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Beer Bread Recipe

4.94 from 66 votes
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posted: 05/16/23

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This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy

This Beer Bread recipe could not be more simple to make or delicious! Made with only three ingredients, it is the easiest way to make homemade bread.

Overhead photo of a loaf of Beer Bread that is half sliced.

Three Ingredient Beer Bread is so much better than what you get using a mix, and it is just as easy to make! It doesn’t require you to proof yeast and it’s only three ingredients. Plus it’s so easy to add in other mix-ins, like honey or cheese! As an added bonus, you don’t even need a bread machine.

READER REVIEW

Was looking for a simple bread recipe, and it cant be any simpler. Love it, love it, love it.

Why this Beer Bread Recipe Works

This homemade beer bread recipe starts with self-rising flour. Self-rising flour is a combination of flour, baking powder, and salt. The combination of the baking powder and the salt work together to act as a leavening agent.

In my Pizza Dough recipe, you can see how we add yeast (the leavening agent) to warm water and wait for it to proof before adding it to the flour mixture and letting that dough rise. By using self rising flour, we skip that step in this recipe.

How to Make Beer Bread

This is just a brief overview of this delicious and easy bread recipe. For the full recipe with all of the measurements, please see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

  1. Prepare the bread pan. Spray a 9 by 5 inch bread pan with cooking spray. Be sure to see my bread pan recommendation below, as pans can make a huge difference.
  2. Whisk together the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the self rising flour and the sugar.
  3. Stir in the beer. Read below for my recommendations on beer and alternatives.
  4. Bake the bread. After adding the dough to the prepared bread pan bake the bread. In the last three minutes of baking, add melted butter if desired.
Overhead photo of a mixing bowl of ingredients for Beer Bread recipe. Person's hand is pouring beer into bowl.

How to Make Self Rising Flour

There are a few differences when it comes to all-purpose flour and self-rising flour. Self-rising flour contains baking powder and salt, all-purpose flour does not. Additionally, self-rising flour is made with wheat and is lower in protein than all-purpose flour.

It is possible to make a substitute for self-rising flour with all-purpose flour, but keep in mind it won’t be exactly the same because you are changing the protein level.

For every one cup of flour you use, you need one teaspoon fresh baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon table salt. So for this recipe, you can replace the self-rising flour with:

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon table salt
Overhead photo of a loaf of Beer Bread. Glasses of beer beside cutting board and loaf pan.

Best Bread Pan

The first question I ask people when they tell me a bread recipe didn’t work was what kind of loaf pan they used. Metal, ceramic, and glass all conduct heat differently and will have a different impact on your baking recipe. I opt for metal for all my baked goods because it conducts heat the best.

The bread pan you see here is this one from USA Pans. It is my favorite and cooks bread perfectly every single time.

TOP PICK

Best Bread Pan

This pan is such a favorite that I own two of them so I can double my bread recipes!
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Best Beer for Beer Bread

I get that question a lot with this recipe. The answer is: Whatever type of beer you like. It is important to use a beer that you would drink on it’s own because it can be a strong flavor in this bread.

I use a pilsner because it is light and doesn’t have an intense flavor. Though I have only made this recipe with pilsner beers, this bread will work with any type of beer. It also works with soda (read more on that below). This is a great recipe to play around with and figure out what you like.

Making Beer Bread with Soda

If you have someone in your life who is sober, you can still make this great bread! This recipe works great with soda. I make it with lemon-lime soda (like Sprite or 7-Up). It has just a slightly smaller rise that is barely noticeable. Because of the additional sugar content, it browns just slightly more.

Overall, soda is a great substitute for beer in this recipe. I think that a lemon lime soda is the best choice because it has the mildest taste of sodas.

Photo of three loaves of Beer Bread recipe, the farthest left is tallest and they get lest risen as you go right, labeled from left to right “original recipe,” “made with soda,” and “made gluten free”

Making Beer Bread Gluten Free

This recipe can be made gluten-free if you make your own self-rising flour with gluten-free flour. As you can see, it doesn’t have quite the same rise as when you use flour with gluten, but it absolutely does work.

