Beer Bread by Bridget

Beer bread goes down as one of my all-time favorite comfort foods. I don’t know if it’s because the bread is warm, fluffy, buttery perfection, or if it’s because my mom made it often. Probably a bit of both.

 
 

If you’re not a fan of beer, no worries. Beer bread has a beautiful malty, yeasty flavor, that’s light and not at all overwhelming or beer-y. It tastes … comforting.

Here’s what you need to bake beer bread.

 
 

That’s it! Self-rising flour, a bit of sugar, and a beer (just one, not three). It is seriously the easiest bread you’ll ever make.

 
 

Well, I lied. You also need butter for brushing over the top and the sides.

What beer should you use? ANY! (I told you that beer bread is easy!) I’ve found that the kind of beer doesn’t matter much. Use a light beer, a stout, a pale ale … that pumpkin beer hiding in the back of your fridge. You can make a few additions to complement a beer style and flavor, but most of that flavor will come from what you’ve added.

 
 

For basic beer bread, you’ll stir together self-rising flour and sugar. Pour in a bottle of beer.

 
 

The mixture will be foamy. Stir until the foam subsides and all of the dry flour is incorporated.

Spoon into a loaf pan and bake.

 
 

Once finished, immediately remove from the pan and pour melted butter over the top and brush over the sides. Serve warm. This bread is also great once cooled for sandwiches and toast!

For variations, I like to keep things simple. That’s one of the beauties of beer bread: it comes together in a snap. Scroll down for a recipe for Gruyere and Cheddar Beer Bread. It’s so good with a bowl of soup, and makes a killer grilled cheese sandwich.

 
 

Because the bread is so fluffy and soft, mix-ins like cheese and spices work well here. I’ve played around with sweet varieties (are you surprised?), but I prefer beer bread plain or savory. Besides, there are so many great quick sweet breads already out there, like Brenda’s Almond Poppy Seed, Erica’s Maple Apple Pecan, Pumpkin Banana Bread, or Lemon Coconut.

 
 

Here are a few more variation ideas:

• stir in 1 to 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese
• add 1 tablespoon spices, such as Italian or Mexican blends
• layer in a few tablespoons of prepared pesto
• add chopped pickled jalapenos

Keep in mind that adding cheese or pesto may increase the baking time.

 
 

Have you made beer bread? What’s your favorite way to devour it?