Friday, December 23, 2011

No-Knead Beer Bread – My Second Favorite Use for Belgian Ale

The hardest thing about this ultra-simple, no-knead bread recipe is somehow managing not to drink that last bottle of beer. In fact, if this recipe goes viral, you may actually see a “7-Pack” introduced into the market.

My beer drinking experience far exceeds my beer bread baking experience, so I’m not entirely sure exactly what the beer does here, but anecdotal evidence suggests it does delicious and beneficial things. Besides, it just feels right. When I stirred that bubbly brew into the foamy sponge, I swear I could hear the yeast moaning.

This is adapted from a recipe that my Uncle Bill adapted from our famous no-knead ciabatta bread recipe. That dough only uses a pinch of yeast, and takes about 18 hours to rise, but my Godfather proved that you could get similar results in just a few hours with this short-cut method.

So, if you were using the rising time as an excuse for not making homemade bread, well then, now what are you going to use? This really is an easy, fun, and fast recipe, and you’ll be amazed at how great the results are, even for the most inexperienced bread maker. Enjoy!


Ingredients:
For the sponge:
1 1/2 teaspoon dry active yeast
1/2 cup AP flour
1/2 cup warm water (about 100 degrees)
Then:
12 oz bottled beer
18 ounces AP flour (about 4 cups)
1 1/2 teaspoon fine salt

169 comments:

Anonymous said...

Does this taste like beer? I ask coz I never drink beer as I don't like the taste.

And sorry you got a cold :-( Hope you get well soon. Move down to OC, the weather is super nice and warm here ;-)

Chef John said...

Yes but very subtle.

Blizniak said...

May I ask why do you always use dry active yeast instead of fresh yeast?

Anonymous said...

100º celius or fahrenheit ?
(:

Azi said...

don't want to nitpick but there is no beer in the ingredients list...

btw, love the no-knead bread, this sounds like an excellent solution for when I forgot to put a loaf ahead of time.

Cheers,
AG

Anonymous said...

Forgot to list the beer in the ingredients list.

Looking forward to trying this bread, looks really good!

Anonymous said...

Chef John, why does this take so much less time to rise than the ciabatta recipe (which takes 18 hours)?

Thanks! - Wolfgang

Anonymous said...

Looks good! The beer isn't listed in your ingredients.

Chef John said...

Not sure! Maybe its the more yeast?

Chef John said...

Blizniak, that's just I've always used. Easy and convenient.

Paula said...

Im going to try this soon. Just saw it on YouTube. Your Amazing.

Anonymous said...

John, I LOVE your blog, but it's Belgian, not Belgium. Keep up the good work!

Ting's Desolace said...

Yay finally another yeast bread recipe!! I can't wait to try this! Thanks Chef John! BTW can I substitute beer with other carbonated soda pops like coke or sprite?

Jonathan said...

Even simpler (and a little less cure time). It's made for some amazing bread too:
Beer Bread

3 cups self-rising flour
1 can (12 oz) beer at room temperature
5 tbsp sugar

Mix all ingredients by hand, pour into greased (Pam) loaf pan. Pour 1/2 to 1 stick melted butter over the top. Let set for 15 minutes.

Bake 350° for 1 hr.

For different flavor ideas use parmesan cheese, garlic, italian seasoning, etc.

Additionally, I've done it with hard apple cider and cut up a granny smith apple into it with very positive results :)

Chef John said...

Yes that is fast, but I want everyone to be clear that that's a short bread recipe, and not the same taste and texture as a yeast bread. This is much more of a bisquit or cake texture. Similar to soda bread.

Michelle et Abigail said...

Is the pan of water you added to the oven a good idea for any type of bread or just this one?

Sandy B said...

How do I print this out with the times? Do I need to listen to the video and write it out?

Ting's Desolace said...

HI Chef John, tonight I just baked the bread follow your recipe. At first I was worried about the strong beer taste, but it tastes exactly like a sourdough bread! Unfortunately my mom cut the bread before it has completely cooled off, therefore the whole loaf is getting a little crumbly...she said she couldn't resist the smell. Great recipe regardless thanks!!

Anonymous said...

