Beer Bread
Savory Beer bread is a deliciously salty and buttery bread that is easy to make and the perfect side to any dinner or just as a great snack!
Beer Bread comes together in just minutes and after whipping up this quick bread, you can just kick back while it’s baking. Simple ingredients like flour, sugar, butter and baking powder are all you need, along with your favorite beer or soda, to make a bread the family will love as a side to soups, pastas or all by itself!
Perfect Timing
Sometimes I’m struck with inspiration for a meal the morning I want it, which doesn’t always work when the meal centers around bread. I love making bread and the comforting smell of baking bread is one of my favorites, but I don’t always have the time for the mixing, raising, kneading and so on, so quick breads, like this amazing Beer Bread, is my jam. While this bread is baking I can focus on making a pot of soup or other tasty dinner and the timing is perfect because they’re both done around the same time!
If you’re looking for more ways to add beer to your breads, try Pumpkin Beer Bread, which is a seasonal version of this bread, full of warm fall flavors and if you love bacon then Bacon & Beer Bread Drop Biscuits is the way to go!
Other Recipes to Serve with Beer Bread
- Stuffed Pepper Soup is the perfect way to warm up on a chilly day and a great meal to serve with this bread.
- Once you get the bread in the oven start on Easy Weeknight Chili for a quick and filling meal that’s a cinch to make!
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients: To make this bread, you will need all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, and baking powder.
Seasoning: A little salt is needed for this bread.
Butter: For deliciously buttery bread, you will need melted salted butter.
Beer: Let the beer do all the heavy lifting in this recipe! Any beer you like can be used, from a light ale to a dark stout. If you would prefer not to use beer, you can use soda instead and can choose from Ginger Ale, Sprite, or Sierra Mist.
How to Make Beer Bread
STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and grease a loaf pan. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Add the beer to the dry ingredients and fold until combined.
STEP TWO: Place the dough in the loaf pan and pour the melted butter over the dough.
STEP THREE: Bake the bread for 50-60 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Allow the bread to cool before slicing.
Tips for Success
- If you don’t have a favorite beer, rest assured that just about any beer will work for this bread. A light ale, like a Belgian Ale or a wheat beer, is great, along with darker beers and stouts. Flavored beers work well too, so if you’re a fan of pumpkin spice or blueberry or what have you, then use that in this recipe!
- Leave the beer out if you prefer and substitute it with any light-colored soda, like Sprite, Ginger Ale, or 7Up.
- Stored the Beer Bread either covered or wrapped at room temperature for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months. To freeze, allow the bread to cool completely before wrapping it in plastic wrap and placing it in a large freezer bag.
What does adding beer to bread do?
Beer is full of yeast, which is an important ingredient in bread too. Adding beer to a bread recipe is a great way of cutting down on the usual steps necessary to make bread, making the process faster and still delicious. The yeast works with the sugar, flour, and baking powder in the bread recipe to activate them, which causes the dough to rise and leaven. Soda doesn’t have yeast, but the carbon in the bubbles works to do the same thing, which is why you can choose to use either beer or soda.
What else can I add to beer bread?
Buttery beer bread is the perfect side to any meal or as a snack, and you can change it up in several ways!
Try adding one cup of your favorite cheese, especially a bold cheddar, to the dough. If you love garlic cheese bread, you can mix in one or two cloves of minced garlic too.
Another variation is to add one or two tablespoons of your favorite herbs, such as an Italian blend of herbs, rosemary, basil, and more. These tasty herbs can be either fresh or dried, both will work.
Lastly, for slightly sweet beer bread, add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of honey, agave, or maple syrup. Make up a few different loaves and see which is your favorite!
Let’s have bread for every meal!
- Mamaw’s Rolls- Dinner Roll Recipe
- Dutch Oven Bread
- Homemade Bread Bowl
- Homemade Cheese Bread
- Honey Wheat Dinner Rolls
Beer Bread
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 12 ounces beer
- ½ cup salt butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F and grease a loaf pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients. Add the beer to the dry ingredients and fold together until just combined.
- Transfer the bread dough to the prepared loaf pan. Pour the melted butter over the bread.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool before slicing.
Notes
- I recommend Belgian ales or light ales, but dark beers and stouts will work too. Flavored beers such as blueberry or pumpkin also work well.
- Lemon-lime soda or ginger ale can also be used in place of beer.
- Bread can be stored covered/wrapped at room temperature for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
