* Updated from the archives

Homemade bread is one of life’s simple pleasures. The enticing aroma while it’s baking, the unbeatable warmth of a fresh loaf, and the way butter (or peanut butter) melts on a warm slice. Let’s keep it simple – no need for yeast, dough starters or bread machines. This is one of the easiest and cheapest breads you can make and also my personal favorite. I recommend using a medium beer (such as Yuengling) but you won’t be able to taste it much in the end product anyways. The edges of this bread turn out so crispy that you’ll need to bite carefully so you don’t puncture the roof of your mouth. This basic recipe begs for add-ins, check out some suggestions. Shortly I’ll be sharing my new favorite use for this bread…

Ingredients:Print

3 cups whole wheat flour (or WW pastry flour or spelt flour*)
1 cup extras (see suggestions, optional)
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 (12oz) bottle beer (Yuengling, or any other)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375. Add all dry ingredients to a large bowl, making sure to lightly spoon the flour into measuring cups to avoid using too much. Whisk together all the dry ingredients.

2. Lightly grease a 9 x 5 bread pan with butter or cooking spray. Pour beer into the dry mixture and stir to with a wooden spoon. Use your hands to mix once it becomes difficult just until all ingredients are combined. Transfer dough to your bread pan and press down gently so it spreads out evenly. Bake for 1 hour. Let sit for 5 minutes in the pan.

3. Slice thin and spread on butter or crunchy peanut butter. It’s the perfect side to a bowl of Peanut Butter Chili or Peanut Butter Chicken & Vegetable Soup. Leftover bread will stay good for a week, but toast it first to restore the crispiness. You can also freeze the loaf for several weeks.

Suggested Additions

– [cheddar] (delicious)
– [cheddar and chive]*
– [cheddar, cilantro and chili powder]*
– [raisins and chopped walnuts]*
– [dried cranberries and sunflower seeds]*
– [sunflower, pumpkin and flax seeds]*

* Untested, but let me know your results!

Filed in Bakery, Peanut Butterless, Side Dish, Vegetarian

67 Responses / Leave a comment »

  1. erinbee. says:

    hey nick! the blogger formerly known as prince..i mean missbee..here!

    i never did get back to you on how i liked my naturally nutty from your 100th post giveaway.

    OH MY GRAVY. so so so so good.

    either which way i loved it. thanks again!

  2. erinbee. says:

    i guess it should be lurker formerly known as not blogger. but NOW im a blogger. woo.

    So glad you enjoyed the peanut butter, I bet it was the Naturally Nutty that brought you to blogging! Good to see you in the blogging world! ~ Nick

  3. Bec says:

    this sounds interesting, I`m adding it to my try baking list!

  4. Sagan says:

    Yum. I love bread but haven’t ever tried beer bread before.

  5. Hangry Pants says:

    What a cool recipe! I think I only have Miller Genuine in the fridge though. Maybe I’ll give it a go anyway. :D

  6. Marianne says:

    This reminds me I have a loaf of beer bread in my freezer I should eat!

  7. Lori says:

    I love Guinness bread. There is something about beer and bread that just goes together so well. I think it is that bitter sweet taste that the dark beer adds. Thanks for sharing this recipe. Simple and tasty. Love it!

  8. Lauren says:

    Whole Grain Beer bread! Now there’s a recipe both I & my fiance can get excited about.

  9. Heather says:

    ohhh. i love all those different “extras” suggestions. i think plain old cheddar is my favorite! looks delicious!

  10. Natalie says:

    Great for a Fluffernutter!

  11. VeggieGirl says:

    Another classic!!

  12. Nick,
    Thanks so much for this recipe. I’ve been into making my own bread lately, and this is by far the easiest recipe I’ve come across. Nice!

    Can’t get much easier and being full of whole grains and so customizable too, it can’t be beat. Enjoy! ~ Nick

  13. Hayley says:

    I can’t wait to fool around with the add-ins. Thanks for the creativity with this one. I’ll let you know what I come up with!

  14. After months of reading about your site, i finally got around to checking it out! It’s fantastic! May I add you to my blogroll?