18 oz of AP flour is NOT 4 CUPS, I just screwed up the dough because of this...

Anonymous said...

Hi Chef John!
tried the recipe today.
i didnt get the sponge in the beginning but then i stil continued by adding more flour in
the bread was burnt after i bake it following ur recipe :S it still tastes good except tht the crust's a bit too hard coz its burnt
wht might i had done wrong?

Chef John said...

Yes it does! You're confusing weight and volume. A cup is 8 fluid ounces, but a cup of flour only weights about 4,5 ounces on a scale. So, if you weight 4 cups of flour it will weight about 18 ounces. (you should watch our How to measure flour video!)

Bottom line. Either weigh 18 ounces of four on a scale (most accurate) or simply add 4 cups of flour. Either way you are adding the same amount.

Chef John said...

No idea! Your oven must be off since this won't burn in 35 minutes. Did you add the water?

Pat Mearson said...

I made this yesterday with good results. The dough was a little dry and I should have added a little more beer.
I think it's important here that we remember we all live in different altitudes with different humidity levels, so we need to add the flour to feel and not necessarily what the recipe calls for. Remember, the more you bake bread, the better you'll get at it.

Anonymous said...

Do I need to make any adjustments to the recipe if I substitute the AP flour with bread flour? Will it come out the same?

Chef John said...

Use same amounts.

Anonymous said...

Any problems with yeast competition with the baker's yeast by using unfiltered bottle conditioned beer?

Chef John said...

the same I think!

Chef John said...

yeast competition? is that a real thing?

Jerome said...

The bread is excellent ! Even if I used fresh yeast, and forgot to put water inside the oven... I used a Belgian beer called 'Saint Feuillien'.
Here in Belgium we have some good recipes with beer. The most famous is called Carbonnades Flamandes and is a kind of Beef Bourgignon cooked with brown beer, brown sugar and onions. It tastes very sweet !

Anonymous said...

Now this cut down the middle of the bread sorta reminds me of something in the finished bread money shot, but I just can't put my finger on it.
Can you help me figure it out?

Sunioc said...

I'm a few days late, but to Wolfgang who asked why this would proof for less time, I would guess that mixing in a beer, especially an unfiltered and unpasteurized beer, would have the same effect as letting the dough rise naturally. The primary function of yeast is to turn sugars into carbon dioxide and alcohol, and that's already done with the beer. plus, if there's any active yeast in the beer, that would help the little bit of yeast already in the recipe do it's job.
As for the anonymous question about yeast competition, yes, that is a real thing. If you put 2 strains of yeast together, one will eventually kill the other off. This is the reason why san francisco sourdough all has the same characteristics and you can't make SF sourdough elsewhere. You could take a poolish from SF and move it to another region, but eventually the wild yeast in that area would kill off the San Francisco yeast, and you would have a poolish with the characteristics inherent in the local yeast. However, this wouldn't really have any effect on something that's taking all of 6 hours to go from raw ingredients to finished product.

Foodfanataholic said...

Bread was amazing, I would just add a tad more salt the next time. Perfect rise, perfect bake, perfect taste!

bootcamp workouts said...

This is nice Bread..good for Diet control.

Dona

Emyloo Shoes said...

As usual - huge success! I used bread flour and a bottle of Blue Moon, and our dinner guests said it was some of the best bread they've ever had!

Thanks (once again) for making me look like I know what I'm doing :)

nick said...

i made it and it didnt turn brown at 325 for 35 min so i sock it to 50 min and its still not brown why is this and it was still soft and slitly low and i use a thermometer by oven isnt off

Chef John said...

No idea!

Anonymous said...

Hi Chef John,

This was the first loaf of bread I ever made (I'm only 18). I loved it! As did my parents when I allowed them to eat it haha. I made one variation that turned out great, I used a dark beer with more hopps and the bread tastes much more like sour dough. Overall a great simple recipe that I can make any time. So glad I found this.

~Katie

Anonymous said...

Am I the only one who thought of boobs when CJ said "There are only a couple things I can think of that feel this amazing underneath your fingertips..."?

Kristen B said...

