by Holly
Making bread is a trend that’s “on the rise,” and this easy recipe yields loaf perfect for dipping, sandwiches, or toast and jam! No yeast required!
If making homemade baked bread isn’t in the schedule but the bread box is empty, we’ve got you covered! Beer bread makes a perfect crusty loaf in about an hour, using just 5 ingredients!
Why We Love Beer Bread
Beer bread requires no yeast (except for the yeast already found in beer.) So “no knead” to look any further! (Pardon the half-baked puns, we’re on a roll today!)
In all seriousness, this bread really requires no kneading, and no rising time.
With just a few ingredients, it’s super simple. Or, get creative and add in honey instead of sugar, or even cheese and bacon to customize!
Ingredients & Variations
Flour: This recipe uses self-rising flour to make it quick and easy.
No self-rising flour on hand? No problem, I’ve included directions for all-purpose flour too!
Beer: Adds to both the leavening and the flavor profile of this bread. Dark beer yields deeper flavors, while light beer makes for a lighter-tasting bread. Both are great, just use what you have on hand!
Flavorings: This beer bread is a terrific recipe to experiment with since it’s practically fool-proof.
- Try adding in some shredded cheese, or add extra honey to make a sweetbread!
- Chopped jalapenos or chilies will spice things up!
- Rosemary, sun-dried tomato, and olive oil for an Italian style bread!
How to Make Beer Bread
Super simple and always successful, this is one bread that doesn’t require a long turnaround!
- Combine wet and dry ingredients (per recipe below).
- Spread into a greased loaf pan.
- Bake and enjoy.
That’s all there is to it! Serve with soup or a yummy bruschetta for the perfect side dish or appetizer!
Tips for Success
- Can children eat beer bread? Unless it’s an allergy concern, it shouldn’t be a problem. Most, if not all of the alcohol cooks out, leaving behind the yeasty and savory flavors.
- Mix the dough well, but don’t go crazy. Unlike making bread with yeast, too much mixing may make it too dense.
- Don’t skip the salt & sugar and don’t skimp on the butter or the bread will not have any flavor.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Watch carefully and don’t overcook it.
- Keep bread tightly wrapped or in an airtight container on the counter to prevent it from drying out.
More Quick Breads
- Homemade French Bread
- Irish Soda Bread
- Homemade Cornbread
- Bacon Cheddar Garlic Bread
- Bubble Pizza Bread
Did you love this Beer Bread? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!
Classic Beer Bread
Prep Time 15 minutes
Servings 12 slices
Ingredients
- 3 cups self-rising flour or all purpose flour with baking powder, see notes
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 12 ounces beer room temperature
- 1/3 cup butter melted
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease an 8"x4" loaf pan.
- Place flour and sugar in a bowl and whisk very well.
- Add remaining ingredients and mix well.
- Pour into prepared loaf pan.
- Bake 50-60 minutes.
- Cool before slicing.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Information
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.)
I’m a fan of Homemade Beer Bread. Have made it for many years. Never put any Salt into it before.
I Love this recipe I have been using Self rising flour but today I used 2 cups bread flour and 1 cup all purpose flour and added 1/2 tsp salt and the 4 tsps of baking powder it came out Fabulous Holly you are the Best!
Thank you for the kind words Sandra!
Question on the butter. Do you use salted or unsalted? I used to make this years ago and it was great but lately I can’t seem to get it right. I think I’m not cooking it long enough and that it needs more salt. I add rosemary to mine cause my fam loves rosemary bread. I just want to make a great batch:)
Thanks for sharing your recipe!
For this recipe we use unsalted butter. Adding rosemary sounds like a delicious idea! Thanks for sharing Chris.
ABSOLUTELY MOREISH ALL THE FAMILY LOVED IT GOING TO BE A FAMILY FAVORITE HAD HOMEMADE CARROT AND CORIANDER SOUP WITH IT WILL BE MAKING MORE OF THIS BREAD.
I must say it was awfully salty to hubby & me. I even used unsalted butter… Great easy to make loaf though, so I’ll definitely try again, but will use half the amount of salt.
Amazing! Turned out so good and nothing is better on a cold fall day then the smell of baking bread and a Halloween old time radio show. I added garlic, mozzarella cheese, chopped jalapeños and habaneros from the garden and it was fabulous. I’m quarantined and didn’t have baking powder or self rising flower so I found a substitution online using baking soda and lemon juice and it worked perfectly. Thank you!!
I love your additions MC!
Easiest bread recipe I’ve ever made. It turned out almost exactly as the picture. I added 1 cup of shredded old cheese to the batter. It turned out amazing. This will be on my regular rotation.
I’m so happy to hear that John!
I love the recipes that you make on here
Thank you Betty
Looks amazing. Don’t you think 4 tsp of baking powder is too much …?
This recipe has worked well for us as written. Enjoy!
Has anyone tried this with whole wheat flour?
I replaced half a cup all purpose with white whole wheat … A bit crumbly, but then again I can never wait for bread to cool.
I’m going to try this with a
Guinness dark.
Have you ever tried baking this bread in a dutch oven?
I haven’t tried this in a dutch oven. The dough is more of a batter than a dough so I’m not sure how it would hold up. Let us know how it goes!
What kind of beer do you recommend?
That will depend on your preferences Jennifer! Dark beer yields deeper flavors, while light beer makes for a lighter-tasting bread. I think both are great, so I just use whatever I have on hand!
Cant wait to make the beer bread! Looks so good. Thanks for sharing. Ginny
It’s so simple and delicious Ginny! You’ll love it :)
When using AP flour do you add the additional 1/2 salt on top of the salt that is already in the recipe? Or is the 1/2 salt the only salt you use when using AP flour?
The salt in the ingredients list is in addition to the salt listed in the notes if making your own self-rising flour.
Hi Holly, I made this yesterday and it was/is delicious. But I had problems with it breaking apart/crumbling when I cut it, long after it was cool. I followed the recipe exactly, though I had to make the self-rising flour. The only other slight change I made was to brush some butter on the top. I had seen that in another beer bread recipe. Any ideas? I want to make it again. Yum.
Hi Wendy, while we do recommend you mix the dough well, too much mixing may make it too dense and crumbly. Another reason it may be crumbly is too much flour in the recipe, you can check out our how to measure flour guide for more information on that. Hope that helps!