This beer bread recipe is sooo easy and so delicious, and only requires a few pantry staples. Since we’re all in lockdown here in NZ, I’ve coined the term ‘Lockdown Loaf’ – and it really is perfect in that sense. Stir the beer bread it up in one bowl – no kneading, no proving, no yeast needed. And if you need a gluten-free bread option, I’ve included that below the recipe.
Tips
- This bread isn’t light and fluffy like a bakery loaf – it’s dense and dare I say, ‘moist’. And that’s how it’s meant to be.
- For a reason I cannot understand, some people using Corona beer have produced a doughy, undercooked loaf. Go figure? In any case, don’t get too fancy here. Use the crappiest beer you have on hand – that awkward, long-forgotten bottle lurking forlornly the back of the fridge, probably leftover from some BYO you had 18 months ago, the one that could be expired and certainly no one will touch, not even your teenage son’s half-cut mates. That’s the beer you want.
- Check the expiry date on your baking powder.
- This beer bread bread is safe for kids and pregnant women, as the alcohol evaporates in the oven.
- If you can’t find beer, cider or plain soda water works – or a dry, not-too-sweet ginger beer or kombucha (omit the sugar if using these as they are already sweet). Lemonade would be too sweet.
- People have had success with using half wholemeal flour in their beer bread, too.
- Once it’s cooled down, it’s amazing toasted – we have it with peanut butter, Marmite or vegemite, avocado and tomato, hummus and basil – the list goes on! It’s highly addictive, I’ll warn you now.
- Get an oven thermometer and check your oven isn’t running cool if your loaf is undercooked.
- Don’t forget to share your creations with me on Facebook and Instagram, it brings me so much joy to see my recipes popping up in kitchens all over the place.
.
Ingredients
Bread
3 cups plain flour (or use self-raising and omit the baking powder)
3 tsp baking powder
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
375ml beer (or make up the extra with water)
Toppings
Finely chopped onion or red onion
Grated cheese or dairy-free cheese
Sprinkle of paprika and/or oregano
Salt and pepper
Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Some other ideas (not all together, though!): olives, capers, Parmesan , chopped sun-dried tomatoes, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, cumin seeds, coriander seed
Method
Preheat the oven to 180c regular bake and line a small/medium loaf tin with baking paper.
Add the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt to a large mixing bowl. Stir to combine.
Pour in the beer/water and stir again to combine into a sticky dough. Scrape in to the prepared tin with a spatula and smooth out.
Sprinkle with the toppings you like and drizzle with olive oil.
Bake in the oven for 40 minutes – it will have risen and puffed up and be all golden and delicious looking.
Serve hot or warm with any toppings you like – it’s awesome plain with butter, and I like Vegemite and Marmite too!
Once it’s cooled down it’s amaaazing toasted.
Keep at room temperature in a bag or container. It’s not gonna last long, though, I warn you now!
For gluten-free beer bread
Naturally, you’ll need to use a gluten-free flour mix without raising agent added.
For best results, I like to also add either 2 tbsp of either psyllium husk powder, or ground chia seeds. Adding one of these helps give the loaf that chewier, springier, bread-like texture that’s normally missing with gluten-free bread (which can be quite chalky.) This isn’t essential, though.
But if you are using one of these, you’ll need to add an extra 3 tbsp of water.
Then after mixing the dough, it’s helpful to let it rest for 10 minutes in the tin before it goes into to oven, to let the chia or husks swell up do their thing.
You’ll also need to use a GF beer. If you can’t find one, soda water works – or a dry, not-too-sweet ginger beer or kombucha (omit the sugar if using these as they are already sweet). Lemonade would be too sweet.
You can get psyllium husk powder at the supermarket – well, usually anyway! It’s very high in fibre so drink an extra glass of water when you enjoy a slice of the bread to be kind to your tummy.
If you have whole chia seeds at home, you can grind them in a mortar and pestle, coffee grinder, high speed blender or bullet to make a powder.
For a sweet loaf
You can use lemonade for a sweet loaf – it’s lovely smeared with butter or dairy-free spread or unflavoured coconut oil – topped with jam or honey!
