If you love rustic no-knead breads, traditional beer bread is one of the easiest homemade loaf recipes you can make.
With just a few pantry ingredients: flour, baking powder, honey, butter, and your favourite beer, you’ll have a warm, tender loaf with a crisp golden crust in under an hour.
Beer bread has been baked for centuries, but this version adds a modern twist by combining all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, and a sprinkle of oats on top for texture.
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History Of Bread Made With Beer
Beer bread traces back thousands of years to early civilizations where fermented grain beverages were a staple of everyday life.
Ancient Egyptians and Mesopotamians used beer in baking because it naturally contained yeast and carbonation, helping dough rise long before commercial yeast existed.
Over the centuries, beer bread became a quick, reliable bread for households across Europe and North America.
Today’s version is simpler, using baking powder for lift, but the idea is the same: pair hearty flour with beer for a wonderfully malty, tender loaf.
Why You’ll Love This Beer Bread
- Easy homemade bread: No yeast, no kneading, no rising
- Quick for last minute cravings: Ready in about 1 hour
- Incredible flavour from the beer: the style of beer you add to the bread gives it a distinctive taste.
- Perfect with soups, stews, chili, and cheese boards
Best Beer Styles For Quick Bread
Different beers will completely change the flavour and colour of your loaf. Here’s what works best:
- Pale ale has a balanced malt-to-hop flavour, mild bitterness, and the perfect amount of carbonation. It produces a golden loaf with subtle aroma and depth without overpowering the bread.
- Lager: Light, crisp flavour, great for neutral-tasting bread.
- Amber Ale: Sweeter and caramel-like, creates a richer loaf.
- Stout or Porter: For dark, deeply flavoured bread with notes of chocolate or coffee.
- Wheat Beer: Soft, smooth loaf with gentle citrus notes.
Beers that you’ll want to avoid when making bread include highly bitter IPAs (they make the bread taste harsh) as well as Sour Beers, which are too acidic.
How To Make Traditional Beer Bread
As the beer bakes, its carbonation and alcohol evaporate, creating lift and a beautifully tender crumb.
- Preheat your oven and grease your loaf pan.
- In a large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, baking powder, and kosher salt.
- Stir in the beer and honey until a thick batter forms.
- Transfer to the loaf pan.
- Brush the top with melted butter and sprinkle with oats.
- Bake until golden, crisp on top, and cooked through.
Tips for Making Bread With Beer
- Experiment with add-ins: Cheese, herbs, or garlic can enhance the flavour, but avoid overloading the batter, which may affect the rise.
- Choose your beer wisely: Lighter beers like lagers or blond ales yield a mild, slightly sweet loaf; darker beers such as stouts or porters give a rich, malty flavour. Hoppy IPAs add bitterness, so consider adding a touch of honey or sugar to balance.
- Don’t overmix: Stir the dry ingredients and beer just until combined. Overmixing can make the bread dense and tough.
- Use room-temperature beer: This helps the batter come together smoothly and encourages a better rise. Cold beer can slow the baking powder reaction.
- Grease your pan well: Butter works better than oil for flavour and helps create a golden crust. Brushing melted butter on top of the batter also gives a crisp, crackly surface.
- Let it cool before slicing: Allow the bread to rest for 10 minutes in the pan before transferring to a wire rack. Cutting too soon can make it crumbly or gummy.
Serving Suggestions
Beer bread is incredibly versatile. Serve warm buttered slices or use for sandwiches:
- Hearty soups like potato leek, tomato basil, or broccoli cheddar
- Stews and chilis, especially beef or vegetarian chili
- Cheese boards with sharp cheddar, gouda, or blue cheese
- Honey butter or garlic herb butter
- BBQ dishes like pulled pork or smoked brisket
- Brunch spreads like jam, peanut butter, crispy bacon, or scrambled eggs
Traditional beer bread is one of the easiest, most flavourful breads you can bake. With just a few simple ingredients, you get a warm, rustic loaf that pairs beautifully with everything from comfort-food soups to weekend brunch. And with pale ale as your go-to beer choice, you’ll get the perfect balance of flavour every time.
Beer Bread
Equipment
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- Bread Pan
- mixing bowl
- whisk
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour
- 1/2 cup Whole Wheat Flour
- 1 tbsp Baking Powder
- 1 tsp Kosher Salt
- 350 ml Pale Ale Beer
- 1/4 cup Honey
- 8 tbsp Butter melted and slightly cooled, divided
- 2 tsp Oats for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F. Grease a 9×5 loaf pan with nonstick spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk the flours, baking powder, and salt. Add the beer, honey, and 4 tbsp of melted butter and mix with a wooden spoon until well combined. The batter should be thick.
- Transfer batter to the prepared pan and smooth the top. Pour remaining of 4 tbsp melted butter over the top and sprinkle with oats.
- Bake until the bread is lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean, 45-50 minutes. Cool the bread in the pan set on a cooling rack for 10 minutes. Remove the bread from the pan, slice and serve warm. Store wrapped tightly at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to a week.
Nutrition
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