    Absolutely Mara. Thanks for the comments, I’ve just added you on Twitter too =) ~ Nick

  15. Shelby says:

    Great recipe!

  16. Elle says:

    I would love to have Egg and Cheesers on this bread!

    Ooooh, egg and cheese on beer bread toast…I’m off to get eggs, thanks Elle ~ Nick

  17. Cakespy says:

    This looks so deliciously carbohydratey. I love beer breads — they are so hearty and full-tasting. Perfect with a rich soup.

    Yes indeedy. Too bad I don’t have more soup recipes. That reminds me, I have a pb soup I need to mention…. ~ Nick

  18. kellypea says:

    Never made beer bread but it’s looking pretty tasty. Hey! How come I haven’t been here before? So used to listening to you on Twitter I guess.

    Only you can answer that question! Glad you stopped by Kelly =) ~ Nick

  19. Laci says:

    simple yet intriging… do you think I could replace the beer with juice for an alcohol-free cheaper version? Thanks Nickster! :)
    P.S. I made bread too! You can check it out on my latest post! :)

    Hmm…I think you’d need a carbonated beverage to help the dough rise. I think all of the alcohol would burn off during baking anyways but I bet alcohol-free beer would work and maybe even club soda? Perhaps a natural or even diet soda? You’ve got me thinking now…. ~ Nick

  20. Richard says:

    BREAD, BREAD, BREAD! Awesome! Freshly baked bread is one of my favorite things in the world

    Richard, your comments always make me laugh. That, plus I think you’re the only dude that stops by here, keep it up =) ~ Nick

  21. Mmm, mmm, mmm. That looks easy! I’ve only made beer bread from a mix before and it was nasty. Making it from scratch looks much better. I made my entry for your peanut butter sandwich round-up today. It will take me a few days to post it, but I’ll do it before your deadline!

    This is almost as easy as a mix and 10x better! Can’t wait to see the entry! ~ Nick

  22. ttfn300 says:

    Love the ease and versatility! I can’t drink beer anymore, but i wonder how my tummy would do if it was baked…

    I’m sure you’d be fine. One beer in the entire loaf and I’m sure all of the alcohol bakes off. That or you could attempt alcohol-free beer (if that makes a difference) or maybe even club soda? I’m gonna try that next. ~ Nick

  23. HappyTummy says:

    i am SO trying this recipe! most likely with a combo of spelt and whole wheat flour, and sunflower and flax seeds. YUM! i’ll let you know how it goes.

    I eagerly await the results! ~ Nick

  24. justine says:

    Yummm!!! Thanks Nick!

    ~Justine

  25. Elisabeth Herrera says:

    This bread, is really good! You know, I love my crispy bread, and this one, definitely makes the cut! Should I have taken that comma out? :)

    Yes you should have. But instead, I’ve added more to suit your style. ~ Boyfriend

  26. Elyse says:

    My boyfriend brews beer and I’ve been looking for recipes to showcase his brewing skills. I haven’t liked many of the beer bread recipes I’ve found, but yours looks amazing. And I love the suggested additions!! Can’t wait to try this!

    Oooh, a homebrewed beer would be wonderful in this. Try it plain first so any flavor from the beer stands out a little better, although the cheddar so nicely compliments it. Let me know your results! ~ Nick

  27. Whole wheat flour and beer? Methinks the “gluten free” tag is misplaced. :)

    Ah, I forgot about the beer. Gluten-free beer is available however and I did suggest spelt flour! But I suppose my version isn’t even close though…Thanks =) ~ Nick

  28. Spelt flour is good for wheat allergies, but it still contains gluten. (Being allergic to wheat and having a gluten intolerance are two completely different things, and shouldn’t be confused.)

    But this does look pretty good. I’d like to give this one a shot, wheat, gluten, beer, and all!

    I thought spelt was gluten-free but you’re right, it’s not. My mistake. So this isn’t even close to gluten-free, there you have it =) ~ Nick

  29. Amber Shea says:

    Holy crap. Do we share a brain? I just made whole wheat beer bread this week, and it’s the next post I’m putting up. You beat me to it! Yours looks delicious.

