3-Ingredient Honey Beer Bread Recipe

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This three-ingredient honey beer bread recipe is soft, sweet, and has a perfect crumb. For a bread that tastes like a cross between your favorite whole-grain loaf and a cake, this recipe checks the box, and with minimal ingredients at that. According to recipe developer Ksenia Prints of At the Immigrant's Table, the beauty of beer bread is that it's much faster (and easier) to make than traditional bread. There's no kneading involved, you don't need many ingredients, and you don't need to wait around for the dough to rest or rise. Bubbly, yeasty beer acts as a leavening agent that helps the bread rise much faster than with traditional yeast. The resulting loaf of bread is one that is wonderfully dense and almost cake-like.

So, the next time you decide to try your hand at bread baking, don't wait for the weekend. This easy honey beer bread comes together with barely any work, and is perfect for a weekday project. Plus, that extra layer of honey slathered on top adds just the right touch of sweetness to take this three-ingredient beer bread from good to absolutely delicious.

To make this beer bread, you'll need self-rising flour (which is essentially pre-mixed flour with baking powder and salt), honey, and some cold amber ale. Try to look for an amber ale with honey notes or ingredients. Caramel notes would also work well.

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Line a 9x5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper and/or lightly grease it.

In a large bowl, combine the self-rising flour and honey, and stir to distribute the honey evenly.

Pour in the ale and gently stir until just combined. The batter will be thick and slightly lumpy — don't overmix.

Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top with a spatula.

Bake the bread for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

About 5 minutes before the bread is done baking, brush the top with a little extra honey for a shiny, sweet crust.

Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving.

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The rich texture and flavors of this beer bread make it the perfect base for some crunchy and chewy additions. Our favorite is to add seeds and nuts like pumpkin, sunflower seeds, and walnuts, pecans or almonds. They provide texture and look great both inside and on the outside of the loaf.

For a savory option, add some shredded cheddar or Gruyere cheese. You can even use a smoked Gouda to contrast nicely against the ale and honey. Even crispy bacon bits or fresh herbs will amp up the savory profile of the bread. If going the sweet route, you can mix in some dried fruits like cranberries and dried or fresh diced apples. Adding spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom really plays to the fall texture of the bread.

If you choose to add some mix-ins, don't go over ½ to ¾ of a cup to avoid messing with the bread's structure. This way, you'll still end up with a beautifully risen loaf, but with some crunch.

Though the thought of pouring a can of crispy beer into flour and making bread from it may seem a bit strange at first, there actually is a method to the madness — and it's a pretty simple science, in fact. In simple terms, the science behind beer bread relies on the chemical interactions between the beer's natural bubbly, yeasty components and the other baking ingredients. In the case of this recipe, we use self-rising flour (which contains all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt) as a sort of three-in-one ingredient that, when combined with the beer, yields a satisfying dense and cakey loaf of bread.

The more exact science comes down to the fact that beer contains active yeast, carbon dioxide bubbles (hence why beer is carbonated), and often a little bit of sugar. When it combines with self-rising flour, these elements create a dual-leavening effect. This all means that your loaf of bread gets a hefty lift, all thanks to a can of ale. And, as such, your beer bread doesn't need time to rise, meaning that you can go straight from mixing to baking.

And, if you're worried about consuming alcohol with this bread, don't be. This bread bakes for nearly an hour, meaning that an alcohol will be cooked off, and all that will remain is that lovely honey ale flavor.

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