I made this today. And yes, it was as easy as you made it look in the video! Here's a pic of how mine turned out: http://flic.kr/p/b6pxxB

Thanks, Chef John, for helping me bake my very first loaf of bread from scratch! :)

M. said...

I've used dark beer (a schwarzbier style one) to make this, and it turned out great! the dough was a little more "liquid" than i would like, but i added extra flour and stuff.. since i was afraid it would get too tough, i just leave it that way!
it tastes great, the beer added a little more color to the bread, and despite the kinda-too-round shape acquired from the stubborn liquid dough, i was satisfied!

A big hug from Brazil chef John! I really like your videos =)

David said...

Chef John,

If you just want a regular sans beer bread, but want a quicker recipe than the Ciabatta bread you posted can you just follow the recipe and omit the beer? I'm think you might have to wait longer for the dough to rise though. Thanks in advance for your response.

Chef John said...

Yes! It work with just water!

Joey said...

I can't believe I had to explain the "couple of things" joke to my husband when we watched this... I think he's losing his touch! My loaf is currently settling in for a couple of hours under a hot, wet towel. Can't wait to try it :) thanks for all your amazing recipes, Chef John.

Chef John said...

You're a great wife. I can tell. :)

Madona said...

Your holiday pumpkin bread (the one with 1/4 teaspoon of yeast, the one I had so much success) required 50 minutes to bake, yet this one only 35 minutes to bake. Why the shorter bake time? You also use more flour, more yeast plus the beer in this recipe. Why is this?

Yolina said...

I made the Beer Bread few time WOW it is absolutely delicious and fancy looking, super easy to make .
For sure I will bake it often.
Thank you Chef John .

Anonymous said...

Hello Chef John,

I enjoy your teaching cooking blog very much.

I have 2 questions regarding this bread:
1-Can I use whole wheat flour as an alternative?
2-If I don't want to use beer is there an alternative?

Thanks!
Gaelle

Chef John said...

sure, it will just be denser. you can just use warm water.

Anonymous said...

My first try at making bread and it came out great. Thanks so much..
vfj....

Anonymous said...

You must have small hands. I followed the recipe and my loaf looks a lot smaller.

Anonymous said...

I just baked mine with 2 cups of wheat flour and 2 cups of PF -- Turned our fantastic!! Love it

Anonymous said...

My mom is always trying to make different breads and they never come out too good. I, her 14 year old daughter, gave this a shot and blew her mind <3

GG said...

Using the whole flour came out great! I used beer this time. Will used hot water next Thursday with a new loaf.

Thanks!
Gaelle

CASears said...

Man, I suddenly got called into work while it's in the process of rising. Is it okay to store it for a few hours, in the fridge or something, and then proof/bake?

Chef John said...

Sure! Chill it!

Brightclouds said...

Thank you.
I did it. Very delicious.

K said...

My belgian friends that I've visited for a New Years Eve party REALLY liked your bread!!!
btw, me too :)
Cheers from Germany
K.

GG said...

Chef John,

I am trying the bread again tonight. I just finish mixing all ingredients and realized as it was last time that with whole wheat flour you need more liquid to arrive at the sticky consistency. I probably added between 4 to 6 ounces in addition to the initial 12 ounces, which brings the total liquid to 16 to 18 ounces.

Gaelle

Anonymous said...

Chef John,

How do you feel about a stout with this recipe? is my bread going to be black? LOL

Holly said...

Making this tomorrow to go with Broccoli Cheddar soup (with beer) Thanks so much!

Drew said...

I made it with the stout and it turned out great. I used 12oz Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout and then just before baking sprayed it with PAM and drizzled oatmeal then a pinch of flour over it.

I also used my crock pot so it would keep a nice shape. 30 min at 450 then took the glass pyrex lid off for 15 more minutes.

The center was so soft and fluffy it was cake like with just the slightest crunch on the outside.

I couldn't get the slits to cut very well though. Using a super sharp pering knife they just kept closing up so it busted on the side slightly. I'll try a razor blade next time but I can't imagine it being any sharper. Maybe my dough was too sticky still. I've never made bread before this.

2 pics:

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/88/photo3yzv.jpg/

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/832/photo2bwu.jpg/

LAU Laetitia said...