    If we do then you must be very smart indeed! And whole wheat beer bread was definitely a good choice too, especially if it turned out as good as this one! ~ Nick

  30. Carolina says:

    Okay, I am gonna try this. I love bread. I could eat it all day! Seriously. Hey, I posted something you may like. http://gabesbabymomma.blogspot.com/2009/03/post-97-abuelitas-peanut-butter.html

    Have a great awesome weekend!

  31. PBB, just wanted to let you know that your ingredient list was selected for this week of “Any Given Sunday”. I already have an idea of what I’m going to make. Hopefully it turns out to be a winner in the flavor department. Thanks again for the submission.

  32. Jude says:

    Well that settles it. One of 4 bottles of guinness in the fridge will be reserved for this :)

  33. anudivya says:

    Never made the beer and bread combo before, but I have to admit trying my hand on a crepe with sparkling water… wasn’t that bad, but kinda tasted a little bitter.

    Interesting. I’ve been wondering about making bread with soda, either sparkling water or flavored soda (diet or reg). I need to give it a try. ~ Nick

  34. Jul says:

    Just made a loaf (http://gingerjul.blogspot.com/2009/10/beer-bread.html) and am sitting down to enjoy. :) LOVE IT!

  35. Joanne says:

    I’ve made all sorts of versions of beer bread in the past. It doesn’t matter what your add in is, it turns out terrific. Great reminder, Nick.

  36. I love beer bread, and it is exceptionally suitable for whole grains. Unlike many breads, the flavor seems to mask the whole wheat.

  37. Chuck says:

    Had to fill you in on what I made tonight. I baked a sweet potato and topped it with natural peanut butter and marshmallow fluff. It was really delicious!

  38. Veggiesmack says:

    I LOVE beer bread! It’s pretty much the only bread I ever make. I like to add shredded soy cheese and tons of fresh ground black pepper. I usually use Rahr Ugly Pug (Black Lager) for the beer. Delicious!

  39. Emily says:

    Just made this with Lev beer and added dried cherries and golden raisins. I also added some ginger and cinnamon. It is wonderful! Great recipe! Two thumbs up!

  40. Adam says:

    Sublime! Used walnuts and raisins and my partner and I ate 1/2 the loaf in one sitting, it was so good.

    • Nick says:

      Haha, excellent! Walnuts and raisins are my favorite addition to bread but I have not tried it with this bread. Do either of them sink or do they stay well mixed throughout the bread? Did you add any cinnamon or sugar?

  41. Adam says:

    No, neither of them sank – they remained well distributed throughout the loaf. Other than the 2T of sugar called for in the recipe, I didn’t add any extra–I don’t think it needed it, but a little cinnamon would probably be good. Thanks for the recipe!

    • Nick says:

      Awesome, glad you enjoyed it! I will definitely try that version next time, thanks!

      • Adam says:

        Nick! This bread so rocked my world that I made it again, and this time I did 1/2 C pecans and 1/2 C raisins. AND I had just gotten this spice called mahlab that I was dying to try, and it seemed like it would go well in here, and it DID. So, if you’re ever at a Middle Eastern grocery store, grab some of this. I bought it whole and ground it really easily w/ a mortar an pestle and probably used about 1.5 T of it. It gives it this amazing, subtle almondy kind of taste. YUM.

        • Nick says:

          Awesome! Pecans and raisins sounds delicious too. Never heard of mahlab, I’ll keep my eyes open for it. Your ranting is making we want to make this so I think I will, if nothing else, just to freeze it for later! Keep enjoying this recipe and if you come up with any other cool concoctions, let me know!

  42. soup recipes: have you ever tried mixing in peanut butter into any great tomato-based veggie soup? I can’t find my recipe for west African peanut soup, but it’s basically lots of cut up onions, celery and garlic sauteed; add in however much hot seasoning you like. Then add a pile of cut up yams or sweet potatoes and carrots. When almost done add as many cans of diced tomatoes.

    When all done, put a few tablespoons or more of peanut butter into a small bowl. Add liquid from the soup in small bits; stirring well until you make a thin paste. (Do not try adding the peanut butter in the soup itself; it will not mix!) Then add the peanut butter mixture to the soup. Stir and enjoy with your great bread!

