Bread scares me. Not eating it. It’s the making of it that I’m terrified of. Floored with fear, I tell you. The whole yeast thing gets me. It seems too temperamental and unforgiving. Then there’s the kneading and waiting…
Au contraire—there’s beer bread.
Looks and tastes impressive, but couldn’t be easier to prepare. A totally nonthreatening process. Even for a yeast-a-phobic like me.
There’s actually no yeast to worry about at all. The main ingredient is beer (which contains your bubbly yeast). And there are only four ingredients total.
Beer. Flour. Baking powder. Sugar. Butter (optional for the top). Smush and bake.
You can use any old beer you want. Some say the cheap beers work best. (Miller time!) But I’ve seen that people make Guinness beer bread too (totally next on my list). * Update* So I tried making it with a really hoppy Samuel Adams and it increased the bake time by about 25 minutes for some reason. The bread turned out okay, but a bit of a bitter aftertaste. I also found it too dense. Might just recommend sticking with a cheapo beer or something with less flavor. Perhaps hoppy beers are too heavy? who knows.
Either way, it’s a sweet and salty bread with a golden textured crust and deep yeast flavor that really and truly tastes like beer. Leave the dough virgin for that full beer flavor or add in your favorite herbs. Oregano. Rosemary. Caraway seed. Fennel seed. I kept this one straight up and cracked black pepper on just about every slice I ate. It was magic.
Beer bread makes excellent toast. Have it with a fried egg. Also glorious with soup. Go crazy.
Recipe
Makes 1 loaf bread. Coating top of dough with butter before baking in optional, but really adds to the crust’s texture. Omit for vegan. Cheap beer seems to work best. I tried making it with a really hoppy Samuel Adams and it increased the bake time by about 25 minutes for some reason. The bread turned out good, but with a bit of a bitter aftertaste. Maybe just stick with a cheapo beer or something with less flavor.You need:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 4 Tablespoons sugar
- One 12oz can or bottle of beer. (any beer)
- 3 tablespoons butter
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Sift well with fork. Pour in beer, stir until a stiff batter is formed, but don’t over mix (best to just use your hands). Scrape dough into prepared loaf pan.
- Melt butter and brush across top of dough. This is optional (if you’re vegan), BUT it really adds to the crust. Makes it golden and crusty!
- Bake for about 40 or so minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean.Bake time will vary with beer type.
17 Comments
I came here because of Panic Room Ryan’s recommendation, saw this recipe, and *immediately* went to my kitchen to start baking. I’m waiting for my oven to preheat, and then I can pop my loaf in the oven. Went with a Sam Adams Winter Lager- maybe wheat beer leads to wheatier bread?
Hm, perhaps…you’ll have to let me know!
Several of my friends have made your beer bread and have raved about it! So I’ve put it on my recipe blog and gave you credit! I plan to make it soon! Also, I saw your pistachio and white chocolate cookie recipe and it sounded divine, so I also put it on my recipe website, too! Can’t wait to make them, thanks for the recipes!
Jo
I love the redesign, gabi! and specially the fact that we can leave you comments, too.
I think I will try this recipe soon, but with guinness. Will let you know how it turns out! =]
So you like it despite the absence of your favorite little knives and forks? Yes! And, please let me know how it turns out with Guinness. I’m curios.
The wheat beer didn’t seem to leave any discernable wheaty taste, but the bread was still delicious. It was a little sweet for my taste, so next time I might use less sugar. Still, can’t beat tasty bread that’s ready in less than an hour! I’m usually quite a no-knead devotee, but this recipe is winning me over. We’ll see how my husband feels if his beer keeps disappearing into bread…
yes i love that we can now comment! i’m going to make this bread for st. patty’s day.
Hey just an update for everyone. I tried making it the bread with a really hoppy Samuel Adams and it increased the bake time by about 25-30 minutes for some reason. The bread turned out okay, but with a bit of a bitter aftertaste. Maybe just stick with something with less flavor…Maybe the beer was too heavy?
So, I’m sure I’m just so excited that I don’t see it…but where’s the actual recipe??
Click “view recipe” at the top of the post. It’s right under the title. Enjoy!
Today I tried this recipe with a stout beer and used 1 cup of wheat bread flour for one of cups of all purpose. I also threw in a handful of wheat germ. It turned out even better than my first attempt!
I made 2 loaves for my first attempt at making bread EVER (definitely don’t consider myself a baker). First loaf, I did straight up with Yuengling Lager- took it to a dinner party- it became dessert, toasted with sliced strawberries and vanilla ice cream, yum. Second loaf, I added a bit of Italian seasonings and black pepper- couldn’t stop eating it! With sliced tomato and a touch of olive oil, holy crap. Also makes the BEST homemade croutons of all time, also Gabi’s recipe, of course.
I made a variation of a loaf of this tonight with Guinness. I sort of combined the beer bread ingredients with the no-knead bread method that was around last year. Yesterday I mixed together all the ingredients above (using 16 oz Guinness instead of the 12 oz listed) and let “rise” overnight. I think it developed a subtle sourdough-y tang. Today I dumped the dough onto a baking sheet and baked the bread in a 450 degree oven for twenty minutes (which honestly was just a guess). I thought it would have produced a taller round loaf, but pretty much kept the blobby shape of the first dump.
The Guinness taste is a little subtler than I was expecting, but the bread is sort of malty and caramel-y. The crust was nice and crackly. Overall, not bad for a random experiment.
I put a spread of Irish butter on it and it was delicious!
I accidentally overslept for a brunch I was hosting this morning and this recipe was such a lifesaver! I made it with magic hat’s circus boy and increased the bake time by about 10 minutes or so. How amazing to have fresh bread less than an hour after starting! Great recipe!
(served with strawberry rhubarb jam)
Gabi -
Great recipe, I also was referred by word-of-mouth.
One question, though: The recipe calls for a 12 oz can but the picture shows a 16er. Which is best? And, forgive me, but I’m terrified of bread and kneading and rising. About how long do you mix before it’s “stiff” enough?
Thanks!
No Problem. It’s 12oz per loaf. And as far as kneading goes, you don’t have to worry too much about it. Make sure you sift the dry ingredients well and then just mix/knead everything until totally combined (no more than 2 minutes), first using a wooden spoon and then your hands. The dough will be pretty sticky.
We tried this recipe almost as soon as you posted it. My husband now makes beer bread at least once a week. He adds rosemary (quite a bit of it) and it’s divine. It also makes amazing grilled cheese sandwiches. Mmmmm.