Hi,

I tried it this afternoon and oh my gosh!!!! It was so good!!! Thanks for all your recipe. And keep going!

Anonymous said...

HiChef John, Thank you very much for the easy video of making home made no knead beer Bread. I have made it twice and it came out great. My husband loves it and told me to keep on making the bread. We love it.
Thanks again.

Ashley said...

I made this tonight with Newcastle beer and its....AMAZING!! My husband and I couldnt wait for it to cool either...lol

Denisa JINDRA said...

Hello Chef John!
I tried this recipe and it turned out AMAZING!! We all loved it.....made it on Friday, (it's Sunday and it's gone, so I have another batch in the oven as I type! ) All your videos make cooking look so easy! This is my new favorite web site!

I Butcher Recipies said...

Hi Chef John. Just a quick question.
If the yeast doesn't seem to be going ballistic after the prescribed 2 hours, should i just give it more time, maybe move it to an even warmer place, or both?
Sponge looked perfect, but it seems like it's taking a little longer in the rising dept.
Maybe 3 or more hours rising?

bigguysez said...

I tried this bread recipe. My sponge was much thicker/pastier than yours (video). After beer added and proofed for 2 hrs it was much more gooey. I had to "pour" it onto the cornmeal sheet. No way I could have rolled it around and shaped it, let alone picked it up. I probably used +1/4 cup more flour trying to handle it at all.
After the last proofing (in warm oven) it only stood about 2" tall. Any ideas?

cdb said...

Just made this for the second time, and neither time has it browned. It looks much more, shall we say "rustic" than yours. I was really hoping to get that nice split, browned look like yours, but no luck. First loaf tasted ok, but I fixed one mistake for round 2 and had higher hopes. It's still cooling, so I haven't cut into it yet. I know you already said you had no idea why someone else's didn't brown, so I'm really just sharing an experience here. Could it have anything to do w/ the beer used? I used New Beljium's Trippel.

Chef John said...

sorry, not sure! do you have water in the oven?

Anonymous said...

How do I print off a copy of this recipe with ingredients and instructions together? I very much want to try this recipe but I do not want my laptop in my kitchen prep area. I like old school, a printed copy to spill things all over and with space for me to make comments. HELP please =}

Chef John said...

Sorry, no time to type! But if you write one up for us, I'll be happy to post!

mschne01 said...

Will this recipe work with organic gluten-free grain flours or mixes?
I am trying to get healthier and away from the processed and genetically enhanced foods so prevalent today.... but I don't want to give up bread. My fingers are crossed on your response!

Thank you, Chef John :o)

Chef John said...

Sorry, I've never baked GF!

Anonymous said...

Made this tonight with great success. Forgot to put the pan of water in and it was just fine. I did brush with oil in the last ten minutes of baking and that helped create a nice golden finish. The crust had a perfect little crunch. Thank you!

(I used Sam Adams Lager which imparted a slight bitter note...will use a more mellow beer next time.)

Jana said...

I made a loaf of bread last night with a bottle of Blue Moon. Followed the recipe exactly and the crust was amazing. It went beautifully with a hearty chicken soup. Thank you for demystifying yeast and bread making with this easy recipe!

Not Just A Chick said...

Just tried recipe this week..and am in love... I did double the salt, as I find most homemade bread recipes lack a bit, and it worked! my Guinea pig taste-tester (haha) LOVED it.. perfect flavour, and liked how quick I was able to produce the loaf! Taking it up the the cabin w/ the in-laws this weekend!! Thanks!!

Anonymous said...

Awesome recipe! I tried this last night with a BlueMoon Winter Abbey Ale - delicious!

I followed it EXACTLY and was perfect.

The house smelled great. The hardest thing was letting it cool overnight, but we did and it was well worth it!

Anonymous said...

Can you use all whole wheat for this instead of AP?

Anonymous said...

Best loaf of no-knead bread yet for me! I believe my dough was too wet before, which is what was making crumb so deliciously moist and airy, but also making it take an hour to bake. This ration of liquid to flour makes a very nice airy crumb, still moist, but without those huge ciabatta holes. Nice!
-Pyrofish

Milo Windby said...

