Go Back
–+ servings

Easy Beer Bread

Heather Baird
This Easy Beer Bread is a simple, no-knead bread made with all-purpose flour, pantry staples, and your favorite beer. Cheddar cheese and chives give it an extra punch of savory flavor, perfect with soups and stews. I use dried chives for subtle flavor, but fresh chives can be used for a bolder, onion-y flavor. This bread is great for any meal, but especially St. Patrick’s Day or Oktoberfest feasts.
Pilsners and lagers tend to give the best results with yeasty, obvious beer flavor, but any beer will work. If you prefer a plain loaf, simply omit the cheddar and chives.
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Course Bread
Cuisine American
Servings 8

Equipment

  • 9x5 inch loaf pan
  • Cooking spray for the pan
  • Aluminum foil, optional

Ingredients
 
 

Bread

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour sifted
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese such as Kerrygold or Tillamook
  • 2 tablespoons chopped chives dried or fresh
  • 12 oz. beer 1 can
  • 1/2 cup salted butter melted

Optional toppings

  • 2 tablespoons shredded extra-sharp cheddar
  • 1/2 teaspoon chopped chives dried or fresh

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat a 9x5 inch loaf pan with cooking spray.
  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
  • Add the shredded cheddar and chives. Toss in the flour mixture to coat and disperse evenly.
  • Pour in the beer and mix with a rubber spatula until combined. The mixture will form a thick batter/dough.
  • Transfer the dough to the greased loaf pan. Pour the melted butter over dough in the pan. Immediately transfer to the preheated oven.
  • Bake for 1 hour or until the loaf is well risen and the center is set, with a craggy and golden top crust. (Or, for sticklers, check that it registers 190-200°F on an instant-read thermometer.)
  • Remove from the oven and sprinkle with additional cheese and chives, if desired. Tent with a small piece of foil to encourage the cheese to melt, remove after 5 minutes.
  • Let cool in the pan 10 minutes then turn out to a wire rack to cool completely.
  • Slice bread using sawing motions using a serrated knife. Serve with your favorite soups or stews, or enjoy slices alone with lots of salted butter.

Notes

  • Plain Loaf: For a classic loaf of beer bread, simply omit the cheese and chives. Bake time will still be about 1 hour.
  • Self-Rising Flour: Self-rising flour can be used in this recipe – omit the baking powder and salt if using self-rising flour.
  • Sugar Content: The sugar content in this bread can be reduced to 2 tablespoons, if desired.
  • Butter Integration: As written, pouring the butter before baking helps create the craggy crust. If you prefer a softer crust, you can mix the melted butter into the batter instead of pouring it on top. (I prefer the crusty crust for soups and stews.)
  • Butter Amount: Some reviewers reported that 1/4 cup of butter is plenty for dousing the batter in the pan, instead of using the full 1/2 cup. I prefer to use the full 1/2 cup for the richness and buttery flavor. But 1/4 cup will work if you’re conserving ingredients or trying to reduce fat content.
 
Credits: This recipe was adapted from a recipe on Food.com submitted by Gerald Norman. 
Keyword beer bread, chives, easy beer bread, extra-sharp cheddar, lager, pilsner
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!