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    Home » Recipes » Side Dishes » Easy Beer Bread – 2 Delicious Recipes

    LAST UPDATED: April 14, 2020 • FIRST PUBLISHED: March 26, 2020 By Toni Dash 35 Comments

    Easy Beer Bread – 2 Delicious Recipes

    Jump to Recipe

    This post may include affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Beer Bread title image

    Beer Bread is a relaxed, rustic quick bread recipe that’s perfectly paired with hearty soups, chili or butter and jam. Both regular and gluten-free instructions.

    Beer Bread title image

    There is nothing to draw people to the kitchen more than freshly baked bread!

    A quick bread with just a few wholesome ingredients is an easy way to serve fresh bread anytime.

    The star ingredient of these recipes is beer!

    What is Beer Bread?

    It’s a quick bread with the signature ingredient being beer.

    ‘Quick Bread’ means it does not have rise like traditional yeast breads and is fast to make and bake.

    Both of these recipes make moist, dense bread with a craggy, crusty outside. 

    It has the light flavor of beer which lessens over the days following baking it. 

    Two versions are included and the difference between the is detailed below.

    Beer Bread Ingredients

    The main difference in these two recipes starts with the flour. The classic recipe uses self-rising flour.

    The enhanced recipe uses all-purpose flour. Either regular all purpose flour or a gluten-free blend will work.

    Additional ingredients are needed in the enhanced version to ensure proper rising of the bread.

    Classic Beer Bread

    • Self Rising Flour
    • Granulated Sugar
    • Beer

    Enhanced Beer Bread

    • Yeast
    • Beer (regular or gluten-free)
    • All Purpose Flour (regular or gluten-free measure-for-measure flour blend)
    • Baking Powder
    • Kosher Salt
    • Granulated Sugar
    • Eggs
    • Unsalted Butter

    loaf of beer bread on cooling rack

    What Type of Beer to Use

    Any type of beer can be used when making beer bread.

    You will taste the beer flavor in the bread so selecting something that matches your flavor preference is key.

    Regular or Gluten-Free Beer Can be used. If gluten-free be sure to use the Enhanced Beer Bread recipe and gluten-free flour.

    Do NOT use non-alcoholic beer! The chemical reaction to make the bread work requires regular beer.

    Classic Beer Bread

    One of the first recipes I learned how to cook in college was Beer Bread.

    It seemed a bit more like a stroke of magical chemistry than baking but I loved the dependability of the recipe and the ease of it.

    Basically it was two ingredients:  self-rising flour and a beer.

    It baked to a crusty, soul-warming bread lightly flavored like beer.

    That recipe is included however also includes granulated sugar which ensures the right chemical balance to create a delicious quick bread.

    gluten free beer

    Enhanced Beer Bread

    For the purpose of using all purpose flour AND to make an easy gluten-free recipe too, the second recipe adds more ingredients.

    Adding some eggs, and yeast gives the modern version a lift while still maintaining the light beer flavor and denser structure.

    It is one of the most simple comfort foods, toast with butter and jam, in the most perfect way.

    Making Gluten-Free Beer Bread

    The tricky thing about Classic Beer Bread for those gluten-free is self-rising flour.

    It is not currently available in gluten-free form at stores. 

    I personally have not tried to make gluten-free self-rising flour to know if it will work in the Classic recipe.

    Instead I recommend the Enhanced recipe which uses All-Purpose Flour.

    My preferred GF flour blend is Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour.

    sliced beer bread

    How to Make Beer Bread – Step-by-Step

    The two recipes share some recipe steps. The main difference is combining the ingredients as detailed below.

    STEP 1: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch loaf pan with butter.

    Classic Beer Bread

    STEP 2: mix the three ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Spoon into the prepared loaf pan.

    Enhanced Beer Bread

    STEP 2: Combine the yeast and 1/4 cup warm beer in a small bowl. Set aside.

    STEP 3: Sift together: flour, baking powder, salt and sugar into a large mixing bowl.

    STEP 4: Stir in the eggs, followed by the yeast mixture and the remaining beer. Hand stir with a spoon to fully combine. Spoon into the prepared loaf pan.