I'm currently waiting for my dough to rise, can't wait to see this when its done.

Love the videos you make =D

GPVC said...

We just tried this recipe and it's fantastic! Just one small question... can bake the dough in bread pans? I think we can make two out of the same dough... just wondering if we will get a more uniform shape. Thanks! GREAT RECIPE!

Chef John said...

Never tried, but sure, why not?

GG said...

GPVC, could you let us know how your bread came out by using bread pans?

Thanks,
GG

GG said...

GPVC, could you let me/us know how the bread turned out by using the bread pans?

Thanks,
GG

Anonymous said...

I made two batches of dough and divided them into three loaf pans coated with a lite coat of pam and corn meal,that worked fine. I have also substituted 1/2 of the AP with whole wheat and or Barley flour. Great recipe, thanks John

Patrick said...

I happened upon this wonderful recipe by serendipity and have been making this bread at least once every week since (family and friends all love it). I had used Anchor Steam (wonderful) exclusively until last night's Guiness Black Lager (fantastic).

I also greatly enjoy Chef John's delicious blend of entertainment and learning.

Anonymous said...

can I use wheat flour in place of or in combination with the AP flour?

Chef John said...

i'm sure you can, but it will be a heavier texture

Anonymous said...

A truly dignified way to put stale homebrew to rest. I used a superannuated bitter and added dried oregano, crushed garlic, shredded cheddar ("shreddar"), and pickled jalapeños

Recipe doubled well, but the recipe is for a very large loaf as-is.

Valerie said...

You mentioned warming this in a lighted oven at appx 90 degreesF. Is this the general temperature that all bread & doughs that require a warm rise need?

I have just checked my oven, that has two lights, and it reads at 122 degF. Is this temp TOO warm? If so, I can unscrew one light.

Had perfect luck with No-rise Ciabatta, and feel cocky enough to start working harder. Thank you always for your encouragement and fine teaching!

Sierra said...

Hello Chef John,

I saw your video on Allrecipes and I plan to try it. The reason I am posting here is because I wanted to ask you where you think I should go to school to study culinary arts. I will be graduating high school this June and am overwhelmed by my options. I decided to ask someone like you who studied in New York for advice. I am in Seattle, Washington.

Chef John said...

Sierra, Wish I could help, but I have no info with any current culinary program!

Be sure to work in a restaurant for a few weeks or months before enrolling in any school!

Chef John said...

I don't think I said 90 degrees, as that's too hot. 70-75 is great.

GG said...

Good morning Chef John,

I wanted share and see what you think of the yeast increase.

I made the bread last night with some changes as an experiment. Since I knew that using whole wheat or whole grain white flours will make the bread denser, I used 2 tsp of instant yeast instead (still need same amount of rising time by the way). Does that make a difference?

I also added 15 minutes to all the rising times (expect for the sponge).

I used 1 cup of whole grain white flour, 1 cup of whole wheat, and 2 of unbleached all-purpose. I have to say that it is meatier, but supple. It's also less chewy. Love it.

Anonymous said...

Fantastic! I've never baked bread before. Woke up at 5am, couldn't get back to bed and decided to hop on youtube, stumbled on this video, did exactly as instructed and it turned out perfectly. It made an excellent addition to breakfast. Thanks Chef John!

Picture

Anonymous said...

Fantastic recipe and video!

Woke up at 5am, stumbled upon this, thought "why not?", followed each step and ended up with great fresh bread for breakfast. It was my first time baking bread and I loved it.

I was particularly inspired by the "can't throw 3 ingredients together" nudge and the "couple of things that feel nicer" comment in the video.

Thanks Chef John.

Picture

Anonymous said...

I made my first recipe from your site which was my first bread and had a deliciously successful wine/cheese/bread party with it. It was BEAUTIFUL!! Thanks for your amazing videos, I've shared them with several people...as a matter of fact, my house is starting to become a bread factory off your no knead recipes...

blazen said...

I just tried this but my dough doesn't look like chef's :( mine looks a lot more dry! help!

Shreya said...

This bread is HUGE!I made it yesterday with whole wheat flour. It was little dense but not dry at all. Also, it is going to last me forever.

