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.
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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.
Why is my beer bread so dense? ›
Overworking the dough of your beer bread will affect the texture, causing it to turn from soft and chewy to tough and condensed.
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 to make with beer bread? ›
Think brisket, chicken, ribs, steaks, pork loin – all pair wonderfully with a slice of beer bread. When you're trying to keep it lighter, pair beer bread with your favorite salad. We highly recommend Caesar salad!
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.
Which beer makes the best beer cheese? ›
The beer: Quality cheddar cheese and a super-flavorful beer are both key to making this beer cheese sing. Make sure to choose a beer with a flavor you love, since you'll definitely taste it in the finished dip. I recommend a lager or an amber ale, but if you prefer a hoppier flavor, you could also opt for an IPA.
What makes bread lighter and fluffier? ›
Add Sugar
Adding sugar weakens the gluten structure, absorbs water, and eventually makes the bread lighter and softer. As a result, sugar improves the bread's taste, structure and texture. Yeast also eats up sugar to produce carbon dioxide, which raises the dough and makes bread fluffy.
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.
How do you make bread airy and not dense? ›
Dry Milk Powder
If you want a lighter fluffier bread loaf just add 2 Tbsp of dry milk to the flour per loaf of your bread.
What happens if you put too much beer in beer bread? ›
Don't add too much beer
The amount of beer you use should equal the amount of flour. Too much beer will make your bread sticky, while not enough won't allow it to rise properly.
Most of the alcohol cooks out of the bread but not a hundred percent. Beer is pretty low in alcohol already and what's left after baking is inconsequential. However, if it's a concern, use soda water instead of beer.
Does beer have to be warm for beer bread? ›
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.
What tastes good on beer bread? ›
Beer bread is excellent when sliced and spread with butter, cubed and sprinkled on top a thick, hearty chili, or dipped into a spinach or cheese dip.
Does beer bread need to be refrigerated? ›
TO STORE: Store beer bread in a paper towel-lined airtight storage container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
What is the common ingredient in beer and bread? ›
You can capitalize on their interest by asking the class what bread and beer have in common. While some may know that both are made with yeast, it is unlikely that they will know why yeast is used in their production. By now students should be interested and ready to learn more about yeasts.
What is the best beer to bake with? ›
Amber and brown ales tend to be less bitter than the alternatives and feature a nutty flavor. Because of this, these beers are often recommended for caramels, cookies, and pies. Light-colored beers have their place in baking, too. Lagers and Witbiers are used in lighter cakes and cookies.
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.