    Baking & Cooling – Both Recipes

    Bake for 45-50 minutes (refer to recipe card below for details). Remove loaf and place on cooling rack to cool for 15 minutes before slicing.
    sliced beer bread with jam

    How to Store 

    Keeping the cooled bread out of the refrigerator keeps the crust crunchy however it won’t last as long. Toasting is after it’s chilled is recommended.

    At Room Temperature

    Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store for 1-2 days. To store it longer refrigerate it.

    In the Refrigerator

    Wrap cooled loaf in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

    In the Freezer

    Though beer bread is best freshly baked it can be frozen.

    Wrap tightly in plastic wrap then place in a freezer plastic bag OR wrap with foil. Freeze for up to 3 months.

    Thaw in the refrigerator. Toast the bread before use.

    How to Use Beer Bread

    • Sandwiches
    • Toast with jam
    • Dipping in Stews, Soup Recipes or Chili
    • In a Ploughman’s Lunch
    • Made into croutons

    More Bread Recipes You’ll Love

    • Irish Soda Bread
    • Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
    • Pumpkin Roasted-Banana Quick Bread
    • Goat Cheese Dill Mini Biscuits
    • Cornbread Recipe
    • Cinnamon Raisin Bread
    Did you make it? Please RATE THE RECIPE below!

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    Beer Bread title image

    Easy Beer Bread

    Beer bread is an easy rustic recipe with great flavor perfect for many uses. Two versions of the recipe allow delicious results either way you make it!
    5 from 19 votes
    Print Save Recipe Recipe Saved! Pin Rate
    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 50 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
    Servings: 10 slices
    Calories: 188kcal
    Author: Toni Dash
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    Ingredients

    Classic Beer Bread

    • 3 cups Self Rising Flour
    • 1/4 cup Granulated Sugar
    • 12 ounce bottle or can Beer regular or gluten-free, room temperature
    • Unsalted Butter for greasing the loaf pan

    Enhanced Beer Bread

    • 1 packet packet Active Yeast
    • 12 ounce bottle/can Beer regular or gluten-free, room temperature
    • 3 cups all purpose flour All Purpose Flour (regular or gluten-free measure-for-measure flour blend)
    • 1 tablespoon plus 1 ½ teaspoons Baking Powder
    • 1 ½ teaspoons Kosher Salt
    • ¼ cup Granulated Sugar
    • 2 Eggs , room temperature, lightly beaten
    • 2 tablespoons Unsalted Butter , melted (plus extra for greasing loaf pan)

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9 inch loaf pan with butter.

    Classic Beer Bread

    • In a mixing bowl combine the flour and sugar. Pour in the beer and stir to fully combine.
    • Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Follow instructions for baking below.

    Enhanced Beer Bread

    • In a small bowl combine the yeast and ¼ cup of the beer. Stir together and set aside.
    • Sift together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar into a large mixing bowl.
    • Stir the eggs followed by the yeast mixture and remaining beer. Combine fully by hand stirring with a mixing spoon. Spoon into the prepared loaf pan.
    • Drizzle with the melted butter.

    Baking for Either Type of Beer Bread

    • Bake for 45-50 minutes until the bread has risen, the top is lightly browned and cracking slightly (refer to photo of whole loaf for an example).
    • Remove from oven, turn out of the pan onto a cooling rack. Allow to cool at least 15 minutes before cutting.

    Notes

    Classic Beer Bread

    This is the original recipe mentioned in the blog post. It's a basic recipe and requires Self Rising Flour.
    For gluten-free bakers: To my knowledge there is not a commercially available gluten-free self rising flour. You can make your own self-rising blend or make the Enhanced Beer Bread recipe which uses regular flour, either regular or gluten-free.

    Enhanced Beer Bread

    This version is an evolution of the first Basic Beer Bread. It's softer and rises a bit differently due to adding yeast. Because it uses regular flour (NOT self rising flour) the yeast is needed to help the bread rise.
    This version can use either regular all purpose flour or a gluten-free measure-for-measure flour blend.

