Beer Bread

I told you we were making beer bread to go with yesterday’s Guinness Beef Stew and here she is!  Soft and tender inside (like me), with a salty, golden-brown BUTTERY crust (also like me)…this is the perfect beer bread recipe!My mom used to make beer bread often when I was growing up and I could consume more than I’m proud to admit.  Her version came from Tastefully Simple, which was all the rage with moms back in my high school days.  I never actually knew you could make a homemade version until I got older…to me, beer bread had to come out of a box, where beer and butter was all that was needed to have a loaf of semi-homemade bread baking in your oven!

This beer bread recipe is super simple to whip up, with only 8 ingredients.  Technically, you could get by without the brown sugar and flaky sea salt, to make it a 5-ingredient recipe (excluding kosher salt), but I really like what they bring to the party.  Honey and brown sugar add sweetness to this bread; I like to use a wheat beer because it adds more yeasty flavor to the bread.  It never hurts when a recipe has a whole stick of butter stuffed into it too, right?  Two tablespoons are melted and folded into the batter, and the remaining six tablespoons are cut up and arranged on top, to melt and “fry” the outside of the bread.  That’s what gives it that perfect crisp, shaggy, golden crust that beer bread is known for.Is this on your St. Patty’s Day menu?!  If not, it should be!  Or just make it tonight for dinner…it might quickly become your new go-to side dish recipe for just about any meal!

Beer Bread

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5 from 1 review

• Author: Amanda
• Yield: one 9-inch loaf 1x

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Description

Buttery beer bread is complemented by honey and a yeasty wheat beer!  Crunchy crust and soft, tender interior…this quick bread is perfect to serve on the side with soups and stews.

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Ingredients

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• 3 cups (360 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• Big pinch of kosher salt
• One 12-ounce bottle beer*
• 1 stick butter, divided
• Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon, for sprinkling

*I like to use a wheat beer to add more yeasty flavor to the bread, but any pale ale or pilsner will also do.

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°.  Grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and place on a small baking sheet.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugars, and salt, and whisk to combine.  Melt the stick of butter in a small, microwave-safe bowl.  Once melted, add five tablespoons to the dry ingredients, reserving the remaining three tablespoons for the top. Toss to combine; it will look a little clumpy. *I like to toss the butter and dry ingredients together before adding the beer to prevent some of the gluten formation when the liquid is added. The fat coating the flour blocks some gluten formation when liquid is added and the ingredients are mixed. I’ve had too many dry, chewy beer breads!
3. Pour in the bottle of beer. Fold together gently with a spatula until just combined. Pour into the greased loaf pan, smoothing the top with the spatula.
4. Pour the remaining three tablespoons of butter over the top of the batter. Sprinkle the top with flaky sea salt.
5. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the top is light golden brown. Let cool slightly before turning out of the pan. Cut into slices with a serrated knife. Serve warm with softened butter and honey, if desired.

Notes

*This recipe was updated in December 2023 to remove the honey and replace with white and brown sugars and update the method. The URL still says “Honey Butter Beer Bread,” but it no longer contains honey in the batter.

• Category: Quick Breads, Bread-y Things