Want to know a secret? For years, I was a little intimidated about making bread. Then, I found a recipe for beer bread and made it my own. It changed my thinking and my baking game!
This is the best Beer Bread, made with just a handful of ingredients and no yeast, is fluffy on the inside with a crispy, buttery top that’s so good that you’ll be wondering where this bread has been all your life.
What Is Beer Bread?
Here’s the story on beer bread. It’s the perfect starting point for anyone new to baking. In more recent history, beer bread became popular as a quick and easy way to make homemade bread without requiring traditional yeast. During times when yeast was scarce—such as the Great Depression or wartime shortages—home cooks turned to beer as a reliable leavening agent.
What Is The Best Beer For Homemade Bread?
You can use almost any kind of beer for this easy recipe. I prefer lighter beers like lager, pilsner, or wheat beer due to their neutral mild flavor. For a more specific flavor profile, you can use ales, an IPA, stouts, or porters.
Serve this delicious bread with Crock Pot Beef Roast and Scalloped Potatoes for a meat and potatoes meal that everyone will love!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Dry ingredients – this quick homemade bread requires all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, and granulated sugar.
- Beer – Beer helps to create fluffy bread while also helping develop the gluten in the bread. I use a can of beer or a bottle of beer – whatever you favorite is – because of its neutral taste.
- Butter – melted butter gives this loaf of bread extra flavor and a beautiful golden top.
Creative Twists and Flavor Variations
- For spice, try adding in green chilies or jalapenos.
- Mix in cheddar cheese or pepper jack cheese for a cheesy twist.
- This bread is also delicious for its aromatic flavor when mixed with garlic, rosemary, thyme, or other dried herbs.
How Do You Make Beer Bread?
- Add flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Whisk together.
- Pour in your favorite beer.
- Using a wooden spoon, stir to combine all ingredients.
- Pour batter into the prepared 9×5″ loaf pan. Drizzle butter over the dough. Bake in the oven for 50-55 minutes until golden brown.
- place on a wired rack or leave in baking dish
More Easy Quick Bread Recipes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup sugar
- 12 ounces beer – I used a light beer
- ½ cup butter – melted
Instructions
- Heat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly coat a loaf pan with butter or cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, add flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Whisk together. Pour in beer and using a wooden spoon, mix to combine all ingredients.
- Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan. Drizzle butter over dough.
- Bake in the oven for 50-55 minutes. Remove from the oven, let rest in pan for 5 minutes. Remove from pan and serve.
Nutrition
If you tried this Easy Beer Bread Recipe or any other recipe, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks!
Commonly Asked Questions And Answers
The most important step to storing bread is to let it cool completely before storing it. Once cooled, you can store it in an airtight container for up to a week at room temperature.
Yes, you can freeze beer bread wrapped either as a whole loaf or in slices. It will keep for 3 months in the freezer. Thaw in the fridge, on the counter, or in the microwave, then serve. Once thawed, it’s great to toast a slice and serve with butter and honey.
Beer not only adds flavor but acts as a leaven for the bread. The carbon dioxide in beer acts as a natural leavening agent, helping the bread rise without the need for additional ingredients.
Absolutely! Using self-rising flour is a great way to simplify the beer bread-making process even further. Since self-rising flour already contains baking powder and salt, you can skip adding these simple ingredients separately. Just substitute the all-purpose flour in the recipe with an equal amount of self-rising flour, and be sure to omit the baking powder and salt from the list of ingredients.
This will help you achieve that delightful fluffy texture without any extra steps, making your beer bread even quicker and easier to prepare!
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Can I make this with bread flour? Thank you!
Yes, you can use bread flour! It’ll make the bread a bit chewier and more structured than all-purpose flour, but still delicious.
~Donya
Love this recipe. I’m a bread lover.
I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for the review. ~Donya
This IS THE BEST beer bread I’ve ever made!!! Will never use any other recipe. Everyone loved it! Thank you, thank you! 🥰
Thank you, Lynn! I’m so glad the bread was a hit! ~Donya
What is oven temp for Beer Bread?
Everything is included – ingredients along with the instructions (bake at 375) in the recipe card. Enjoy the bread!
~Donya
Love this recipe! My granddaughter likes to help bake this for her grandpa.
That is so sweet! I love hearing about grandkids in the kitchen! Glad you enjoyed it! ~Donya
What can I use since we don’t drink beer or buy any type of alcohol?
Try my cornbread recipe – https://www.asouthernsoul.com/southern-cornbread-in-cast-iron/
This bread is easy & delicious! Only issue I had is I buttered my pan and it stuck on the bottom. Could I use parchment paper instead?
Thank you!
Sure – you can use parchment. I’ve never had that problem so let me know how it turns out.
~Donya
Love beer bread. It was a great discovery. One can not mess it up.
Thank you so much!
~Donya
Good versatile recipe. Thoughts on adding Hidden Valley (dry) seasoning? IF so, suggestion on the amount?
Hoping for input!
I’ve not tested it but I think it would work. Maybe about a tablespoon or so? Let me know how it turns out.
~Donya
What size loaf pan do you use?
Bonnie,
I use an average 9×5″ loaf pan.
Thanks,
~Donya