    Recipe Notes:

    The batter will be sticky. If using a silicon spoon to spoon batter into the prepared loaf pan, it can be sprayed with non-stick spray to more easily get it into the pan.
    What Beer to Use. Any beer can be used for this recipe. The flavor of the beer will affect the flavor of the bread so use that as a guide when making a beer selection. Regular or gluten-free beer can be used. The beer should be room temperature.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 188kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 38mg | Sodium: 364mg | Potassium: 142mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 115IU | Calcium: 82mg | Iron: 1.6mg
    Did you make this recipe?Mention @boulderlocavore or tag #boulderlocavore!

    Originally published: September 25, 2014

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    ABOUT THE AUTHOR

    TONI DASH
    Toni Dash head shot

    Toni Dash, is a Certified Nutrition Coach and the writer/blogger, photographer, recipe developer and creator of Boulder Locavore®. She has been developing easy to make, well-tested recipes since 2010. Her seasonal recipes bring excitement to the dining table for both gluten-free and gluten diners. Toni has been featured in numerous publications and on culinary websites for her creative, delicious recipes and travel features. For more details, check out her About page.

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    Comments

    1. Cristine says

      August 13, 2022 at 10:58 pm

      5 stars
      It’s in the oven as I type…
      I made my own GF Self-rising Flour Blend:
      3 cups of Namaste GF Flour, 1.5 T of Baking Powder and 1.5 t of salt.
      After mixing the dough with a can of Moose Drool, I poured 1/4 cup of melted butter on top of it before I baked it.
      It smells heavenly- let the tasting commence!
      ***It turned out a little dry, but when served with a whipped honey feta dip, it was DELICIOUS.

      Reply
      • Toni Dash says

        August 14, 2022 at 8:04 am

        I almost thought this was a spam comment when you mentioned Moose Drool…but then I googled it lol. Thanks for your self rising flour insight. And I agree beer bread is not the most moist but has great flavor and is perfect with toppings.

        Reply
    2. Jessica says

      April 07, 2022 at 1:55 pm

      5 stars
      Made the Enhanced recipe with Cup4Cup GF flour, and it turned out GREAT! The beer really helps it to SMELL like real bread (my big issue with so many GF breads)! One of the best GF things I’ve tried so far!!

      Reply
      • Toni Dash says

        April 08, 2022 at 5:57 pm

        Thank you Jessica for leaving your thoughts and the flour you used. That isn’t a flour blend I’ve tried but have heard great things about it.

        Totally agree about the ‘bread’ smell (I think it’s probably the yeast we are smelling). It’s such a comforting smell and makes we GF’ers feel ‘normal’.

        Reply
    3. Kristi says

      January 27, 2022 at 2:50 pm

      5 stars
      I made the enhanced bread recipe using egg replacer – because I forgot to buy eggs! I also used gf flour. And it was DELICIOUS! It is a little sweet, so don’t try and throw some rosemary in there before adjusting the sugar. Wow! Made it for teacher appreciation day and it was a hit!

      Reply
    4. Haley D Williams says

      March 31, 2020 at 12:02 pm

      5 stars
      Oh this sounds amazing! I have to get to baking it up!

      Reply
    5. Suzy says

      March 30, 2020 at 11:44 am

      5 stars
      Love how easy this is to make but it’s so tasty too!

      Reply
    6. Sara Welch says

      March 27, 2020 at 7:17 pm

      5 stars
      This turned out perfectly light and fluffy; made a great side with breakfast this morning! Looking forward to enjoying this with breakfast again, tomorrow!

      Reply
    7. wilhelmina says

      March 27, 2020 at 4:24 pm

      5 stars
      It doesn’t get any easier or more delicious than this! And I got to enjoy that wonderful smell as it baked!

      Reply
    8. Sandra says

      March 27, 2020 at 2:44 pm

      5 stars
      It looks really easy to make! I would love to try it.

      Reply
    9. Carrie Robinson says

      March 27, 2020 at 12:17 pm

      5 stars
      I just love how easy beer bread is to make! 🙂

      Reply
    10. Catalina says

      March 27, 2020 at 7:46 am

      5 stars
      I should make this. I love homemade bread!

      Reply
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    About Toni Dash

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    Welcome! I’m Toni. I’m a Certified Nutrition Coach and my goal is to MAKE YOUR LIFE EASIER with delicious, well-tested recipes and travel tips! More About Me …

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