Tender and lightly chewy, this fuss-free, one-bowl bread has the yeasty flavor of a risen loaf – and takes just 5 minutes to prep.
Every summer growing up, I went to camp in Maine. I made wonderful friends there, and several of those friendships are still going strong.
One winter, I got to visit my friend, Elliott, at her home in Kansas City. I remember details from that trip like it was yesterday.
While I was there, we made beer bread. I still have the index card with the original recipe, which called for self-rising flour. Over the years, I have adapted the recipe, swapping out the self-rise flour and incorporating an option for whole wheat flour.
The recipe is yeast-free and doesn’t call for kneading or rising, yet the fuss-free loaf is tasty. Plus, there’s something inherently satisfying about baking bread — even with a few shortcuts!
My family’s favorite way to enjoy a slice is toasted with a spread of strawberry jam. That said, beer bread is equally delicious with a bit of butter and served alongside soups, stews, and salads.
My kids have asked what would happen if I used root beer instead of regular beer. I go back and forth as to whether that might work (maybe with some raisins mixed in?) but haven’t tried.
It would be a fun experiment… If anyone beats me to it, please report back!
Note for those who require a gluten-free recipe: Breads are some of the most difficult recipes to replicate without reaching for a laundry list of alternate flours. Recently, however, I challenged myself to create a worthy loaf using the standard cup-for-cup flour replacement, and I was able to do it with one additional ingredient. The resulting loaf is a bit denser, but the crumb is good (not crumbly!), and it passed the test of several gluten-eating taste testers. See recipe notes for the modification.
Beer Bread (whole wheat or white)
Ingredients
- 1½ cups (190g) all-purpose flour
- 1½ cups (169g) whole wheat flour*
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2-4 tablespoons (24-48g) packed brown sugar (may substitute honey)
- 1 (12-ounce) can or bottle beer, room temperature**
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) warm water
- 2 tablespoons (28g) melted butter, optional***
- Optional mix-ins: cheddar cheese and a sprinkle of dill or Italian herb blend; cinnamon, raisins, and walnuts or sunflower seeds; chopped sun-dried tomatoes, olives and feta.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉ and grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, salt, and brown sugar. (If using honey, add with the beer and water.) Stir in add-ins, if using. (As a guideline, I use about a quarter cup of seeds, a third to a half cup of nuts, a half to a full cup of cheese, and/or one teaspoon of dried herbs.) Pour in the beer and water, and stir just until the flour mixture is all moistened. Spread the dough into the prepared loaf pan. (Tip: If time allows, let the batter sit for 15 to 20 minutes before baking. I find this slightly enhances the rise.)
- Bake in preheated oven for 50 to 55 minutes or until just cooked through. (Helpful hint: To perfectly gauge doneness, the internal temperature should read 200℉ when taken with a quick-read thermometer.)
- Remove from the oven and immediately drizzle the melted butter over the top, if using. Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then remove to a rack and cool completely.
- I love plain beer bread with a smear of butter and/or strawberry jam and toast the leftovers.
Notes
Recipe first posted May 23, 2012
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