Classic Beer Bread

I’ve tried baking all different kinds of breads over the years, but the recipe I return to again and again is this simple and easy beer bread. It’s a one-bowl, quick bread recipe that requires no yeast or kneading and just 5 ingredients that you probably have in your pantry already. Even better, it only takes one hour from start to finish to make! This beer bread is great as a side to serve with all your soups this fall, a last minute potluck dish, or fancy it up with some tasty compound herb or honey butter to take along to Thanksgiving dinner. 

I have this recipe written out and taped to the inside of my kitchen cabinet, that’s how often I use it! I hope you give it a try this season and enjoy it too!

What type of beer to use?

I’m from Pennsylvania, so my go-to is Yuengling. It’s a nice, well-balanced medium-bodied lager with malty and hoppy flavors that works really well for beer bread. Many people choose a light or medium beer with a mild flavor, but you can experiment with whatever you have on hand! The alcohol will evaporate during the baking process but the flavor will remain, so keep that in mind while choosing your brew. 

Stevie’s Classic Beer Bread Recipe

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour 

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons sugar 

5 tablespoons melted butter 

12oz beer of your choice


Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375° F

  2. Combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Whisk until well combined. 

  3. Create a well in the center and pour in melted butter and beer. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to mix until well combined. 

  4. Scoop batter into a greased loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Notes: I typically use all-purpose unbleached flour or white whole wheat flour. If you use whole wheat flour, I suggest increasing the melted butter to 6 tablespoons to prevent your bread from being too dry. For sugar, I’ve used white, brown and coconut with good results. I prefer using salted butter but unsalted works just as well. 

RecipesStevie StorckMidseason JournalComment