Beer Bread Recipe (with Parmesan and Black Pepper)

Have you ever tried making bread with beer? This beer bread recipe is simple and incredibly flavorful with the addition of parmesan cheese and freshly cracked black pepper and the texture is perfectly tender and buttery. While we love this beer bread with just a generous pat of butter slathered on top, it’s even better when dipped into a big bowl of chili or broccoli cheddar soup! If you’re looking for a quick bread with tons of savory flavor, this recipe is about to be your new favorite!

What is Beer Bread?

Want a deliciously comforting loaf of bread that doesn’t require hours of proofing yeast, rising, and baking? Beer bread is a quick bread that uses the natural yeasts in beer to activate a rise. The beer reacts with baking powder to help the bread rise as it bakes. Depending on the type of beer you use, you’ll also add extra flavor to the bread. But don’t worry, all or most of the alcohol cooks out of the bread, leaving you with all the flavor but no alcohol.

How to Make Our Beer Bread Recipe

Ingredients

Process

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease the loaf pan and set aside.
2. Place flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl and whisk together.

3. Create a small well in the center of the flour mixture.
4. Add beer, ¼ cup melted butter, lemon zest (if using), parmesan, and black pepper. Stir together until the dough just comes together. Do not over-mix! (if there are small flour pockets, gently stir them away – a couple of remaining flour pockets are okay).

5. Pour mixture into a prepared loaf pan.
6. Pour the remaining butter over the top of the batter. Bake for about 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the loaf.

7. Remove the loaf from the pan and allow it to cool until warm to the touch (about 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Tips and Tricks for the BEST Beer Bread

Choose a flavorful beer. Craft beers, stouts, ales, or any darker beer are likely to have yeast present that will help the bread rise while also lending a nice flavor to the bread. Some beers have yeast filtered out, like Sam Adams Boston Lager, Miller Lite, or Heineken, and may not be the best choice.

Don’t overmix the batter. Be sure to just mix the batter until most of the flour pockets are gone. Stirring too much will lead to a dense loaf.

Don’t let the batter sit too long. Once the batter is mixed, get it into the pan and into the oven within 10-15 minutes. If you wait too long, the baking soda and beer will react too much before the heat is added, preventing a good rise.

Bake just until the toothpick comes out clean. If you overbake the bread, it may become dry and crumbly instead of tender.

Let the bread cool before slicing. Letting the bread rest for an hour to an hour and a half before slicing will help the slices hold their shape.

Variations

Switch up the beer. Choose your favorite craft beer or a spiced seasonal variety to add a little extra flavor to the bread. Darker beers, like Guinness, will also add more flavor to your beer bread.

Add cheese. We added parmesan cheese to this recipe, but sharp cheddar, Gruyere, mozzarella, or Monterrey Jack can also be used.

Mix in the herbs. Fresh herbs, including rosemary, thyme, dill, or oregano, can add a new, fun flavor to the bread. Freshly minced garlic or garlic powder also adds incredible flavor to this bread!

Make it spicy. Add chopped fresh jalapeno peppers, red pepper chili flakes, or pepper jack cheese.

Make it sweet. Add dried fruit like raisins, cranberries, or chopped apricots to the bread, along with chopped walnuts, pecans, or pistachios. Don’t forget a drizzle of honey as well!

Storing Instructions

To keep your beer bread fresh, let it cool completely, then wrap it in plastic wrap and place it in an airtight container for up to 2-3 days on the counter.

You can also freeze baked beer bread by wrapping it in plastic and then in an airtight freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter or in the refrigerator and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days after thawing.

What to Eat with Our Beer Bread Recipe?

One of the best things about beer bread is that it tastes incredible by itself but can also be eaten with a wide variety of different foods:

Eat it with a dip like Spinach and Artichoke Dip or Hot Crab Dip.

Enjoy it along with a hearty BBQ Chicken Salad or Summer Steak Salad.

Use it to sop up a bowl of Creamy Pumpkin Soup or Chicken Gnocchi.

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