  43. Tracy says:

    Hey! Thanks for the recipe. I made it on Sunday with shredded carrots and sliced almonds it turned out great! Today I am making 2 loaves just to experiment. One loaf is whole wheat with asiago and the other loaf is truly an experiment. I made it with soy flour, dried blueberries, flax, and almonds. They are in the oven now! Thanks again for the recipe.

    • Nick says:

      Shredded carrots inside and almonds on top or all mixed inside?

      It all sounds good to me! I gotta experiment more with this recipe, it was truly delicious!

      • Tracy says:

        I mix it all inside. I love this recipe. It is so much fun to experiment with. And it’s not too sad when I make a flop because it’s not like I have lost too much time or resources.

  44. Nicole says:

    I just stumbled upon you Blog and I love it. :) I make beer bread all the time. My friends and coworkers request it a lot. My recipe is very similar except I pour 1/4 cup up to 1/2 a cup of melted butter over the dough before I put it in the oven to bake. It gets the best buttery crisp crust. Add some homemade jam and some PB once the bread has cooled enough to eat and perfecto.

    • Nick says:

      Mmmm, that sounds delicious. It’s super crispy without the butter too – like, tear-up-the-roof-of-your-mouth crispy. Either way, I love this stuff! Thanks for stoppin by.

  45. Mags says:

    If you want to make a gluten-free beer bread, it simply requires a gluten-free beer such as Brunehaut Bio Blonde, easier to say than to find; Green’s Endeavor or Green’s Quest. From Colorado there is New Planet Off the Grid Pale Ale.

    If the beer or ale is bitter, add a little orange (whatever form you prefer) just as you might for drinking. I use about 1/4 cup of sugar to assist the baking powder.

    Next is an all-purpose gluten-free flour from Hodgkins or Bob’s Red Mill (my favorite)
    Just remember a few things:
    1) Sift any and all flours used in beer bread recipes.
    2) Kick up the baking powder for gluten-free flours (try aluminun-free) to at least 3 teaspoons. Since I already use 3 tsp for regular wheat flour rather than 1 tsp in the above recipe, I’d consider 4 tsp.
    3) Some recipes call for a full stick (8 tablespoons of butter) I put 6 tblsp in the batter and reserve 2 for the top to make a crustier bread. You need nothing on this bread when baked this way – especially if you add cheddar cheese to the batter before you mix it.
    4) We’ve also added crumbled cooked bacon as well as a good salad herb mix. Italian seasonings also work for some folks.
    5) Use a wooden spoon to gently fold the ingredients – the less handling the better.
    6) Get the batter/dough out of the bowl once mixed. I don’t preheat the oven until the dough is in the loaf pan.

    • Nick says:

      Wow, thanks for the tips/recipe. It’s entirely different than mine but it sounds like a perfect gluten-free option! I think I’m adding bacon next time to mine too =]

  46. Mags says:

    My pleasure – just had a very lightly toasted slice of cheddar/bacon beer bread with soup…for lunch/breakfast.
    Made one beer bread (not the one I just ate) with a maple-coated bacon (baked the bacon for almost 2 hours at 325 degrees F and near the end poured on the grade B maple syrup)before crumbling into the batter.
    I think a smokey bacon would be even better.

  47. Carol C. says:

    I made this last night and added in 1/2 cup of roasted pumpkin seeds and 1/2 cup of dried cranberries. Only had “natty light” on hand, so used that. Bread was out of this world!!!! Thanks so much for the recipe. I didn’t have a loaf pan, so cooked it on a pizza stone. YUM!

    • Nick says:

      Wow, Natty light didn’t ruin it? Amazing! That combination sounds excellent, I’ll have to try it!

      And you did it on a pizza stone? Did the loaf lose it’s shape or did you just make a flat round loaf?

      • Carol C. says:

        It was a perfect flat round loaf. A couple of days later for lunch I toasted a big slice under the broiler and then spread peanut butter on it. Because it is so dense, it’s very satisfying. You don’t really need to eat anything else to be full. :-)

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