Thanks! Great recipe.

Jhex said...

I made this last week... it was excellent! I had to use a little less flour (about 3-1/2 cups) but I was using a Heineken which are under 12 oz

The flavor was fantastic, the texture perfect... thanks Chef John

Unknown said...

Would sourdough starter work with this recipe?

Chef John said...

starter should theoretically work in any bread!

Anonymous said...

Chef John you have changed my life i make you're recipes and it puts my man in a really good mood. This beer bread is so much better than my recipe

Anonymous said...

this is the first recipe of Foodwishes that i tried making. i need to give you a BIG thank you, Chef John:) it came out super good! i love it! this is a real good and easy recipe and it was my very first time making a loaf of bread! thank you thank you!

mszatanik said...

Also works with czech and german beers :)

and its great with whole wheat flour.

Anonymous said...

Chef John THANK YOU! I live in San Diego and it was the first bread that I make and it was delicious. Perfect times, perfect heat. Cecy

Anonymous said...

Too chewy both times. Didn't rise like yours after two attempts. 18 oz. too much? Any ideas other than letting it rise more before baking. I gave it 90 minutes the second time and it still didn't rise all that well from baking. BTW - your site is truly fantastic. Thank you!

Amiee said...

I tried to make my own bread once before and it just didn't work. So, I thought....I LOVE Chef John and he really knows what he's talking about...so, I'll give it a shot. I DID IT! This bread was so easy and SO good! I took it to a cookout and it was still warm! I came into the kitchen and a friends 6 year old was stuffing his mouth full of bread....he said "that's the best bread I've ever had". I will certainly make this again....but next time I'll keep it for my self!

Anonymous said...

I tried this with some leftover Guinness stout we had in the house, and though it's a completely different flavor, I really enjoy it. Dark, swirly color to the dough, deep malt flavors throughout, while still keeping the consistency of a white-flour bread. Give it a try sometime if you're feeling experimental...

Hans said...

I followed the recipe and as beer, I chose a Leffe (Blonde). While making the bread, the youtube-movie was really helpful to see how the dough should look like in every stage.

Result: a nice looking bread with a taste and structure that was really good (crusty outside, soft inside).

This was actually the first bread I made (and since I'm Belgian and I saw a recipe for bread with Belgian style beer, I tried this recipe for my first bread) and I can advise it to anyone who wants to try baking bread.

Matt said...

Has anyone tried this with a more bitter, heavily hopped beer? Like something around 45-50 IBUs. Wondering if the hop flavor might come out oddly in the bread. WIll post back if I end up trying it.

Matt said...

Back again. I tried making this bread with Stone Levitation Ale which comes in at 45 IBU's. Not an extremely hoppy beer by any means, nor is it very bitter, but in comparison to a white ale this beer has much more kick.

The bread turned out well. There is just a tinge of citrus, and perhaps pine hops that comes out much more when the bread is toasted. I am still curious about how this bread would turn out with an IPA.

All in all, a great, easy recipe that I'll be using many more times in the future.

Patrick said...

I very hoppy beer such as an IPA will improve shelf life by at least half.

Unknown said...

Hello Chef John! Not sure if this question has been asked. Would a dark beer, such as Guinness Extra Stout work with this recipe? Or a Dark Lager Beer?

Chef John said...

I would think any beer would work! Enjoy!

Anonymous said...

Would it be OK to leave the batter overnight and bake in the morning? Is there anything else I should do to make this variation work for me? How would the finished bread be different in this case?
-Uma

Anonymous said...

This bread is awesome. I did knead the bread for about 2 minutes and it quickly became the correct consistency. Makes a huge loaf. Next time I will sprinkle some sesame seeds or sunflower seeds on the top before baking. Thanks!!

Anonymous said...

Chef John, I just want to make it clear measurement for AP Flour that you used on this recipes. As I know 18 ounces = 2.1/4 cups not 4 cups.

Chef John said...

Your confusing liquid and weight measures. A cup of flour weighs just over 4 oz per cup. (which is 8 oz by volume not by weight)

Anonymous said...

I have made this twice, and it always taste amazing, but I live in Las Vegas, and when i make the dough, it always has this weird chunky kind of feel to it. It doesnt look like yours at all. Am I doing something wrong?

