Beer Bread

Reviews

• "I have made this recipe hundreds of times...usually use self-rising flour, but I NEVER add any sugar, as I hate sweet tastes, and it always comes out wonderful, but has a definite beer taste. I have added various herbs at times, and have also added various cheeses. Cheddar (mild) is my fav. You also do not have to "pour butter" on top, or even add it to the mix. I don't add any oil, but I DO dot the top of the bread with pieces of butter. I do not sift the flour and it comes out fine, but I just spoon the flour into a measuring cup. The trick is, do NOT mix a lot, just lightly mix until you have pretty much coated all the flour in the bowl, but no more! Overmixing will give you a hard loaf. If you see a little bit of flour in the bowl, or when you put it in the pan, it is fine...do NOT overmix! I just "turn it" into a buttered loaf pan, and then I take the spoon and gently "push" the dough around to make sure it is evenly distributed, especially in the corners...do NOT make it completely level, or push down on it to spread evenly; just light pushing is all you need. It will look lumpy on top...that's better. Then just dot with butter, as much or as little as you want. I also cook it at 350, not 375...you can even use 325 if your oven seems to bake on the hot side. I usually cook it for an hour, but as soon as it is lightly browned on top, I take it out. Sometimes, that is after 55 min., sometimes 1 hour...don't cook longer than an hour, unless you have it on 325 and it is not browned at all. If it is lightly browned and when you push on the top with your finger it seems firm, take it out...1 hour should be sufficient. I let it sit in the pan for just a minute, then I turn it out, and let the loaf lay on it's side on some paper towels. You MUST let it cool, at least 20 minutes, or when you cut it, it will be a gummy mess! It should be cool enough to where you can comfortably hold the loaf with your hand while cutting...if it is too hot to hold, then it is not cool enough. I wait until it is slightly warm, and then cut it...when it is completely cooled, it is fine as well. As I mentioned, it does taste more like "beer" if you add no sugar, but you do not need it, or any sweetner at all...it will still come out just fine...children would probably like it with some sweetner. Good luck and enjoy! I make it every weekend, as it is quick, and I always have the ingredients on hand....Also, DON'T USE EXPIRED Self-Rising flour, or EXPIRED baking powder!!! I also use ROOM TEMPERATURE BEER, NOT REFRIGERATED! Open the beer, and then pour it into the flour right away, and just stir until coated, NO MORE...DO NOT OVERWORK, VERY IMPORTANT!!!!! Sifting the flour would probably help as well, but I don't...just remember, if you don't sift it, DO NOT PACK IT INTO THE MEASURING CUP! Just spoon it in lightly. Don't be afraid to experiment with different ingredients! Have fun with it!"

  By iamherenotthere on November 26, 2011 | 1268715

• "Just about the easiest bread I have ever made. It does not matter if the beer is warm or cold....just mix up and bake...almost fool proof. This bread is so delicious...crusty golden exterior with tender dense inside. This is a good hearty bread that goes well with soup! Thanks for a great recipe."

  By Linda B on March 21, 2004 | 94377

• "I used a bottle of Hoegaarden (11.2 fl oz, so I added a bit of water) to make this bread and it was AWESOME. A commenter mentioned putting a baking sheet under the loaf pan to catch the dripping butter and it was definitely necessary. The only substitution I made was using Splenda instead of sugar. My bread took precisely an hour."

  By in_a_morata on October 21, 2010 | 1156492

• "This was a simple recipe to throw together and it is exactly like the mixes I have tried. Slightly sweet, with a hint of bear flavor and a buttery crust! I used 4 Tbsp. of butter and it was plenty! I would like to make it with a darker beer next time just to test it out. Mine was fully baked in 52 minutes."

  By Mary_K on October 05, 2010 | 1151895

• "This recipe was extremely simple, and anyone could make it. My husband and I both really enjoyed this bread. I will be putting this recipe into my cookbook.
  
  I did cut the butter down to 1/4 cup, and I thought that it turned out beautifully. I also added a dash more of sugar because I am not a fan of the beer my husband drinks. It was delicious.
  
  I served this bread with chili and honey. It was a perfect combination! Thank you for a wonderful recipe!"

  By mrsb6510 on June 13, 2011 | 1226381

• "I have made this bread dozens of times with at least a half a dozen different beers and every single on is a hit. Honey ale and strawberry blond make great ligthly sweet breads guiness full stout is slightly bitter but very hearty and goes great with beef stew. This is the bread everyone wants me to bring to dinner and I've never had a miss. I do use the lesser amount of butter otherwise I follow this to a T."

  By Lealla on September 17, 2011 | 1251134

• "Easy to make. Springy, moist, flavorful bread w/ a great crust. I will definitely make it again, but will divide between two loaf pans next time, or make some in muffin tins, as butter overflowed in the oven and smoked a lot (splitting it will make more of that great crust!).
  I added shredded cheddar, minced pepperoni, garlic powder and oregano and overbaked a little to get a very brown crust. The cheese in the crust got crispy/chewy and was out of this world good.
  I sifted twice and the bread was very light."

