Nowadays, beer can be enjoyed in a multitude of ways thanks to foodies and their experimentations. Among them are bakers who have used this alcoholic beverage in their bread. In fact, there is one recipe that takes full advantage of it and it's aptly called beer bread.

What is beer bread

Beer bread is traditionally a loaf bread (yeast or chemically leavened) flavored with a considerable amount of beer. However, what separates it from other bread beside the obvious is its flour to water ratio. Rather than the usual 5:3 ratio, this recipe requires a 1:1 ratio (e.g: 3 cups flour to 1 1/2 cups beer).

Everything else in the recipe is the usual suspects including butter, sugar, and leavening agent. Nowadays, people prefer the quick bread type of beer bread. Therefore, chemical leavening agents like baking powder, baking soda, or self-raising flour (it contains them) are preferred.

Choosing the beer

Now when it comes to choosing the beer for this recipe, it really comes down to preference. For those who prefer a beer bread with a stronger flavor, then a stout or dark beer is in order. If they want to go further, a spiced beer will add a seasonal flavor.

Or, if they prefer something a bit tamer, a light lager would do fine for the recipe. There are many brands to choose from, but choosing the best for your beer bread isn't always a requirement.

Just roll with whatever you're a fan of. Heineken, Banks, Budweiser, Amber, or just choose your guilty pleasure. Additionally, other ingredients like cheese and herbs can be added to liven things up.

Beer bread recipe

This recipe is specifically for a yeast-leavened loaf but is quite simple to make thanks to the help of self-raising flour.

Just follow the recipe to the letter.

This beer bread is also quite healthy to consume. For those who are concerned, here is a list of reasons beer is actually good for you. Now on with the show:

Ingredients:

  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted (an extra tbsp for the loaf pan)
  • 3 cups self-raising flour
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups beer at room temperature

The directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 190°C. Grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with one tablespoon of the butter. Melt the remaining butter over the stove and set aside.
  2. Sift the flour over a bowl two or three times. Whisk in the sugar and beer until slightly smooth with small lumps. Do not worry about the batter not being smooth enough and free of lumps. Just don't overmix.
  3. Spoon the batter into the loaf pan. Drizzle the surface with the melted butter.
  4. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean or with a few crumbs attached. Let the bread cool in the oven for 5 minutes after turning off the heat.
  5. Invert the beer bread onto a cooling rack to cool until its warm. Once warm, cut into slices and serve.

Serves: 8
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