Beer Bread Recipe

This easy Beer Bread Recipe is a classic that has been handed down for generations

You’ll love the simplicity of this 4 ingredient quick bread

In just one hour you can have warm, fluffy, buttery, soft bread. You can also make dinner rolls with this recipe.

This is comfort food at its best! It’s great for dinner because the ingredients are usually something you have in your pantry and it’s nearly fail-proof.

For this recipe, there is no rise, no kneading, and no yeast needed which is a huge time saver in my book!

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4 ingredients for easy Beer Bread

• Self Rising Flour – Don’t have any on hand? No problem! See below for the formula to make your own
• Sugar – This bread needs just a touch to balance the flavors
• Beer – Choose your favorite kind of beer or you can use non-alcoholic beer
• Butter – This is actually optional, but makes it so much tastier!

What is self-rising flour?

Self-rising flour is essential for many baked goods. It is actually just regular all-purpose flour with baking powder and salt already mixed into the final product. The baking powder acts as a leavening agent, in conjunction with the sugar and the beer, in this bread recipe. It’s easy to find self-rising flour on the shelves but I make my own most of the time.

How to make self-rising flour

Here is the master formula:

One cup all-purpose flour + 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder + 1/2 teaspoon fine salt

(For this recipe you will need: 3 cups flour + 4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder + 1 1/2 teaspoons salt)

Stir vigorously together to make sure everything is well blended before using the mixture in any recipe. Fine salt works best because it’s easier to blend.

Make sure your baking powder is fresh and active for the best results. Need to test it? Try this trick.

How to make Beer Bread

• Lightly coat a loaf pan with non-stick spray or butter (8.5″ x 4.5″ or 9″x5″, or 3 mini loaf pans). Preheat the oven to 350˚F and make sure the oven rack is in the middle of the oven for best results
• Combine self-rising flour and sugar in a large bowl
• If including any additional herbs or flavorings add them in now (see list of suggestions below)
• Slowly pour in your favorite beer and let the mixture sit for 1 minute (important: don’t skip this step)
• Mix gently until all of the flour is absorbed. Use a light touch and do not overmix
• Note: The mixture will be very sticky
• Add to the prepared loaf pan
• Cook for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and pour melted butter over the top. Return to the oven and bake for another 15 minutes
• Adding the butter is optional, or you can decrease the amount added if you prefer, but the baking time remains one hour in total
• Let the bread cool for at least 15 minutes before removing it from the pan and slicing
• Store tightly wrapped for about 3 days at room temperature

What beer is best for Beer Bread?

When deciding which beer to use for the bread think about what type of beer you like. I recommend an ale type of beer but anything will work.

The more yeast in your beer the more the bread will rise during baking. The end result of the bread depends on the type of beer. Try something fun like honey ale, brown ale, or pumpkin ale if you have it on hand.

Can you use non-alcoholic beer in beer bread?

YES! The yeast in the beer is needed for the bread to rise, but not the alcohol. We’ve made it with Beck’s non-alcoholic beer and it tasted fantastic. It’s worth noting that you generally cannot taste the alcohol in beer bread and the majority of it cooks off during baking.

Adding other flavors to the bread

The great thing about this simple bread recipe is how many add-ins you can use. I suggest using about 1 Tablespoon of dried herbs or 3 Tablespoons of fresh herbs, cheese, or bacon. Here are some of our favorite ideas:

• Chives or scallions
• Fresh dill
• Italian seasonings or any dried herb
• Garlic, minced, or garlic powder
• Cheddar, Gruyere, or Parmesan – shredded
• Small pieces of cooked bacon
• Adding small pieces of green chiles or some red pepper flakes will spice it up!

How to Make Beer Bread Rolls:

Beer Bread Rolls could not be simpler! Using the same recipe take these few additional steps:

• Grease a round, square, or rectangle oven-proof pan
• With floured hands form the rolls with about 3 tablespoons of dough
• Drop into prepared pan. It’s OK if the rolls are touching each other
• Bake for 20 minutes
• Remove pan from oven and drizzle rolls with melted butter
• Sprinkle with add-ons such as shredded Parmesan and parsley
• Bake for additional 15 minutes and cool for 10 minutes in the pan before serving

Pair with these delicious soups and stews:

• Butternut Squash Soup
• Slow Cooker Irish Pot Roast
• Chicken Tortilla Soup
• Spicy Pumpkin Soup
• Instant Pot Beef Stew

Other easy bread recipes:

• Buttermilk Banana Bread
• Pumpkin Nut Bread
• Blueberry Apple Bread
• Baking Powder Biscuits
• Irish Soda Bread

Delicious served with our flavored compound butters

• Orange Honey Butter
• Lemon Chive Butter