  By Weewah on May 16, 2011 | 1218148

• "I have used many Beer Bread recipes over the years. This one is the BEST!! I also used just 1/4 c butter over the top. This realy makes all the difference in taste and appearance. Thanks!! Ingrid I make this all the time now. All other recipes have GONE! However as stated before use only 1/4c butter when using a loaf pan or you have a mess. I have also started using 1 packet quick rise yeast. We like the flavor of Budwiser Beer the best.I also use this to make a sweet version and use a can of fruit flavored soda. Have added chopped dried fruit too."

  By Koechin (Chef) on March 13, 2010 | 1068117

• "I made this bread this weekend to go with the beer cheese soup I made and it was wonderful! The crust is my favorite part- buttery and crunchy. The inside of the bread is surprisingly soft! I used all purpose whole grain flour and room-temp miller beer and baked for an hour. It's already gone and my family is asking me to bake another loaf tonight!"

  By FraDiavola on October 24, 2011 | 1260599

• "I love beer bread because it's so easy and quick. This recipe was perfect! I even substituted 1 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour because I ran out of regular flour and it turned out just as good. Thanks!"

  By Chef #718259 on January 08, 2011 | 1180258

• "Fantastic!
  I had ran out of yeast and was looking for a quick bread to make to accompany a pot of soup. This bread was amazing. And, the recipe could not be easier.
  The family and my guests ate a whole loaf for dinner last night and then I made one again this morning for brunch. We used a nutty Octoberfest beer and it was delish!
  Later in the week we plan on using a pumpkin beer and adding some cinnamon and sugar to the butter for a sweet bread.
  Thanks for the recipe. It's great."

  By mrs_white on October 17, 2010 | 1155603

• "I decreased the amount of sugar a little, but other than that I didn't change a thing. It was a hit with the entire family. YUM!!"

  By NurseAnita on July 19, 2010 | 1131285

• "This is most excellent bread. I've made it as is and it is wonderful. Last night I decreased the sugar about half, added 2 seeded & chopped jalapenos, 1 cup colby/jack cheese and 1 tblsp. of Southwest Chipotle seasoning (Tones) It was a terrific bread to go with the big pot of chili I served. Raves all around! Thanks, Gerald!"

  By jrtfan on December 29, 2008 | 774990

• "This bread really astounded me! I don't like to make any yeast breads because I'm just too darned impatient to let it rise and all that. I'll tell you, this bread was so ridiculously easy to make! Literally took like 3 minutes to whip up. The beer interacts with the baking powder and ends up creating a texture very similar to yeast breads. I loved the idea of pouring the 1/2 cup butter over the raw dough before baking as this really helped keep the crust from being rock hard. I love the almost sweetness in this bread! Was the absolute perfect companion to the "Meat Lovers Cheating Lasagna" I made for dinner. The almost sweetness went perfectly to counteract the savory flavor of the lasagna. My family gave this bread a rating of 10 stars. Wonderful! Thanks for posting this Gerald!"

  By -JL- on January 25, 2004 | 85774

• "Quick. Easy. Delicious. Need I say more? We had Miller Lite (yuck!) that a friend had left at our house. Since I knew we wouldn't drink it, I used it for this bread. Worked perfectly. I used white whole wheat flour and 1/4 cup butter on top. Yum. Yum. Yum. Have made several times since. Foolproof recipe."

  By Sisty Gin on January 12, 2012 | 1279231

• "Very tasty and easy to do! I used a bit less than 1/4 cup melted butter on top, a bit less than the 1/4 cup sugar, and added 1/4 cup molasses. It was a beautiful color and rather tasty. Next time, I may just use 1/2 cup molasses and no sugar. Also thinking of trying a Guiness (sp?) at some point. As I do consider myself to be a novice, I did run out and buy a sifter so I do not have the experience others may have had... the creation of beer bricks."

  By krhine1 on April 10, 2011 | 1209192

• "I've made this recipe at last a half dozen times. It's excellent. The bread is a little crumbly but it's not a problem. I strongly recommend you only use 1/4 cup of butter, as it is quite enough. This bread is great when you don't have the time to wait for a yeast bread and want to add homemade bread to the dinner."

  By Croce on March 31, 2011 | 1206161

• "One word.... awesome. Loved this recipe. Made this with chili for a group of friends, they loved it and thought I had slaved for hours. :)."

  By riley183 on October 18, 2010 | 1155812

• "Made it exactly per the recipe. Sifted the flour. Used a Mexican beer. I loved the buttery taste and I was suprised that I could actually taste the beer in the bread. Next time I will try with less butter and maybe some cheese. Saw another reviewer use seltzer water. Would like to see what that would be like. Excellent simple recipe!"

  By cmtaylor120 on September 23, 2010 | 1149186

• "Excellent! I used 2 cups of bread flour, 1 cup of white ww flour, sifted twice and only 2 TBS of melted butter. Baked for 50 minutes for a perfect loaf that my whole family loved! Thank you!"

  By chanceosunshine on September 08, 2010 | 1145404