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Easy Guinness Beer Bread has only 4 ingredients! It’s an easy no yeast bread that has the texture of bread thanks to the beer! This bread recipe is the perfect side dish for stew or soup.
Why I love Beer Bread
I may not like drinking beer, but I still like beer in my bread. Especially when it’s GUINNESS! Not only is it easy, but the texture is that of actual bread, even though this is an easy quick bread, no yeast – because of the beer!
Whenever I make soup or stew or salad, I always want a side of bread. This easy beer bread recipe has only 4 ingredients and comes together in minutes so it’s an easy side dish for any time of the year, especially if you’re making beef stew or corn beef and cabbage for St. Patrick’s Day.
4 Ingredient Bread
- Self-Rising Flour: this is crucial for the 4 ingredient label. Self-rising flour is flour with baking powder and salt added in. Don’t have it or can’t find it? Refer to my How to make Self-Rising Flour guide.
- Sugar: this is also needed. The bread isn’t sweet as it is, without it the bread would be bitter. A little sugar helps every recipe. Because I’m using Guinness, I used brown sugar. Granulated sugar or honey would also work.
- Butter: all good baking recipes need fat. This recipe has melted butter in the bread and on top (for flavor and color). You can also use oil or melted coconut oil, if you prefer.
- BEER: obviously. Guinness bread wouldn’t exist without adding beer! I love the flavor of Guinness in this, but use your favorite. The bubbles in the beer help the bread rise without yeast!
How to make Beer Bread
- Pan: you’ll want to use a loaf pan, either 8×4 or 9×5.
- Whisk self-rising flour and brown sugar until no lumps remain. Stir in beer and 3 tablespoons of the butter. Batter will be thick.
- Spread batter in prepared pan. Brush with remaining 1 tablespoon of butter.
- Bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Expert Tips
- What’s the best beer for beer bread? I don’t know what the best beer for beer bread is, but I’m going to give it a go and say that it’s Guinness. Guinness is a dark and rich beer, which gives the flavor of this bread a savory and rich taste. Regardless of what beer you use (because you can use any kind), this bread is easy to make and easy to eat.
- Store this bread wrapped well in plastic or in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to a month.
Variations
- Add 1 teaspoon dried herbs to the batter! I think this would be great with thyme or rosemary or Italian seasoning.
- Use honey, maple, or agave syrup in place of the brown sugar
- Add garlic to the batter: 2-3 cloves minced or 1/2 teaspoon powder.
- Add cheese: white cheddar cheese would be fantastic! Stir it in after adding the beer.
FAQs
No – the beer acts as the yeast for rising. Because this recipe uses self-rising flour, it is a real quick bread. You could probably make this into a sweet beer bread by using a lighter beer and more sugar (or honey) but using Guinness makes it perfectly savory and great with a nice slab of butter.
One thing that’s great about any beer bread recipe is that the alcohol cooks out; this is a kid-friendly side dish. The bread doesn’t taste like Guinness (remember, I don’t like drinking beer!) but it does lend a savory and rich flavor to the bread. It’s the main component, so even if you don’t want to make Guinness Beer Bread, use a beer you’re in love with. I’m especially interested to try a cider or one of the new flavored beers.
Freeze this stout bread wrapped well in plastic wrap. You can also freeze slices.
Easy Guinness Beer Bread
Ingredients
- 3 cups (372g) self-rising flour
- ¼ cup (50g) packed brown sugar
- 1 bottle 11.2 ounces/331 ml Guinness beer (or use any beer)
- ¼ cup (57g) butter, melted (divided)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 8×4-inch or 9×5-inch bead pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Whisk self-rising flour and brown sugar until no lumps remain. Stir in beer and 3 tablespoons of the butter. Batter will be thick.
- Spread batter in prepared pan. Brush with remaining 1 tablespoon of butter. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Serve warm or room temperature plain or with butter. Eat or freeze within 2 days.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
- Regardless of what beer you use (because you can use any kind), this bread is easy to make and easy to eat.
- Store this bread wrapped well in plastic or in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to a month.
Variations
- Add 1 teaspoon dried herbs to the batter! I think this would be great with thyme or rosemary or Italian seasoning.
- Use honey, maple, or agave syrup in place of the brown sugar
- Add garlic to the batter: 2-3 cloves minced or 1/2 teaspoon powder.
- Add cheese: white cheddar cheese would be fantastic! Stir it in after adding the beer.
Recipe Nutrition
What to eat with this bread:
- Serve warm or room temperature plain or with butter.
- We love eating this with soup or stew!
- Serve it with Potato Leek Soup or as a side dish to Crockpot Roast!
- This bread is a great side dish to Becky’s Beef Stew or Holly’s Shepherd’s Pie Soup!
I love how this bread turned out. The texture was great (I did sift the flour). I used a Sammy Adams Octoberfest beer. I like that the bread isn’t really sweet. It would be really good with some softened butter spread on the slices. Love it!
Yummy! Didn’t have self rising flour so I used the other provided recipe to make it and this turned out great! Making it again tomorrow for St.Patties Day!!
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