Beer Bread is the perfect side kick to a comforting bowl of chili or a warm cup of soup. This recipe is a simple favorite!
How many of you have read the Confessions of a Shopaholic book series? Total brain candy, but laugh out loud hilarious. Do you know the part in the 1st book where she wants to save money, and part of that plan is to stop eating out so often? Since Curry is one of her favorite foods, she makes the decision to start making her own Curry at home? Well, to make her own Curry, she had to go to the perfect store, find all of the right ingredients and of course you can’t make Curry with the right pans, the right utensils and the right clothes to wear when you are making it. In the end, her effort to save money by eating at home instead of going out to a restaurant resulted in her spending hundreds of dollars in “necessities”.
I can totally relate to that part of the book. Not that I’m a shopaholic (ok…I confess…I may have a tiny little problem there) but we have officially started a budget at our house. Just hearing the word “budget” makes me want to cringe. When I brought it up to my husband that I think we should really start managing our money better, he about fainted. Being the financially savvy guy that he is, he has been nagging me for years about this. I have always resisted having the actual conversation surrounding budgeting, until now.
I recently came across a really cool envelope budgeting system online called Mvelopes. The system is just like the paper envelope money management system that so many people use, but with Mvelopes everything is done electronically. I decided that this was just the tool (because, you know… every non-shopaholic needs to find the perfect tool) I was looking for as I love the envelope system, but didn’t like the idea of actually having the cash around the house. Mvelopes had a free 14 day trial, which I signed up for. Would you like to know what I spent the first 14 days of my Mvelopes membership doing? Shopping! Yes… I decided that before I actually started tracking our spending and became accountable to my husband for all the pennies that came out of my envelopes, I had better buy everything that wasn’t necessary beforehand. Every little thing that was a want versus a need was purchased. I got some new salon shampoo and conditioner, a pedicure, some camera accessories, some new clothes, etc. I hooked myself up completely and then got my envelopes on Mvelopes all set up! (It really is a great system now that I’ve gotten serious about it…you should check it out!)
The cheesy beer bread was part of my “getting serious” about budgeting time. I spent all last week making meals only out of what I had in my pantry, fridge and freezer. One night I made a delicious pasta dish and decided that I needed some homemade beer bread with it, but had only an hour until dinnertime. I opened up my fridge, noticed a can of beer and some cheddar cheese and decided to make cheesy beer bread. Whatever your reason for eating at home (and if it is not because you are pinching pennies, I am totally jealous), complete your meal with this inexpensive and delicious recipe for Cheesy Beer Bread. No fancy plates, clothes, utensils necessary.
I got this beer bread recipe off of Cate over at Sweetnicks blog who got it from Susan at Farmgirl Fare. I didn’t use the dill…would have meant a trip to the store which would have resulted in me buying more than just dill, I’m sure! I also did not do the optional glaze.
Cheesy Beer Bread Recipe
A cheesy cheddar beer bread recipe makes the perfect sidekick to a cup of soup or bowl of chili!
Prep Time 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes minutes
Total Time 1 hour hour
Ingredients
- Farmgirl Susan's Beyond Easy Dill &Cheddar Beer Bread Recipe
- Makes One Loaf
- Basic Beer Bread Mix:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder make sure it's fresh!
- 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh dill or 2 teaspoons dried -
- 1 cup finely grated sharp cheddar cheese
- 12 ounces beer
- Optional glaze: 1 egg & 2 teaspoons water beaten
Instructions
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Combine flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, dill, and cheddar in a large mixing bowl. Slowly stir in beer and mix just until combined. Batter will be thick. Spread in a greased 8-inch loaf pan , brush with egg glaze if desired, and bake until golden brown and a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.
Cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool 10 more minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Disclosure: This blog post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
FAQs
Lighter beers, such as lagers, ales and pilsners, will give your bread a lighter color, and mild taste that just about everyone loves. Darker beers like stouts and porters make a darker-colored loaf and have a stronger beer flavor. Hoppy beers like IPAs will give your bread a more bitter taste.
Does the alcohol in beer bread cook out? ›
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), baked or simmered dishes that contain alcohol will retain 40% of the original amount after 15 minutes of cooking, 35% after 30 minutes and 25% after an hour. But there's no point at which all of the alcohol disappears.