Chef John said...

Sorry, no way to know!

Anonymous said...

I stumbled across this recipe while searching for bread recipes on Google. when I clicked on it i did't know it was one of yours. when I heard the music at the beginning of the video I got excited because your bread recipes are always delicious.

Unknown said...

I tried this today Chef John! First timer baking bread and made a blogpost about it like you with some nice pictures! Thanks!

http://freakydeakydutchguy.blogspot.nl/2012/09/36-my-breadmaking-journey.html

Terry said...

Chef John I discovered your youtube account and blog this year and it has changed my life. I didn't realize that I could cook or bake anything. I've tried following recipes from foodnetwork and other blog but they only show people how to make things whereas you teach us how to make things. I love your recipes.

I've been stalking this recipe page for a couple weeks now(I kept drinking the beer before I had a chance to make the bread) and decided to make this recipe today. I used a Guinness in this recipe which made the dough much darker than yours but the flavor and smell are unmistakable. My house smells like beer and bread. I can't wait to taste it after its finished cooling.

Chef John said...

Thanks for the kind words! Enjoy!

The Ranting Redhead said...

What are your recommendations for putting this in loaf pans? Anything different need to be done? I'm afraid I'll have a flat bread if I don't put it in a pan.

Also, could honey be used?

Katrin said...

The loaf is in the oven! However, I didn't catch the note that during the proofing step the towel should be DRY, :/ so as I lifted it off before baking…some of the dough came off. Still looks beautiful and looking forward to trying it after it's cooled. Thank you for the informative video.

Anonymous said...

Super great bread and for someone who makes bread every day this was so easy without the need to knead it. So great, so beautiful. I loved it and we finished it within the same day.

Unknown said...

Hi Chef John,

Made it yesterday with my son (2y).
Take a look at my video!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcicSxbcZHw

Thanks

crocodile_dondii said...

I used the weights & volumes (carefully measured, as you encouraged us) and found the mixture a little drier than your video suggested. I had to add about 1/4 cup more warm water. Did I do something wrong?

Chef John said...

No, sometimes it's just the weather and how much moisture is already in the flour.

Unknown said...

This was soooo good. My first loaf of bread to bake and it is delicious. Your videos are excellent. Thanks a lot!

Unknown said...

Hi Chef John, your bread is wonderful. But can you suggest anything going well with this bread?

hadenough said...

This is the easiest bread ever. I tried other recipes as well, but I always get back to the beer bread. Sometimes I follow the above recipe, but most of the time I use spelt flour and add all sorts of things like 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric (it stains!), hemp, chia, sesame, sunflower, pumpkin seeds and you get a wonderful thick and healthy bread, although it won't raise like the white flour does.
Best recipe ever! Thank you!

Unknown said...

do you have a Recipe Using Stale Bread if u do i would love a link to the video

Unknown said...

do you have a Recipe Using Stale Bread if you do i would love a link to the video

Unknown said...

I made ur hamburger buns it was perfect!!! Your recipies are the only ones i make right....now im still baking no knead bread...hope i could make this right...thank you very much you i hope you make more bread recipies please :)

Unknown said...

Thank you :)

Unknown said...

Please make more bread recipies please :)

Aulia Alyda said...

Chef!
I wonder if I can subtitute beer with root beer :L

Kath said...

I just made this and I have to say that this is one of the best breads I've ever eaten. It's also the first bread I've ever attempted, so that made it at least 100% sweeter.

I added a touch of molasses, honey and ground ginger, which made it even more special.

Cheers, John - for your know-how and amusement!

flowfitness817 said...

Happy Happy New Year!! Chef John!! Just have to tell you that I LOVE YOUR VOICE. I watched the video yesterday and followed you as started the bread. I actually love to knead dough by hand so I was curious about this NO KNEAD methods. It turned out AMAZING. I added a little olive oil and forgot to put the pan of water. LOL I posted a picture on my fan page: THE FIT BAKER MOM on FaceBook and you have inspired 2 other people to make the bread. THANKS FOR ALL THAT YOU DO to make novices look like pros.

Lauren said...

