Name: Easy 6-Ingredient Irish Beer Bread
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 65 min
Ingredients: 3 cups all purpose flour; 1 Tablespoon baking powder; 1 teaspoon salt; 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar; 1 bottle Irish red ale; 4 Tablespoons salted butter (melted)

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The most delicious 6-Ingredient Irish Beer Bread…that’s so much easier than you might think! This savory, dense, but oh-so soft bread is made with only a handful of pantry staples, as well as a dark Irish beer to give this bread a robust, malty, and delicious flavor. There’s just SO much to love here! It’s easy, made in one bowl, and best served warm with a generous smear of butter (or jam!). So. GOOD.

beer bread with two slices laying in front of loaf on parchment paper with bowl of butter and a knife beside, bread crumbs, and flowers around, with another slice of bread on white plate with smear of butter on top.

About The Recipe

Ohmygosh, Y’ALL! This bread might just be one of our new favorites we’ve ever published. It’s so simple, full of flavor, and good for everything!

We originally were going to publish this recipe on St. Patrick’s Day, as this is a recipe we’ve been wanting to make for a while, but after testing it…we just HAD to get it up sooner! It’s that good!

close up of slices beer bread with two sices laying in front with glass of beer and flowers behind.

overhead shot of beer bread with two slices laying in front with a knife and bowl of butter beside, with glass of beer and flowers around.

When we were testing this recipe, I’ll admit, it was something we weren’t 100% sure was going to work. I mean, in theory, yes, but we were worried about flavor and rising.

We were definitely proved wrong!

This bread comes out perfect every. single. time.

The best part? It’s only 6 ingredients, is sweet enough to compliment any breakfast, while sturdy and savory enough to taste delicious dunked in your favorite dinner recipes.

I mean, this is the perfect bread for literally everything!

two slices of bread laying on top of each other in front of loaf with another slice of bread on white plate and a smear of butter on top in front of loaf on a marble surface with bread crumbs and a glass of beer behind.

The bread itself is a dense, but soft texture, with a malty, but subtly sweet flavor, which means it’s perfect for dipping into soups like our Chicken and Wild Rice Soup, as it absorbs alllll the delicious flavors.

The top of bread is crunchy and salty, which makes it extra delicious when paired with jams, butter, or a drizzle of honey!

It’s the most versatile bread to bake AND it’s super easy.

What could be better?!

What is Beer Bread?

Well, beer bread is exactly what it sounds like! It’s a simple quick-bread made with flour, salt, baking powder, a little bit of sugar, beer, and butter. The beer lends a delicious flavor to this quick bread, while also helping provide rise to the loaf.

Reasons You Will Love This Irish Beer Bread

Made with only 6(!!) ingredients.
Comes together quickly.
Full of flavor.
Compliments both savory and sweet dishes!
Can easily be made vegan (see substitutions below!).
A serious crowd pleaser.

overhead shot of beer bread on parchment paper with flowers and bread crumbs around, a wooden handled knife, string, and a glass of beer.

Equipment Needed

Mixing Bowl
Whisk
Rubber Spatula
8 Inch Loaf Pan

Ingredients

(Full ingredient amounts and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post)

All-Purpose Flour – No need for bread flour in this recipe. All-purpose flour gives this loaf the perfect crumb and structure.
Baking Powder – We opted to add a little bit of baking powder to ensure this loaf rises perfectly every time.
Salt – Simply a must-use in bread! This enhances the flavor.
Granulated Sugar – Just a few Tablespoons of sugar help this loaf brown, as well as lending it a lightly sweet flavor.
Irish Red Ale – We highly recommend using this style of beer, as it brings out a delicious flavor in this loaf! Though, any dark/amber beers should work in this recipe.
Salted Butter – Using melted butter on the top of this loaf not only provides flavor, but it also makes the top deliciously salty!

flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, melted butter, and beer on marble surface.

How To Make Beer Bread

Step 1: Make dough

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.

flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in glass bowl.

Stir in beer.

Step 2: Bake

Place dough into prepared pan and pour melted butter over top. Bake for 60 minutes, or until done.

melted butter on top of dough in loaf pan.

What To Serve With Beer Bread

The great thing about this bread is that it goes with almost anything and everything! Though, here are a few of our favorite dishes to enjoy with this bread.

Raspberry Jam or Strawberry Jam
Eggs (scrambled & boiled)
Red Bean Chili
Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Tomato and Spinach Cheese Tortellini Soup
Homemade Tomato Soup
Easy Minestrone Soup
Instant Pot Beef Stew

How To Store

You can store this bread covered at room temperature for 2-3 days, in the refrigerator for up to a week, or you can freeze this bread for 1-2 months! Just remember, if you freeze this bread, set it out a few hours ahead of time and allow to come to room temperature.

Substitutions

You can use any dark/amber beer you like for this recipe.
To make this bread vegan, use your favorite salted plant-based butter.

Looking for more recipes like this? Here are a few you may like: Irish Soda Bread, Brown Butter Popovers, Goat Cheese Stuffed Pretzels, Buttermilk Cornbread, Homemade Naan

front shot of bread with two slices laying in front, a glass of beer behind with stack of white plates, and chamomile flowers.

Expert Tips

1 bottle beer is equal to about 11.2 oz
Be careful to not overwork the dough. It’s meant to be a rough texture.
If you are unsure if the bread is done, use an instant read thermometer and poke it into the middle of the loaf. A fully baked loaf of bread should read about 210 degrees F.
The crust will soften after storing.

When you make this Easy 6-Ingredient Irish Beer Bread, leave a comment down below! We love hearing from you and answering any questions you might have! Also, be sure to tag us on social media and hashtag it #BakersTable.

5 from 3 votes