hour. In less than 1½ hours you could be eating warm, fresh beer bread.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and place the bread pan in the oven to warm slightly. Mix the sugar, beer and self raising flour and place in the pan.
Cook your beer bread recipe at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes. Make sure that you stick a knife or skewer into the center of the loaf to check that it is cooked all the way through before you remove it from the oven.
How to Freeze
You can keep your beer bread fresh for a few days when sealed in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature. Beer bread can be frozen if you want to keep it for longer and don’t intend to eat it right away.
When you freeze beer bread, I recommend that you slice it first. Once you have cut the beer bread up, place baking paper between the slices so they don’t freeze together. The best way to freeze this loaf is to wrap it in plastic wrap and place in a plastic freezer bag to keep it extra fresh.
What to Serve with Beer Bread
There are so many delicious things that you can serve with homemade beer bread! Soups and chili go particularly well with beer bread to help you mop up all the liquid. Make sure you try this hamburger soup with it!
If you’re a meat lover and enjoy a good barbecue you should think about swapping cornbread for beer bread as an accompaniment for barbecued ribs or brisket.
Any kind of dips and spreads go well with homemade beer bread. I particularly like hot buffalo chicken dip or spinach artichoke dip.
This delicious beer bread recipe is sure to be a big talking point at your next dinner party. Something so novel but so tasty will surprise and impress all your guests, whether they are beer lovers or not.
More Quick Bread Recipes You Will Love
- Monkey Bread
- Chocolate Zucchini Bread
- Zucchini Bread with Cream Cheese
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread
- Lemon Poppyseed Bread
- Carrot Bread
Alternatives to this recipe:
Easy Beer Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons of sugar
- 1 bottle of beer
- 3 cups of self-raising flour
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350*.
- Mix all ingredients and pour into a greased loaf pan.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes until a toothpick inserted the middle comes out clean.
We love this recipe – it’s so easy and smells divine when baking! I could eat the whole loaf while it’s still warm, with butter!!
I’ve made this bread many times. It really is delicious and really simple to make.
I love bread and this looks amazing. Thanks for sharing at Merry Monday, see you next week!
I live in Australia, our bottle sizes are different to the USA.
Could you please clarify the size of the bottle of beer, how many mills or ounces?
Thank you, OB
No problem – 11.53oz or 341 ml for the beer. Hope you enjoy 🙂
If I use gluten flour that is not self rising, how would I incorporate yeast?
I’m not sure as I have not made it that way – you would need to experiment! Hope you enjoy!
Such a delicious bread. Great for sandwiches!
I’m thinking I would taste 3 tbsp sugar in the bread. Does the sugar need to be in there to make the recipe work?
This is my grandma’s recipe and it turns out perfectly and is super delicious. I have never tried it without!