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.
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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!
The reason for the Corona beer coming out different is quite likely because Coronas are 355ml instead of the usual 330ml.
Hi Chelsea,
I was just wondering how long the loaf will keep for, and if you can freeze it? Thanks heaps :)
It keeps for about 5 days in a sealed container (might be better toasted by the 5th day). Yes, this loaf freezes well. A tip would be to slice it before freezing x
This is an awesome loaf, has become a family favourite.
I followed your advice and swapped the beer for tonic water and the flavour was great!
So quick n easy! I sprinkled sliced olives, garlic n herb salt, and small handful of grated parmesan, and used olive oil spray. Delish!!!!
I made this last lockdown & had a can of beer still in fridge so I made again, so delicious and so easy to make, I put grated cheese & grated pumpkin ???? on top with sprinkle of paprika & cummin on top, delicious.
Have been meaning to make this since last year’s level 4 lockdown and finally did today- it was a hit! For the sweet loaf with lemonade, do we still need salt? And any suggestions for toppings or make it plain?
Can you freeze this effectively – it’sgf version?
yes :-) you could slice and freeze x
Tried this recipe for the first time this lockdown and it was delicious. My husband really enjoyed it and it only lasted the 1 day.
I just wonder if anyone can tell me, is it supposed to be quite crumbly?
And if not, what might be causing it to crumble so much?
Lockdown round 2 has been a great opportunity to revisit this delicious recipe. I’m very much looking forward to eating it for lunch … if I can last that long!
Instead of making a loaf I treated the dough as a wet scone dough, I mixed in chopped olives, chopped grilled capsicum, mushrooms, chopped red onion and leftover potato bake into dough. Then I spread the dough out, sprinkled grated (for me dairy free) cheddar on top. cooked it for 10 minutes at 220°C then cut into the shapes I wanted. I then cooked it for another 10 minute ish until it was cooked.
Have just made this today. It is so easy. It is also tastes amazing! I put a combination of dark beer and a lager in. I also added a teaspoon of mild curry powder. Too good!
I’ve just made a successful gluten-free version with out-of-date tonic water.
I chopped and fried some onions until they were just turning brown and stirred them and some grated parmesan into the mix and topped with paprika and more parmesan.
Went really well with our soup for lunch. Can’t comment on toast as it didn’t last long enough. ????
Brilliant recipe, thanks – one of the best gluten-free loaves I’ve made.
Dear Chelsea, I love this loaf, I usually add some toasted seeds too. What could I be doing wrong when it is a bit crumbly as it makes it harder to slice?
Thank you for your comment. Are you ensuring that all of the liquid is measured? You need more than a regular can of beer x
Hi Chelsea – I’m a bit late in joining the Lockdown Loaf party. Need to make the GF version and wondered if quinoa would substitute ok for the psyllium/chia seed?
Thanks
Hi Chelsea
Just cooked it fir the first time it has risen really well but has cracked open on the top. Have I done something wrong?
In your photo yours doesn’t seem to have cracked. If it had it isn’t as bad as mine. ????
Oh my god I have this in the oven right now. It smells AMAZING ????
We love this recipe. I add Italian herbs & cracked pepper to the dough & it gives it even more flavor.
Awesome, made this yesterday. I didn’t have any sugar so used 1 tsp of honey.
I cut the mix in half and put half in the fridge for today.
Cooked it in the Air Fryer sitting on tin foil
150c /30min turned upside down for a further 150c /15min ( 1/2 the mix remember)
Todays cook was even better than yesterday’s ????
Made thiis with a bottle of berry rekorderlig cider left over from last summer – delish!
Could you add turmeric
Try adding 2 heaped tsp of cinnamon and 1 heaped tsp of mixed spice And once mixed add 1 cup of raisins.
Makes a wonderful spicy fruit loaf.
Leave in oven for a couple of minutes extra.
Made this during lockdown with beer but not too keen on the beer flavour. Otherwise it was really great toasted. Will this recipe work with Sprite Zero?
yes it would! x
Hi there and thanks for sharing the recipe. It looks delicious. Can this be frozen for a period of time?
Yes, wrap it really well and store in the freezer for up to a month x
This bread is delicious. Going to be a regular in our house. Cheese, sundries tomatoes, sunflower seeds…yum.
Thank you, Chelsea.
