Bread Machine Beer Bread
We love this bread machine beer bread recipe! The flavor is hearty and kind of “old-world”. The loaf is soft and chewy with a crunchy crust.
Last Updated on February 17, 2024 – Originally posted January 29, 2017
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It’s fun to use different brands and styles of beer with this recipe. They all turn out great with subtle differences in flavor. ~ Phillip
Years ago, a reader asked if I had a beer bread recipe. I didn’t, but I do now!
To be honest, I’m not a fan of beer. So I was relieved that the bread didn’t taste like beer at all.
The flavor was hard to describe. It was hearty and kind of “old-world”. The loaf was soft and chewy with a crunchy crust. We used it to make some wonderful ham sandwiches.
Keep in mind that the flavor of the bread, the rise of the bread (due to residual yeast in the beer), as well as the color of the bread will vary depending on what beer you use.
I made the above loaf with Samuel Adams Boston Lager.
A stout or dark beer will make a darker, more flavorful bread.
Have you ever heard of Anadama bread? I love it!! The recipe features molasses and cornmeal. The bread is sweet and the cornmeal gives it an interesting texture. Plus, I love its dark brown color.
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Bread Machine Beer Bread Instructions
This recipe is for a two-pound loaf. Use the basic cycle with the dark crust setting.
This recipe calls for flat beer. Pour the nine ounces of beer into a bowl. Then cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit out for three hours.
When I do this the beer, isn’t totally without carbonation, but it works fine.
Follow the instructions that came with your machine in terms of what order to add the ingredients to the bread machine pan. My Zojirushi recommends adding the liquid ingredients first.
After five or ten minutes of kneading check to see how the dough is doing. It should be a smooth, round ball. If it’s too dry add liquid a teaspoon at a time until it looks as desired. If it looks too wet, add flour a tablespoon at a time until it looks OK.
Bread Machine Beer Bread Recipe
Again, this recipe is for a two-pound loaf. I use the basic cycle with the dark crust setting.
9 Ounces of beer, flat (see above for instructions)
3 1⁄2 Cups bread flour
1⁄4 Cup sugar
3⁄4 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
See below for metric measurements, as well as nutrition information, for this bread machine beer bread recipe.
Beer Bread
Recommended Equipment
Ingredients
- 9 Ounces (255.15 ml) beer flat - see above for instructions
- 3 1/2 Cups (437.5 g) bread flour
- 1/4 Cup (50 g) Sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon (0.75 teaspoon) salt
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 1/4 teaspoon (2.25 teaspoon) active dry yeast
Instructions
- This recipe is for a two-pound loaf. Use the basic cycle with the dark crust setting.
- This recipe calls for flat beer. Pour the nine ounces of beer into a bowl. Then cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit out for three hours. When I do this the beer, isn’t totally without carbonation, but it works fine.
- Follow the instructions that came with your machine in terms of what order to add the ingredients to the bread machine pan. My machine recommends adding the liquid ingredients first.
- After five or ten minutes of kneading check on the dough. It should be a smooth, round ball. If it’s too dry add liquid a teaspoon at a time until it looks as desired. If it looks too wet, add flour a tablespoon at a time until it looks OK.
Notes
Nutrition
All information presented within this site is intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information on breadmachinediva.com should only be used as a general guideline. This information is provided as a courtesy and there is no guarantee that the information will be completely accurate. I try to provide accurate information to the best of my ability; however these figures should still be considered estimates.
I can’t drink alcohol any longer, so I am using my IPA cans for this bread. I had a recipe for quick beer bread, but this is better– so much flavor, and the machine does everything. I love to play with herbs and flour flavors. Today’s herb mix includes rosemary, sage, and a touch of Aleppo pepper. I am also adding 1 cup of whole wheat flour, 1/4 barley flour, and 1/4 buckwheat flour (and about 1 tbsp of wheat gluten). It already smells great.
I made this with Guinness (mostly flat and room temperature), 3TBSP molasses, 1 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour (I also added 2tsp of wheat gluten). It’s fantastic! Thank you.
I used a IPA because I love the flavor, and it’s always my to-go beer for beer bread. It is perfect for pepper rosemary bread. For more flavor, I add an extra TBSP of olive oil. I’ll try with a Belgian beer that I find way too sweet to drink.
It’s fun to use different brands and styles of beer with this recipe. They all turn out great with subtle differences in flavor.
This simple recipe is one of our favorites. It turns out great every time.
I love my Zojirushi for certain bread recipies and others are better made by hand. This beer bread recipe is and excellent recipe for the bread machine. I really like the crusty crust and soft interior. My wife says it’s her new favorite bread. I used Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold lager. Thank you for such a superior recipe, they are hard to find.
John C.
Thanks. Just baked with Waterloo Dark Lager and brown sugar vs white. I micro-waved the beer from the fridge to warm it up but did not wait for it to go flat. Results were excellent. Thank you!
Interesting method of preparing the beer. I’ll have to try that!
As a brewer, I have made beer with bread in the mash! What I’ve discovered is that the bread should match the style of beer being added. For example, with a standard white bread loaf, I would recommend using a wheat beer like Widmer Brother’s Hefeweissen. For a dark(er) wheat bread, Newcastle Brown Ale would be a good choice. And for those who like Pumpernickel Rye, I’ve used Stouts, Dark Alts, Bocks, (any low hopped dark beers work well) or any dark beer that you like the flavor pairing. The main thing is to not over power the bread with the beer, but to subtly imbue the bread with a flavor that compliments, rather than contrasts with the bread.
I am making the bread as we speak we love beer bread never found a recipe until today so easy!