Table of Contents
❤️ Why you'll love it
- This simple bread recipe can be adapted easily by adding in herbs, cheese, garlic, or even chilies!
- There’s no kneading of the bread dough required for this, making it an incredibly easy recipe - a truly no-fail bread, even for beginners. AND easy cleanup!
- It’s a great way to use up any leftover bottle of beer in the refrigerator, adding rich flavor to this delicious bread. You can also use any beer you like!
No knead beer bread is chewy, crusty, and slightly sweet - There's not a lot of beer flavor, really. The flavor depends on the beer you use.
It's got the wholesome, nutty flavor of whole wheat in the easiest loaf of yeast bread you ever made. It's at its best warm from the oven and oozing with butter!
🥫 Storage
Store your fresh bread in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days.
Beer batter bread can also be frozen for up to 3 months by wrapping it in plastic wrap and aluminum foil, once fully cooled.
📖 Variations
- For a cheesy beer bread, add ¾ cup shredded sharp Cheddar or Pepper Jack cheese.
- For a herb beer bread, add ¼ cup chopped rosemary to the batter and brush the top of the batter with olive oil prior to baking. Alternatively, you could add 1 ½ teaspoons Italian herb blend - delicious when served with minestrone!
- For a Mexican-inspired beer bread, add ¾ cup shredded Cheddar and ¼ cup chopped chiles or sliced jalapeno.
- For a more aromatic beer bread, add 2 Tablespoons minced garlic to the beer batter.
- I love using whole wheat flour in this beer bread but you could opt to only use all-purpose flour instead. If you do only use all-purpose flour, use white sugar instead of brown.
- Consider using microbrew beers like a rich pumpkin beer for a seasonal Fall treat!
💭 Tips
Expert Tip: Dark beer adds greater depth of flavor to the bread so try different beers to see what you enjoy the most.
- When using a light beer like a pale ale or when only using all-purpose flour, switch from brown sugar to white sugar (or even honey).
- Slicing your beer bread prior to freezer storage means that you get to remove the exact amount desired without having to thaw an entire loaf.
- When using sweeter beers, use less sugar in the recipe. The opposite applies when using bitter beers.
- Try to wait to slice your beer bread once cooled on a wire rack as you’ll end up with a nicer looking slice of bread that will cut easier too.
👩🍳 FAQs
It's a slightly sweet and rich-flavored bread thanks to the use of brown sugar and darker beer (I usually enjoy using stout beer for this recipe). The texture isn't as smooth as a kneaded bread but it's not crumbly like soda bread, so a good medium!
You can honestly use any type of beer that you have on hand but if you intentionally purchase beer for this bread then consider using Shiner Bock or Oktoberfest. Stella Artois is more readily available and also works well.
An equal amount of real ginger ale can be used instead of beer if you don't enjoy cooking or baking with alcohol or beer specifically. You could also use non-alcoholic beer.
The dry yeast requires warm liquids to activate which is why the recipe calls for warm water as well as warm beer. It's ideal to have the beer a little warmer than room temperature.
Yes you can. Substitute 1 tablespoon baking powder for the yeast and bake immediately according the the instructions.
No, use whatever you have. I prefer glass but it's a personal choice.
More questions about yeast and bread baking? Here's a bread FAQ sheet you might find helpful.
📚 Related recipes
If you love more traditional bread recipes that produce billowy loaves then you need to try my Buttermilk Bread!
I’ve often used this homemade beer bread recipe for sandwiches or even appetizers but you could also use Soft Multigrain Sandwich Bread or No Knead Sandwich Bread instead.
This cinnamon raisin bread is made right in a slow cooker!
🍽️ Serve with...
This simple bread recipe is the absolute best when served warm with some butter as an enjoyable snack.
It also pairs beautifully with a favorite bowl of soup, stews, and chili recipes!
📞 The last word
I have quite a bit of beer left from when all of the kids were home for Christmas. I like beer and I'll drink one now and then but not often enough to make it worth buying unless someone is here that drinks it, too.
I can drink a glass of wine by myself but beer is one of those things I tend to drink when everyone else is having one. I can tell you that I have enough beer in the back refrigerator to last me until they come home again.
Anyway, I had been wanting to make a batter bread and, since I had the beer and some whole wheat flour left over, I decided that those would be the main ingredients.
One quick note -- the dark patches in the slices in the picture are a result of me cutting the bread while it was still warm because... warm bread, duh!