Why is my beer bread so dense? ›
There could be couple of reasons why your beer bread turned out tough. Too much flour can cause the bread to be too dense and hard. Another reason could be that you stirred the batter too much.
Can I use water instead of beer in beer bread? ›
Can You Use Something Other Than Beer in Beer Bread? Absolutely! Almost any carbonated or noncarbonated beverage can be used, including water, soda pop, milk or buttermilk, fruit juice and even creamed corn! In general substitute 12 fluid ounces of whatever liquid you choose in place of beer.
Why is my beer bread bitter? ›
Of course, the final flavor depends a lot on the type of beer you choose to use. Some beers, such as IPAs, may give the bread a more bitter taste. What is this? I tend to stick with darker beers for a richer, less sour flavor.
Is blue moon good for beer bread? ›
Mixes in one bowl and makes a lovely rustic and flavorful bread. So far I've only used lighter beer (Blue Moon Belgian White specifically) but am definitely going to be experimenting more with other types of beer (especially Guinness), as well as herb combinations.
Can children have beer bread? ›
Keep in mind, the alcohol evaporates in the baking process, so it is safe for the kids to enjoy as well. Add in cheese if you like, it's not necessary, but it is delicious. Drizzling butter on top helps it have a nice crust. This beer bread comes together in less than 5 minutes and bakes in less than an hour!
How do you know when beer bread is done? ›
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.
Does beer for beer bread need to be room temp? ›
Use room temperature beer: This helps the bread rise and creates a better texture than cold beer. Don't over-mix: After adding the beer to the dry ingredients, mix enough until just incorporated and nothing more. Overworking the dough will create a very dense loaf.
Is Miller High Life good for beer bread? ›
I've made beer bread with everything from craft beers (Allagash White, Moosehead, etc.), to commercial beers like Heineken, Miller Highlife, and Samuel Adams Boston Lager (which we found lends more of a pronounced aroma than others on the list, and didn't make our favorite loaf).
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.
How can I make my bread fluffier instead of dense? ›
Potato Flakes or Potato Water
Starch helps the dough by trapping the gas from the yeast in the dough and makes the bubbles stronger. This helps the bread to rise and be lighter and fluffier. If you are boiling potatoes, you can use the unsalted water in place of the water in your bread recipe to help out the yeast.
What can I use in place of beer for beer bread? ›
directions
- Combine flour baking powder,sugar, dill(or any other herb of your choice) and salt in a large bowl. ...
- Stir in the club soda just until combined.
- Pour into a sprayed loaf pan.
- Pour the melted butter over the top.
- Bake @ 375F for 1 hour.
- Remove from pan and let cool on rack.
Your Bread Has Too Much Flour
Adding too much flour is one common mistake for beginning bakers. This produces dry bread with more crumbs. The key is to find a balance between the flour and liquid ingredients in your recipe. It can be tricky because bread recipes don't always give you an exact amount of flour.
Why did my beer bread not rise? ›
Beer has rising agent in it already, but most store-bought beer will not have enough of it to make the bread rise; for this, most beer bread recipes include baking powder, which reacts with the beer to lets the bread rise and develop air pockets.
What kind of beer to use for Trader Joe's beer bread? ›
It's also the phrase you'll find gracing each box of Trader Joe's Beer Bread Mix. The flavor of the finished loaf really depends on what kind of beer you use: Go with a lager for a lighter profile, an IPA for a hearty, hoppy taste, or a stout for a rich result with a slightly darker finished product.
Is IPA good for beer bread? ›
Just remember that whatever beer you choose, the flavor profile will come through. In general, I'd probably steer clear of IPAs, unless you really love that bitterness, since it gives the baked bread a slightly bitter bite. But I think dark and fruity beers would almost always work really well,” he said.
Can beer replace yeast in bread? ›
Since most beers still contain yeast cells at the end of the fermentation process, you can substitute a can of beer for yeast for a denser result.
What beer is good for cooking? ›
Wheat beers are great for chicken and seafood. If you're cooking pork, beef, and lamb, you will need ales, porters, and stouts. Hearty meat goes well with belgian ales. Stews pair well with ale.