I suggest using a gluten-free flour that is meant to replace all-purpose flour one-for-one. I used King Arthur’s brand in this test. You will want to use:

  • 3 cups gluten-free one-for-one flour substitute
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon table salt

Butter on Top

A lot of recipes call for a few tablespoons of melted butter on top of the bread. I call this a three ingredient beer bread because my family loves this recipe without the butter on top. If you want the butter, have at it. I recommend using three tablespoons of melted butter and pouring it over the bread in the last three to five minutes of baking to prevent it from browning or burning.

Overhead photo of Beer Bread loaf

Tips and Tricks

  • Use fresh self-rising flour. Self-rising flour, because of the baking powder, only has about a six month shelf life. The further you get out from that six month mark, the less of a rise you are going to get in your bread.
  • Use a great bread pan. See my recommendation above.
  • Avoid overmeasuring your flour. This will lead to dried out bread. Make sure you whisk the flour in the container you are storing it in, and then use a spoon to fill your dry measuring cups before leveling it off.
  • Resist the urge to slice into it right away. Bread really does need to cool before you can slice into it. It needs almost a full hour to get nice solid slices.

Storing and Freezing

Store this bread in an airtight container, once it has fully cooled, for up to a week. It can be stored at room temperature. As with all recipes, use your best discretion when it comes to leftovers.

This bread freezes great. Store in an airtight container (a gallon ziplock bag works great), and keep in the freezer for up to three months. It will also work great to cut it into slices, freeze them in a single layer for a few hours, and then transfer them to an airtight container.

Beer Bread Mix as a Gift

This would be a fantastic gift for a new neighbor or around the holidays.

  • Combine the flour and sugar together in a mason jar.
  • Add the mason jar, a bottle of beer, and a bread pan to a basket.

Beer Bread Recipes

Because this recipe is so simple, there are a lot of variations that can be done. Really the sky is the limit when it comes to mix-ins.

FAQ

What type of beer is best for beer bread?

I love making this with a light beer like a pilsner because it has such a mild flavor. That being said, this recipe will work with any beer.

Can I use soda to make beer bread?

Yes! A can of soda will make a perfect substitute for beer in this recipe.

How do I make gluten-free beer bread?

This recipe can be made gluten-free by replacing the self-rising flour with a one-for-one gluten flour replacement and adding in baking powder and salt. You can see the exact instructions above.

Does the alcohol cook out of beer bread?

Simply put, no. It takes three hours to completely cook alcohol out of food. That being said, this bread bakes for a little under an hour, so it will bake off about 75% of the alcohol. So you have 1/4 of a low-alcohol content beer over 10 slices of bread.

Overhead photo of a loaf of Beer Bread sliced.

What to Serve with Beer Bread

Honestly, I want to answer this question with nothing. Just eat it, it’s so good. But! I really do love it as a simple bread to make with my soup recipes. Here are a few of my favorites to serve it with:

If you make my easy beer bread recipe or any of these recipes, please leave me a comment and let me know. I love hearing from you!

Overhead photo of a loaf of Beer Bread that is half sliced.
4.94 from 66 votes

Three Ingredient Beer Bread

Serves: 10 slices
(tap # to scale)
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 40 minutes
Total: 50 minutes
This Three Ingredient Beer Bread could not be more simple to make or delicious! This beer bread recipe is the easiest way to make homemade bread.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups self-rising flour (339 grams) read here for how to make self-rising flour
  • 1/2 cup sugar (99 grams)
  • 12 ounces beer (354.88 ml)
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted (optional)

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Spray a 9 by 5 inch bread pan with cooking spray.
  • Whisk together the flour and sugar. Mix in the beer until it is thoroughly combined. The batter may be thick.
  • Pour the batter into the bread pan and bake for 40 minutes. If you want to use butter, pour it over the batter in the last 3 to 5 minutes of baking.
  • Take out of the oven and let sit for five minutes in the pan, remove and let cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

