Forget complicated bread recipes – this stout beer bread is pure genius. You need just a few ingredients, a bold stout beer and sharp cheddar cheese to whip up a warm, savory loaf. It’s the perfect bread for beginners and beer lovers alike!
The beauty of beer bread is its simplicity. Mix, bake, and enjoy! In this version, we combine stout beer with cheddar and scallions. Serve this savory bread as a side for homemade chili or creamy soups like potato soup, or enjoy it with a bit of butter as a snack.
This recipe only requires a bowl, a spoon, and a loaf pan. No mixer or fancy ingredients are required. It is also a great excuse to buy your favorite beer! If you have beer left over, make our Guinness Chocolate Cake or our Guinness Beef Stew.
How to Make Stout Beer Bread
Making beer bread couldn’t be any easier. Mix the dry ingredients together, then pour your beer and melted butter. This comes together as a wet dough — almost like a thick pancake batter.
Spoon the beer bread dough into your loaf pan, then add some extra cheese and scallions. Drizzle over more melted butter for a golden-brown crust, then bake until a toothpick comes out clean.
Choosing Your Stout Beer
Use a stout beer you love. Guinness adds a classic richness and is used in our photos. Be bold and experiment with other options. Try chocolate, coffee, or even oatmeal stouts for a unique twist. If you don’t like stout beer, substitute for lagers, pilsners, or amber ales like in this easy beer bread recipe.
Variations
Sharp cheddar and scallions are our base, but the options are endless. Try crumbled bacon, roasted garlic, herbs like rosemary, or even crispy shallots.
Try other beers, or for a non-alcoholic version, use a non-alcoholic beer or seltzer water.
Cheesy Stout Beer Bread
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
Beer bread is the easiest bread you’ll ever bake! You only need a few things: a bowl, a spoon, a loaf pan, and your favorite beer. This recipe is incredibly versatile – try a stout (like we did), a light beer, a pilsner, a lager, pumpkin ale, or even hard cider. Stay away from hoppy beers, as they can be too strong.
We recommend an 8 ½ x 4 ½-inch loaf pan. If you only have a 9 x 5 pan, no worries! Start checking your bread for doneness about 5 minutes before the minimum baking time listed in the recipe.
Pro tip: For the most even baking, use an insulated baking sheet or stack two regular baking sheets together. This simple trick makes a big difference!
You Will Need
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled, divided
3 cups (390g) self-rising flour
3 ounces (85g) sharp cheddar cheese, cut into small cubes (about 3/4 cup)
2 scallions, ends trimmed and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Pinch fine sea salt
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
12 ounces stout beer or beer of your choice (1 ½ cups)
Directions
- Prepare Batter
1Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and brush an 8 ½ x 4 ½-inch loaf pan with a bit of the melted butter.
2Set about 10 pieces of cheese and a small handful of sliced scallions aside for the top of the bread.
3Mix the flour, the remaining cheese, green onion, sugar, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl until well blended. Make a well in the flour mixture and add the beer. Stir until relatively smooth. Stir in two-thirds of the butter, leaving the remaining third for the top of the loaf.
4Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Scatter with the reserved cheese and scallion, then drizzle with the remaining third of butter.
5Bake the bread until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with only a few crumbs attached, 45 to 50 minutes.
6Cool the loaf in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Storing: Store in an airtight container at room temperature or the fridge.
- Make your own self-rising flour: Combine 3 cups all-purpose flour, 4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, and 3/4 teaspoon salt.
- Beyond stout beer: Experiment with your favorite beers or try seltzer water for a non-alcoholic version.
- Nutrition facts: The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We have used the USDA database to calculate approximate values.
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How long does the bread last? Love this recipe!!!
Hi Jess, Glad you enjoy the recipe! The bread lasts for a few days on the counter or wrapped well in the freezer for about a month.
I only use whole wheat flour and am not familiar with w.w. self rising flour. If there is such a thing I doubt I’d buy it only to make this. Can you suggest how much baking powder or powder and soda would be required to substitute flour for self rising flour ?
To make 1 cup of self-rising flour, whisk 1 cup of all-purpose flour with 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder and a 1/4 teaspoon of salt together until well blended. For this recipe, you will need 3 cups of self-rising flour.
I made the cheesy beer bread recipe and used Blue Moon Gingerbread Spiced Ale, it was delicious! I served it with Irrisistable Guiness Beef Stew With Carrots (it was New Year’s day, I had a theme!), and wow, what a great combination these two made!
Thanks for two easy, fool-proof recipes. I did have to finish the stew on the stove, two hours in my oven (which normally runs hot) was just not enough, but another 45 minutes on the stove top produced an amazingly savory beef stew!
Looking forward to making this combo again!
Anna