Classic Beer Bread

Recipe by PJ Hamel
66 Reviews 4.3 out of 5 stars

Raise your hand if beer bread was the first type of bread you learned to bake! This classic recipe, with its four simple ingredients, requires nothing more than a bowl, spoon, pan, and oven in the way of tools. Beloved of busy bakers everywhere, the bread is moist, nicely dense and chewy, perfect for toast and sandwiches.

Prep
3 mins
Bake
45 to 55 mins
Total
48 mins
Yield
one 9" x 5" loaf
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Classic Beer Bread

Instructions

Prevent your screen from going dark as you follow along.

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9" x 5" loaf pan.

  2. Mix the flour, sugar, 3 tablespoons of the melted butter, and the beer, stirring until fairly smooth; don't worry about a scattering of small lumps.

  3. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top. Drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon melted butter.

  4. Bake the bread for 45 to 50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted about 1/2" into the top of the loaf comes out clean, or with a few moist crumbs clinging to it.

  5. Remove the bread from the oven, and after 5 minutes turn it out onto a rack to cool.

  6. Wait until the bread cools completely before slicing. Store airtight at room temperature.

Tips from our Bakers

  • Why the large range of sugar? Because you can make this bread as sweet as you like. Using 1 tablespoon of sugar will yield a bread with a mere hint of sweetness; 4 tablespoons will make bread that's noticeably sweet = — though not so sweet you can't use it for sandwiches.
  • Can you make this bread with whole wheat flour? Yes, but it'll be denser. Here's our suggestion for a good compromise: substitute whole wheat flour for half the self-rising flour, adding 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt to the recipe.
  • Need a side dish really quickly? Pour the batter into 12 greased muffin cups, and enjoy mix and bake muffins in just 25 minutes or less! For muffins, fill the muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake until muffins spring back when pressed lightly in the middle, about 14 to 18 minutes; their tops will stay pale. Muffins are best enjoyed warm from the oven.

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