Where are my carb lovers? There you are! I’ve got a good one for you: High Altitude Beer Bread. Also known as the perfect bread for the lazy baker. Which, let’s be real, is all of us sometimes.
The six-ingredient, batter-like dough comes together in about two minutes, takes less an hour to bake, and is a delicious accompaniment to those fall soups you’ve been wanting to make.
My mom made a version of this bread regularly when I was growing up, and I adored it. Not because I had any weird childhood interest in beer (for the record), but because I loved its unique texture and flavor. Luxuriously hearty, this loaf has a crackly-crumbly crust and a malty, slightly sweet flavor.
In order to keep the bread from becoming too heavy, it’s important to sift the flour – or at least stir briskly to aerate it before scooping into your measuring cup. Otherwise you may end up with too much flour and an overly dense loaf.
Free of commercial yeast or eggs, this loaf relies on baking powder and the residual yeast in beer for leavening. It’s a moist, succulent – but not heavy – loaf that’s almost a cross between a muffin and bread.
Pretty much any beer will work in the batter, but pay attention to its flavor profile. Your bread will taste of whatever you use. A strong, hoppy IPA will lend a slightly bitter edge. A malty, brown ale will add a caramel-like nuance to the batter. For my test batches, I used a pale, mild lager (Deschutes Da Shootz) and a stout (Guinness), and I much preferred the flavor of the lager. Rumor has it that cheap, low-alcohol beers tend to perform best in breads such as this one, so here’s your chance to use up that PBR leftover from your Labor Day barbecue.
The secret to getting that enticingly crispy, golden, crumbly top crust is BUTTER. Melted, salted, and plenty of it. Pour it right on top of the batter.
Be sure to cool the bread fully before slicing, or it may crumble (though warm beer bread crumbles on soup wouldn’t be so bad). Once it’s cooled and stabilized, feel free to cut it into chunks and dip them into cheddar fondue, place a thick slice on the bottom of a bowl of chili, or enjoy it toasted with a smear of salted butter and a drizzle of honey. Whatever your carb-loving heart desires.
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High Altitude Beer Bread
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Total Time: 65 minutes
- Yield: 1 loaf 1x
Description
Not a bread baker? This moist, flavorful loaf allows the time-crunched high-altitude cook to enjoy delicious, hearty bread in just over an hour.
Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
3 TB granulated sugar
1 can or bottle (12 oz) beer of your choice
1/4 cup (4 TB) salted butter, melted
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a loaf pan and line it with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Pour in the beer and stir just until ingredients are fully combined and there are no pockets of flour.
Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan, smooth the top to even it out, and pour the melted butter on top. Bake for 55-60 minutes, until the top is domed and golden brown and a knife or cake tester inserted in the middle of the loaf emerges clean.
Cool fully on a wire rack before slicing. Leftovers can be wrapped first in parchment, then tightly in foil. Avoid wrapping in plastic wrap as it can make the bread overly moist and gummy.
I can smell it from here!
Bet that’d be good in a bowl of french onion soup.
You make the soup, I’ll bring the bread! 🙂
Hi Robyn
I never tried making bread except pita bread and pizza crust. Will there be any difference if I used unsalted butter instead of salted butter? It looks really good. I can smell now the bread from here. I think it will serve perfectly with hot soup. Thanks for sharing the recipe
Saif
Hi Saif, unsalted butter will give you the same crunchy crust, but not as much flavor. If you use it, I’d sprinkle some sea salt on top of the loaf. Hope you enjoy it!
What size loaf pan do you use?
I use a 1-lb loaf pan which is about 8.5” x 4.5” (often sold as a “small” loaf pan). You can use a larger pan but your loaf will be a bit flatter and squatter.
You can substitute up to half whole wheat flour or a whole-grain flour mixture and this will turn out fine. You can also use all-purpose gluten-free flour mixtures like King Arthur on a one for one ratio, just add 1 TBS. xanthan gum. Be aware that most beers have traces of gluten, but it works for my purpose.
What if I used regular salt instead of kosher? Will it make a difference?
Hi Anita, table salt is finer and tastes saltier than kosher salt, so just use a little less (maybe deduct a 1/4 tsp per tsp).
Could I add a cinnamon sugar swirl without effecting the overall outcome of the bread?
I’ve never tried that, but great thought! It shouldn’t affect the bread negatively. Let me know how it turns out!
It worked really well. I added one extra tablespoon of sugar and cinnamon to the batter. It dropped a cinnamon sugar blend on top of the batter in the pan before the butter and cut it in like you would do for a marble cake. My kids loved it. The flavors worked well, the rise was beautiful. This bread is definitely something I will make often. I’m doing a cheese version to go with a creamy green chili smoked chicken soup later this week. Thank you for this wonderful recipe.
I will have to try it with cinnamon and sugar – sounds delicious!
Trying this recipe now, thank you so much! I just found your site and I love it. I live in Durango, CO and I love to bake! Everything is different at high altitude!
It sure is. Welcome!
I used green chili beer and it gave a great flavor. Also, could you leave out the baking powder and use self rising flour instead? Thanks for the high altitude recipe…I live at 7200 and always finding it hard to translate regular recipes.
Hi Lee Ann, self rising flour has a set ratio of baking powder in it, and because it’s important to adjust that ratio for altitude, I recommend using separate measures of regular AP flour and baking powder.
This recipe is a winner! My husband loves it with Negro Modelo as the beer. I used half whole-wheat pastry flour, and it turned out great.
I like it with dark beer too!
Hi Robyn! I live at altitude here in Breck, but my sister lives at just above sea level in Nebraska. Would you make any adjustments to the recipe if I sent it to her? Thank you for any help!
Made this at about 6000 ft here in COS. Bread is delicious, a little salty. Should crust be “crunchy” all the way around? I followed recipe exactly, and was glad to finally use the last bottle of HoneysWheat Beehive!!! Can’t wait to have it later with potato soup😉
Yes crunchy crust, love it! I am at 8000′ and primarily use wheat beer also. Other beers leave a bitter tasre, but thats just me. Family disagrees with me. I also left out the parchment and found it to be even better with nonstick pans.
Could I use bread flour for this recipe instead of all purpose?
If I use gluten free flour with this recipe, will I need to change anything else in the recipe for it to come out right?
Good, easy to make, but EXTREMELY salty. I typically like salty things and this is too salty for me. I’d dial back the kosher salt by half next time.