The actual texture is much less coarse if you wait until it has cooled... yeah right.
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need. Don't forget that you can click on "add to collection" to save it to your own, private recipe box!
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Beer Bread Recipe
Print Pin Recipe SaveIngredients
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 tablespoons yeast
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar, or more to taste
- ¼ cup warm water
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ¼ cups warm beer
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Instructions
- Mix the all-purpose and whole wheat flours.
- Set aside.
- Mix the yeast, brown sugar, and water.
- Set aside until bubbly.
- Add the beer and one cup of the flour mixture to the yeast mixture.
- Blend well with a wooden spoon.
- Add the remaining flour and the salt and stir until the mixture is uniformly wet and "goopy".
- You should have a very soft, goopy dough. Yes. I said goopy.
- Spoon the dough into a greased loaf pan.
- Set aside in a warm place until the batter has risen to the top of the pan. This may take 30 to 45 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 425F
- Bake for 20 minutes or so. Loaf will sound hollow when tapped.
- Cool in pans for 5 minutes then turn out to finish cooling.
For Quick Bread
- Use all-purpose flour instead of bread flour.
- Substitute 1 tablespoon of baking powder for the yeast and add it with the first cup of flour - omit the water.
- Mix as directed above.
- Bake immediately.
Notes
- Add ¾ cup shredded sharp Cheddar or Pepper Jack cheese
- Add ¼ cup chopped rosemary to the batter and brush the top with olive oil before baking
- 2 Tablespoons minced garlic can be added
- 1 ½ teaspoons Italian herb blend is especially good when you'll be serving it with minestrone
- ¾ cup shredded Cheddar and ¼ cup chopped chiles or jalapeno
- If you are using a sweeter beer then cut down on the sugar a bit or if you are using a bitter brew you might want to add a little more.
- Make sure your beer is a little warmer than room temperature - unless you live in Texas and your room temperature is 110F. Don't boil it but let it get at least room temperature if it's been refrigerated.
- Experiment with the seasonal and microbrewed beers in your area. A pumpkin beer is really good with the whole wheat flour - very rustic.
- Batter bread only rises once and you don't let it rise over the tops of the pans because the batter is so loose that it would goop up your oven floor. This really is a "quick" yeast bread -- I think you'll like it.
- If you can wait until it cools to cut a slice please do. The slice will look nicer, cut better, and basically act like a slice of bread. However, if you're anything like me you're not going to wait so at least let it cool a couple of minutes.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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You'll need the following items to make this recipe successfully.
- Glass Bread Pans
- Mixing Bowls
- Wooden Spoon
First Published February 11, 2016. Last updated January 7, 2022 for readability.
Natalie Dean
Full disclosure, I haven't made this recipe but couldn't ask a question without giving it a starred rating (I'll easily assume it's a 5-star recipe ;-)).
I tend to drink hoppy IPA's, sometimes DIPA's; with that said, should I adjust any of the ingredients (type of flour, sugar, etc.) considering my beer choice?
Thanks!!
~Natalie
Marye
Actually you can add a comment without leaving a star rating. I think you'll be fine whatever beer you use.
Pam S
For the yeasted bread, the recipe calls for AP and wheat flours. But in the quick bead instructions it states to "use all purpose flour instead of BREAD flour". My question: should the yeast version use bread flour instead of AP?
Marye
Either is fine in the yeast bread.
Denise Powell
As always your recipes never disappoint. I love your yeast bread recipes the best but your dinner recipes are fantastic as well. I’ve spread your name and website all over mid-Missouri now. Even my daughter who professes not to like to cook has been converted by your recipes! Thank you for all the joy you’ve given me.
June
Have made this two times - the version without yeast. So quick to make and has great texture. I used Guiness Stout. After testing how things were looking, both times I put in the entire bottle. Second time added some ground flax seeds and oregano. Only had whole wheat pastry flour. Thank you for this recipe!
June
Oh and I forgot the salt the first time - big mistake.
Suzy Morrison
Quick question. Can this bread be made in a bread maker?
Marye
I've never tried - but since it's a no knead bread I'd guess no?
Lacey Green
This was AMAZING! I loved the beer bread and it paired marvelously with my dinner plans tonight of lentil soup.
I had to hide the other 1/2 is the loaf from my kids so it wouldn’t get all eaten up before my husband came home from work.
Marye
YAY! I am so glad you like it!