Beer Bread is moist, flavorful, and incredibly easy to make! This homemade beer bread recipe uses a few simple ingredients to make a wonderfully hearty bread. Great for any meal — especially soups and stews!
Homemade Beer Bread
This homemade beer bread is one of the easiest breads anyone can make!
I am going to include this in my back-to-the-basics section because it is an awesome back-pocket recipe. Anyone can make this beer bread recipe… and I mean anyone!! My 10-year-old can make this with very little help, so I know you guys can too! If you have been wanting to bake bread but are scared of working with yeast, this is one of the best easy beer bread recipes to start with.
And here’s the best part… it can be ready to eat in 1 hour, start to finish!! Now you have no excuse not to make this bread! #sorrynotsorry
It’s such a crowd-pleaser. I first shared this bread on the blog a very long time ago — back in 2013 when I was just getting started. I had to revamp this post because I love making this bread, and the pictures just HAD TO GO!! Yes, all caps were necessary!!
I love to serve it with almost any meal, but it really goes well with soups and stews. Recipes like this Creamy Cajun Potato Soup, Slow Cooker Cheeseburger Soup, or Hearty Beef Stew are just a few of my favorites!
Why You’ll Love This Beer Bread Recipe
- Incredibly easy — perfect for novice bakers!
- Comes together with just 6 ingredients
- Virtually foolproof because you don’t have to worry about yeast
- It’s perfect for fall weather and all the soups!!!
Key Ingredients to Make This Easy Beer Bread Recipe
- FLOUR – All-purpose is fine in this recipe for beer bread. No need to worry about running out to the store to pick up bread flour. Score!
- BAKING POWDER – Will help your bread rise when paired with the carbonation in the beer. That’s why you don’t need any yeast!
- SALT – To balance out the other flavors and help the dough rise.
- HONEY – This bread is sweetened with honey which is how I like it the best, but if you don’t have any honey on hand, you could substitute it with brown or white sugar.
- BEER – You can use your favorite brand. Ales, lagers, pilsners, and stouts would all work, it’s simply a matter of personal preference.
- BUTTER – For added flavor and moisture. Butter also enhances the overall texture of this easy beer bread recipe!
Instructions to Make This Recipe for Beer Bread
RECIPE PREP: Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F and grease your loaf pan.
MAKE THE BREAD BATTER: Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Make sure to incorporate some air as you go! Add the honey and beer and stir with a spatula until just combined.
BAKE: Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan and place 8 pats of butter on top. Bake for 40-55 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes and enjoy!
Pro Tips for Making Easy Beer Bread Recipes
- You can change the flavor by changing the type of beer. I mostly use whatever my husband has in the fridge — you know, the basic Coors or something similar. But if you’re looking for something different, try using an Irish beer around St. Patrick’s Day to serve alongside your corned beef. Basically, whatever beer you like to drink, you will like in this bread.
- You need to aerate the flour. You can do this in two ways: sifting or using a whisk. I prefer to use a whisk because I don’t want to dig for my sifter! 🙂 Please don’t skip this step because it helps keep the bread a little lighter. It’s simple to do. Just stir the flour, baking powder, and salt together using a whisk.
- This easy beer bread recipe is going to give you a hearty bread and will not give you the same kind of loaf as yeast bread. I am also giving you two options for your crust. For a thicker, chewier crust, place the pats of butter across the top of the batter before you put it into the oven to bake. If you would like a little bit softer crust, melt the butter and mix it into the dough with the beer and honey.
- When you are combining the dry and wet ingredients, do not overmix. Mix just until you no longer see any dry patches of flour — that’s it. There will be a lot of lumps in this bread, and that is how it should be.
FAQ
As mentioned, it’s all a matter of personal preference. Choose between lagers, ales, pilsners, or stouts. And remember, you can slightly change the flavor of your beer bread recipe by switching up the beer you use. Get creative with it and don’t be afraid to experiment!
I recommend it, yes! Not only will the bread rise better, but it will also give you a better texture. If you use cold beer straight out of the fridge, you run the risk of slowing down the leavening process. That said, it’s not a huge deal if your beer is cold. Sometimes I forget to pull it out of the fridge before I get started, and it’s not the end of the world.
You likely skipped out on the baking powder. You have to follow the quantities on the ingredients list for this recipe for beer bread to a tee. The beer does help in the leavening process, but it needs to be paired with ample baking soda for the bread to actually rise. It’s one of the key things to keep in mind when making easy beer bread recipes in general.
More Bread Recipes To Try
Thanks so much for reading! Let me know what you think about this easy beer bread recipe!
HUNGRY FOR MORE? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram for all my latest updates!
Beer Bread
Ingredients
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 (12 oz) beer of choice
- 1/4 cup butter cut into 8 squares
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9×5 or 8×4 loaf pan with butter, set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Be sure to whisk well to incorporate some air into the flour. You can also sift the flour if you prefer. Add in the honey and beer. Stir with a rubber spatula just until combined.
- Spoon into prepared loaf pan. Place the 8 pats of butter across the top of the batter. Bake for 40-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool in pan 5 minutes before removing.
Notes
**Originally published December 2013**
Does this bread freeze well?
So sorry I didn’t reply sooner!! Yes! Wrap the bread in plastic wrap then in heavy duty foil before freezing. Thaw overnight at room temperature.
Made this with Guinness beef stew, went great with it.
So glad you liked it!! Thanks for sharing!
Hey, is this 112oz of beer or 12 Oz?
Thank you😂🍻
Lol, sorry! I fixed the recipe so it’s easier to read. It should be one 12oz beer.
Does the beer need to be room temp?
No it doesn’t. Hope you enjoy!!