The 3 Ingredients You Need To Make Simple Beer Bread

There's nothing like the aroma of fresh-baked bread, but not all of us learned how to make sourdough starter during the lockdown. For amateur bakers, there's a bread recipe with just three ingredients that might already be in your pantry: beer, self-rising flour, and sugar. There's no yeast or kneading required for this scrumptious beer bread. 

How does it work? Here's some food chemistry for ya. Yeast is a living organism that feeds on sugar. Everything that eats must create waste, and yeast's waste comes out in the form of carbon dioxide and alcohol. Bread isn't alcoholic because the small amount produced evaporates during baking. The remaining carbon dioxide is what allows bread to rise. Most beers have had the yeast strained out. No problem, the baking powder in the self-rising flour can compensate for it (baking powder creates carbon dioxide when mixed with a liquid). You can buy flour labeled "self-rising" at the store or you can make your own self-rising flour by adding 1½ teaspoons of baking powder and ¼ teaspoon of salt for every 1 cup of flour. 

To make this three-ingredient beer bread, start by preheating your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large bowl, mix 3 cups of flour with ½ cup of sugar. Pour in 12 ounces of beer, stir well, and place the batter into a prepared bread pan. Bake for 40 minutes. If you want to top the bread with butter, melt 3 tablespoons of butter and pour it onto the bread during the last 3 to 5 minutes of baking. Once baked, let the beer bread cool for 5 minutes.

Notes on making beer bread

The only time I buy beer is to make this super easy beer bread recipe. It's quick to make and comes out with a satisfyingly crunchy crust and a soft interior. You can use any beer you want but light beer is best if you don't want a distinct beer taste in your bread. My go-to is Modelo. It's mild enough that the bread comes out just tasting like bread. If you want to experiment with flavors, try a cider for a fun autumnal loaf.

Of course, the butter is an optional topping, but please do yourself a favor and add the butter while the bread is baking. If you do, be sure to place a cookie sheet or other pan under the bread pan to catch any butter that might fall off as the bread bakes. I have forgotten to do this before and nearly burned down the kitchen because of all the burning butter in the oven. Bread isn't the only thing you can make with beer, either. Muffins, risotto, and dessert bars are just a few of the concoctions you can whip up with a six-pack.

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