Cheesy Beer Bread
Only one bowl and five ingredients required to make a loaf of Easy Cheesy Beer Bread. It’s the perfect quick bread to whip up on a busy weeknight—no yeast, kneading, or rise time required. Enjoy it warm from the oven, as toast for breakfast, alongside your favorite soup or chili, or even as the ultimate base for a grilled cheese sandwich.
Servings: 10 servings, 1 loaf
Equipment
- 9 x 5 loaf pan
Ingredients
- 3 cups self-rising flour
- 3 tablespoons sugar use 1 - 4 tablespoons, to taste
- 4 tablespoons melted butter; divided
- 1 cup shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese grate from the block for best flavor and texture
- 12 oz. bottle of beer of choice room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9" x 5" loaf pan.
- Mix the flour, sugar; add shredded cheese, stirring coat. Add 2 tablespoon melted butter and the beer, stirring until fairly smooth; don't worry about a scattering of small lumps.
- Pour batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top a bit. Drizzle top with remaining melted butter.
- Bake the bread for 45 to 50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted about 1/2" into the top of the loaf comes out clean, or with a few moist crumbs clinging to it.
- Remove from the oven and let stand 15 minutes in the pan before turning out onto a wire rack to cool.
- To keep bread moist, slice when ready to serve. It slices best when completely cool, but feel free to slice and enjoy while still warm.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Notes
- Use the beer of your choice. I’ve used everything from a light beer, a stout (Guinness) to a pumpkin ale, depending on what I have and the season. The only beer I wouldn’t recommend would be a hoppy IPA which will impart a bitter flavor to your bread. Just be sure to use a room temperature beer for best rising and baking.
- To keep bread moist, slice when ready to serve.
- Self-rising flour is flour that has baking powder and salt added to it and is a staple in many Southern recipes. It's traditionally made from a softer, lower protein version of all-purpose flour for tender biscuits. If you don’t have self-rising flour, substitute 3 cups all-purpose flour and add 4 ½ teaspoons baking powder and 3/4 teaspoons salt; whisk ingredients together before adding other ingredients.
- For accurate measuring of flour, fluff your flour from the canister or bag and then spoon into your measuring cup so it’s overflowing, then level off with the edge of a knife. Scooping flour directly from the bag or canister will yield a heavier cup and a larger amount that can negatively affect your recipes.
- Variations: Switch up the cheese to Pepper Jack, Parmesan or Gruyère, or omit altogether; add a sprinkle of garlic powder or smoked paprika for additional flavor; add chives or chopped scallions for a mild onion flavor.