Notes

Please note that the nutritional information includes using butter. Without the butter it has 189 calories per slice and 1 gram of fat.
Serving: 1slice Calories: 219kcal (11%) Carbohydrates: 38g (13%) Protein: 5g (10%) Fat: 4g (6%) Saturated Fat: 2g (13%) Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g Monounsaturated Fat: 1g Trans Fat: 0.1g Cholesterol: 9mg (3%) Sodium: 3mg Potassium: 48mg (1%) Fiber: 1g (4%) Sugar: 10g (11%) Vitamin A: 106IU (2%) Calcium: 8mg (1%) Iron: 0.4mg (2%)
Author: Lisa Longley
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Overhead photo of a loaf of Beer Bread that is half sliced.

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Three Ingredient Beer Bread

I’d love to see what you made! Tag me @lisasimplejoy and hashtag it #simplejoyrecipes!

Hi! I'm Lisa Longley, and I am committed to giving you simple dinner ideas and recipes that are easy to make; recipes that will fill your home with joy. I am the owner and author of SimpleJoy.com and I'm so glad that you are here.

Reader Interactions

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  1. Shelley says

    5 stars
    OH MY!!!! This is the best beer bread I have ever made and i have many over the years. I love all of your helpful tips on how to make the best beer bread .I made 6 loves in the last 2 weeks as it doesn’t last long in my house. I have a loaf in the oven now.

    • Lisa Longley says

      I’m so happy that you love this recipe as much as I do!

  2. ingrid herweyer says

    If I use the homemade self-rising flour, will the results be the same as using self-rising flour?

    • Lisa Longley says

      It will be extremely similar.

  3. Kim says

    Hi Lisa,
    I haven’t made this bread in many years because I went gluten free. I’m excited to try it again with the gluten free version! Could the sugar content be reduced successfully? Years ago I used 5 cups of self rising flour and 1 tbsp of sugar to a bottle of beer. Thanks!

    • Lisa Longley says

      For sure! I know a lot of readers who cut the amount in half. It’s just a personal preference.

  4. Kristin says

    5 stars
    This was super delicious! I will be making this again, for sure. I did have to add about an extra half cup of flour because the dough was still a bit runny, but it turned out great! Best tasting recipe I’ve tried so far.

    • Lisa Longley says

      I’m glad you liked it!

  5. Barbara says

    5 stars
    I tried this bread on Christmas Eve, as my go to boxed mix was outdated. This beer bread recipe came out better than the boxed mix . This recipe is a definite keeper and will not spend the money on a boxed mix ever again

    • Lisa Longley says

      I’m so glad to hear that you liked it!

  6. Kim says

    4 stars
    Thanks for the recipe! One correction for u tho- to make gluten free, you also would need to either use soda or a gluten free beer and not just change the flour, as beer has gluten😉

    • Lisa Longley says

      Ah, good call!

  7. Marie says

    5 stars
    Tried this out of OlliPop Rootbeer tonight. I used the self-rising flour, but I wonder how thick the batter really should be? I added extra flour because it seemed runny. The bread came out smoother on the top than I had anticipated but still the texture of a beer bread. It’s delicious (I could not wait until it was completely cool to try the end) and I expect the pilsner beer would make it perfect. I’d say adjusting the sugar back to about 3 tbsp with the soda would make more sense.

    • Lisa Longley says

      I’m glad that you liked it!

  8. Susan says

    Bread was more of a sweet bread.
    Nice soft texture, but next time I’ll use only 3 tblsp sugar. Great recipe overall
    Thank you.

  9. Catherine Solange says

    5 stars
    Thank you! I made 3 ingredient beer bread from a recipe in an old church cookbook and it was hard as a rock and impossible to slice. By following your 375 temp for 40 min and waiting one entire hour before slicing it came out great. i love simple!

    • Lisa Longley says

      I’m so glad you enjoyed it!

  10. Twila says

    Is soda the only substitute you can use for beer bread? I was hoping for a liquid from fruit maybe.

    • Lisa Longley says

      You can certainly try that as a substitute. I’m thinking that the density of fruit juice might create a denser bread than you would like.

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