Just made this morning.!eating with homemade apricot and rosemary ham and another with cheese and guava jelly. Omg. Delicious!!
Apparently Corona beer is naturally gluten free which might be why it doesn’t work as well?
Hi, just wondering if anyone has put sultanas in the mix, not as a topping?
Can’t seem to get a fruit loaf from the supermarkets and hubby is struggling without his morning fruit toast ????
Hi there,
Love your work. Any comment re using ginger beer?
It should work! x
Wow Chelsea! This is so easy and delicious…
Thankyou for your awesome recipies and inspiration
Kia kaha
Loved this recipe. My first time making bread, it was delicious and turned out perfect! Used old beer from the back of the pantry. Fun activity with my 2 year old, she loved making and eating it. Sent a photo of it to my mum and she wanted the recipe too.
Hi Chelsea, Can you use dark beer? I am on lockdown here in Uganda and keen to try but only have Eagle Dark (local beer of champions) to work with.
Would it work with 0% citrus beer? ????
Yes it should x
I used up my expired beer and put pumpkin seeds on top and it was delicious.
I had expired beer so I used it up and put pumpkin seeds on top and it was delicious.
I made this today using some homebrew and it’s absolutely delicious and so simple to make! For the topping, I used fresh rosemary, sesame seeds and cheese. We had a slice out of the oven with butter, it was so good! I then made toasted sandwiches for lunch using lockdown loaf instead of bread.
Hi Chelsea, ???? your work !
I’m a big fan & have all your books.
Have made the Beer bread recipe yonks ago but had forgotten about.
Can you please tell me which book it was in please. I can’t find it ????
Keep up the great work & stay safe.
????????
This recipe is in Supergood x
Hi Chelsea , what happens if u only have spelt flour or rice flour? Can you make bread with these?
I think Spelt flour would work fine, might be a touch more dense though.
I made this today for lunch to go with my chicken soup. My husband was incredulous that I was using his Soeights! He loved the results. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for this great recipe. I made my second loaf today. This time I added a packet of Pumpkin Cup a Soup mixed in to the bread dough. Saved some to sprinkle on top with grated cheese. It was delicious.
Great thanks
My Grandson making pizza for lunch
I made this today in Sydney on my 13th day of Isolation after a glorious holiday and wedding in NZ. It was absolutely delicious. I caressed the top with a spicy chili jam number and lightly sprinkled a challenging parmesan atop.
Can you just use water if you dont have beer? Should have got some before lockdown ????
Nope, it needs to be fizzy water or soda water.
Sorry – just so I am clear, I can replace the beer with either sparkling water or soda water?
Yes, you can use fizzy water, soda water, or sprite x
I used Asahi beer, plus 50ml water. Grated cheese, brown onion, origami& smoked paprika for topping – Delicious! Thanks Chelsea :)
I’m 69 and in solo lockdown. Haven’t baked since childhood.
Made this today without sugar but with alcoholic ginger beer (all I could find).
It has turned out really well, even in a plastic loaf tin. Toasts extremely well.
Good recipe.
Did it have a nice gingery taste… imagine cranberries and walnuts in it
Absolutely delicious beer bread. Had it warm with bread & butter pickles & cheese.Next day toasted for brekkie, with butter & jam.
Thanks Chelsea
Thanks for the recipe! A friend shared it on Facebook this morning, just as I was down to the two last crusts and looking for a recipe. I made it with water (no beer in the fridge), lactose free cheese and spring onions. It smelt wonderful as it was cooking and within minutes of it coming out of the oven I was munching a hot, delicious piece of bread. I might need to make some soup tomorrow to try with it for lunch – if there’s any left by then. This will become one of my regular recipes.
Speights creates a dense, gooey, soggy, flat and not nice loaf also.
Speights works fine – perhaps your baking powder was expired?
Awesome recipe made it the other day. Could you possibly use a cider? We have issacs low sugar cider which is just collecting dust. Would that work?
(Due to flour being so hard to get would make it but can’t waste flour if it doesn’t work).
Thanks and stay safe.
yes, it should work x
I made this today with some added cheese, pumpkin and sunflower seeds.Fantastic!
Corona beer is not make with hops. That is why it is not working.
