I’ve had a number of requests for my beer bread recipe, so I decided it’s time to share! I like my beer bread moist, so the dough for this is quite sticky, but the resulting bread is soft, moist, and chewy, with the perfect crust (if I do say so myself).

You can use any kind of beer you like, though I’d stay away from very bitter styles, as too much bitterness can be pretty unpleasant after it’s cooked. Hefeweizen is great if you want a lightly sweet bread with a yeasty taste. Darker, malty beers are also very nice in this recipe. But feel free to try whatever you like!

So, here’s my recipe for beer bread. Try it out and let me know what you think!

Beer Bread

Ingredients:
300 g (2 ½ cups) whole wheat flour
160 g (1 ¼ cup) bread flour
1 tsp salt
1 ½ tsp active dry yeast
2 tbsp melted butter
1/3 cup honey
12 fl oz beer, heated to 100-110° F

Directions:
This recipe can be made using a bread machine or a stand mixer. For a bread machine, simply place the ingredients in the bread pan in the order recommended by the manufacturer, and use the whole wheat, 1 ½ lb, light crust setting.

If using a stand mixer, combine the whole wheat flour, bread flour, salt, and yeast in the bowl of the mixer. Add the butter, honey, and beer. Beat with the paddle attachment until a stiff dough forms, about two minutes. Switch to the dough hook and knead for about 5 minutes. The dough will be sticky but elastic. It will stick to the sides of the bowl, but if not much of the dough is on the dough hook, add more bread flour, 1 tbsp at a time.

Lightly grease (with melted butter, canola oil, or non-stick spray) the bottom and sides of a bowl that is roughly twice the size of the dough. Place the dough in the greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until dough has doubled in size.

Generously grease a 9×5” loaf pan with butter and place the dough in the prepared pan. Cover the pan with lightly greased plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes. When the dough has risen up above the sides of the pan, carefully remove the plastic wrap and bake in a 350° F oven for about 45 minutes, or until the crust is golden-brown. Remove from pan and place on a wire rack. Brush the top of the loaf with butter while it’s still hot (optional). Cool the loaf for 30 minutes before serving. Slice and enjoy!