Just wondering if guiness would work and if anyone has tried it?
Best recipe ever! I make mine into a pull apart bread!(just take 5mins off the cooking time) Garlic, sweet chili, bacon and cheese! Sooo gud!
Hi Chelsea I just made a loaf, just plain, but I had to put it back in the oven for another 5 minutes as the centre wasn’t cooked, the oven temperature you have is’180c regular bake’ is that Fan bake?
Regular bake isn’t fan bake. It might be worth getting an oven thermometer to check the temperature your oven is running at x
I made this bread today, put half the mixture in the loaf tin then added a layer of chutney with the rest of the batter on top and covered in grated cheese. Yummy so thank you for the receipe.
Would expired stout work? How expired can it be? Husband has found some really expired beer!!
yes, it should be fine x
Yummers!!! Doing another in the morning. Best thing to do with beer anyway :-)
Hi Chelsea, I’ve just been put onto this yummy looking recipe, can I add linseeds through it?
Yes, although linseeds soak up liquid as they cook, so not too many x
Hi Chelsea
Made this Bread today – only changed the flour to include 1 cup wholemeal and left out the sugar (oops – too late), various nuts, salt and spices for the topping. The bear I had was some old stuff in beer fridge in garage and yes almost due to expire at end of the month – Speights -Gold Medal Ale. Taste test perfect and doesn’t look dense Thanks for great recipe.
Just bloody beautiful and so easy peasy!
My 6year old grandson loves it – not sure if it’s because he knows it has beer in it (like grown ups have) or because he loves the taste – either way I have to stop him from eating it so others get a taste. I make 2x loaves each time now. Thank you from Brisbane, Australia ????????
Thank you for an easy delicious recipe!! We’ve used soda water instead as made this over and over. Favourite topping is homemade everything bagel seasoning. Would you have any tips to prevent the top from cracking open please Thank you!
Such an easy recipe that turns out so well! I used some of a 1.5l of ginger ale (out of beer :( ) and omitted sugar, with just grated cheese on top. Rose beautifully & looks just like the pic. Amazing with just butter when hot out of the oven. Tasty toasted next day too. Definitely one for the recipe book!
baking soda and lemon juice worked well as did my last Speights gold
still can’t get baking powder but i did get cream of tarter to go with the baking soda so am about to make a loaf with ginger ale
This recipe is a favourite here! From nothing to beautiful bread in less than 50 minutes!!!! If you dont have baking powder…. double the sugar and add 1.5tsp cream of tartar and 3/4 tsp baking soda…. the sugar cuts out the soda taste! Happy baking x
Amazing recipe Chelsea. Have made it many times now and so easy. Have used GingerBeer, Soda water and beer and virtually fool proof, can’t go wrong. Always top with mozzarella and cheddar with a sprinkle of olive oil. Excellent recipe.
I’ve been making this with lemonade and adding some cinnamon & sultanas (soaked for 10min in boiling water). Makes an excellent alternative to store brought fruit loaf for toast in the morning! Very easy to make!
will pale ale work?
We have some tuatara pale ale that no one likes.
yes!
Worked with very old Soda water, with only half it’s bubbles, Gf baking mix and rice flour to make up the 3 cups. Put bacon and tasty cheese on top. Was delicious!! Thank you so much.
Just made the bread – so easy and so yum! I drizzled with garlic infused extra virgin olive oil, cheese, red onion & seeds on top. Just wondering when you say it doesn’t last long would it be ok 2-3 days?
I haven’t made anything in 16yrs of marriage and my wife was blown away with this bread, many thanks to you. ????
Omg this is amazing! I used self raising flour and ginger beer (with a little soda water to make up the liquid amount). Sprinkled with chopped red onion and grated parmeson cheese. I don’t have a loaf tin so I used a ceramic? baking dish and baked for an extra 5 minutes. Delicious!
Made this today after a work colleague bragged about there’s. Worked amazing, both kids and hubby enjoyed, only small end left hopefully for breakfast.
We had a bread shortage in Southland more than 40 years ago so Beer bread was the go-to option. Lovely to see it having a revival.
can you use somersby apple cider? its the only thing i got
Yes, it will work x
Love this recipe! Super easy for a truly yummy bread! Grated some Parmesan for the topping but I forgot the olive oil. Still turned out delicious!
Many thanks for sharing ????