Hi there. What size loaf tin do you use for this bread?
Thanks
A small to medium one.
Brilliant so easy used smoked paprika red onions Colby cheese and LION RED
Feedback from my 5 year old who is currently eating it fresh from the oven with butter on it.. “That lady made the recipe really yum!”
Just made this bread – I had a 330ml bottle of Mac Gold beer but didn’t add anymore because the mixture was very wet – like a cake batter so I was a bit worried it wouldn’t turn out, but cooked for 40 mins and a lovely smell infused the house, bread came out looking great and tastes yeasty and delicious with a soft middle and crunchy outside. So easy!!
Thanks for this recipe. It’s definately on my list to make this coming week gluten free. You are wonderful Chelsea. ????
Will make as per recipe this time; but, I’d be tempted to mix some of the toppings into the dough. What do you think?
Hi Chelsea, I’d love to try this but my oven doesn’t have a regular bake setting – only fan bake. Can I just lower the temperature? Thanks
Yes, lower by 10 degrees x
This recipe is a miracle for us all needing to be in lock down!
Thank you Chelsea, day 3 and beautiful toasted, I used finely chopped brown onion and grated cheese for my topping.
Stay well
Toni
Wow. Looking forward to trying the gf version of your lockdown loaf. Thank you Chelsea.
resident scientist says Corona has glycol in it, which other beers don’t. (He doesn’t drink it for that reason)
How interesting!!
Im very keen to make this but my son is coeliac so for anyone else like me – you can’t use just “any old beer”as beer has gluten in it (corona beer is arguably gluten free but apparently doesn’t work well in this recipe? Intriguing) ) if you are lucky enough to find the very expensive Gluten free beer great! Can I use sparkling water instead? Or is Soda water different? Thanks Chelsea
Yes, you can use soda water – and apparently some people have had success with Corona!
It actually has Propylene Glycol Alginate (PGA). Which is perfectly safe to eat/drink.
We’ve made this for decades, brilliant. Also made with zero alcohol beer and it works fine. We had some disgusting tasting beer left after a party and rather than throw it out made a loaf of beer bread. Yum.
Can you use non-alcohol beer?
yes x
Can you substitute baking soda?
Anyone use tonic water instead of beer?
Made this bread today. So easy and tastes dam good. Thank you for sharing this recipe
Just made our first one… tasty cheese and smokey paprika on the top!
wow so cool!
Just made it, it’s yummy, thanks for the idea.
Take care.
Wow it’s amazing am going to make one this afternoon, your a legend. Stay safe you and your lovely family.
Hey Chelsea, can i use GF self raising flour as thats all i have??
Yep but omit baking powder!
How can you make the sundried tomatoes not burn?
Thank you Chelsea- very tasty, I added cooked bacon an onion to bread mix, a bit of cumin an paprika with lashing of cheese on top!!! Diet begins @ Level 0!!!
Thank you for including the gluten free recipe! Will make some today! Need Dairy free too so your toppings are awesome!
I am going bake this today Chelsea was waiting for the recipe to pop up hope the lockdown is going perfectly for u and whanau take care
Hi Chelsea – for the sweet loaf should you simply substitute the same amount of lemonade for beer and keep everything else the same? For toppings could you add brown sugar, raisins and dates? Or would you leave it plain and just add jam / honey as a spread as you suggested. Thanks!
Thank you for your recipes!
Can’t wait to try your Lockdown Loaf ????
That sounds absolutely delicious and so easy to make. Am definitely going to give it a go. Thanks for sharing your recipe with everyone.
Wow thanks Chelsea – will make this for tomorrow’s lunch ????
That sounds so nice, I’m going to give it a go
Made this this morning and it was delicious! I had oodles of spelt flour so used this in conjunction with the BP and 1tbsp psyllium husk and it worked out a treat. Thank you!
I am going to make this now. No beer but I have fizzy water and plenty of flour and loads of things to throw on top. Should break up the isolation boredom.
I’m sorry but I gotta know, how did this turn out?
It will work with fizzy water, or lemonade too! x
OMG perfect!! Two minutes ago I got my bread maker out but have no milk powder or yeast … then saw this!! On it stat!