I baked this bread today. It is DELICIOUS! Thanks for the great recipe and great video. :)

Unknown said...

This was DELICIOUS. The first bread I made that slices perfectly without breaking. It was a little too moist, but that's probably just due to slicing it too soon. I needed it for my steak dinner! Even though the potatoes I had thrown into the charcoal were actually ready, so I ate everything. I feel bad about stabbing the bread now.

Anyway, it didn't rise quite enough, but I am sure there's jut something wrong with ME, but it was, again, just delicious.

Anonymous said...

Hello Chef John, I love this recipe! I have made it about 3 times already and it always comes out delicious. I was wondering if I could knead this dough anyway? If that is the case, would I need to add more yeast/flour to the sponge?

Thank you!

Chef John said...

Why change?? This is too wet to knead.

Anonymous said...

Can I make dinner rolls out of this recipe?

Chef John said...

Of course! But they are much denser and leaner than normal din rolls. We have that recipe also!

aijiko said...

I agree with your blog comment in regards to pouring the beer into the sponge. It was a strangely sensual experience. Just felt so right. I'd make this again just for that step.

Anne said...

Ok- so I put in four cups of flour and everything went well until it was time to turn it out on the board and shape the loaf. My dough was like the angry swamp thing from Mars. It oozed, it slimed, it ate copious amounts of flour, it stuck to everything, and would not shape into anything other than a blob. Do I have too light a hand when I measure flour? My method is very successful for cookies, cake, and quick bread, but maybe not appropriate here?

Steve said...

I used this recipe to make an huge hamburger bun for a 9 inch burger... it was excellent! Thanks Chef John!

humantorch said...

I made this for the first time last night and it turned out amazingly well, though unlike a few others here I found it a bit too salty for my liking. That's the only modification I'd make, other than that it was simple, my house smelled delicious while baking, and it's so much more satisfying to make my own bread instead of store-bought!

Daryl said...

Baked the beer bread yesterday and I was accused of buying it at the bakery -- the ultimate compliment. Gosh it was so good.

Unknown said...

I baked this recipe last week with my son. My breads, including ones made in the bread machine, are usually epic failures. But this came out PERFECT! It looked great and tasted even better. I wonder if this can be adapted to a dutch oven?

Anonymous said...

I can't resist myself!!! Need.... to ....wait ....until....cooled.....icantdoit!!! Lucky, I made 2:b

Unknown said...

Thank you so much chef John.
Can I let the dough rise all night?

Chef John said...

Not sure, never tried, but probably if you kept it in the fridge.

dina said...

Sooooo good bread, I make this bread and the other one "no knead bread" every day. Sales of the bakery in the corner must be dropped, because I don't buy there anymore, I do my own foodwishes bread����. Thank you for teaching and sharing your recipies and videos(it helps and motivates a lot)

Unknown said...

I decided to make this and I'm glad I did
I told my six year old that it was minecraft bread and he said it was amazing. Lol

Unknown said...

Dear Chef John,happy new year.i tried this beer bread on my first day of 2016.my family said this bread is tasty but a bit too yeasty.if i cut the yeast half in the first, would this bread still be fermented? thank you for your time.cheers.

Unknown said...

This bread turned out amazing! I doubled the recipe and made 2 loaves. I experimented with one of the loaves by folding in half a cup of old cheddar and half a small purple onion chopped very small. Both breads turned out amazing! Incredible for such a simple recipe! Goes great with some homemade garlic butter!

Eileen Jordán said...

I made this bread today. Changed it a bit because I had 10 Oz bottle of light beer so I eyeballed the flour until it looked sticky and gooey,like in the video, and I added 1 tbsp of light brown sugar (I didn't want to miss the color). Now, I'm making soup, this bread goes great with it. It's crunchy and soft,beautiful light brown color.Perfect!!! I'm making this forever! BTW I made this with a counter top toaster oven, the times were on point. The rising of the bread took less time ,should be the Puerto Rican sunshine.

Eileen Jordán said...

I just made this and we are thinking of ways to make sandwiches, french toast and other goodies. I changed the recipe a bit because I only had a 10 oz light beer so I eyeballed the flour until I had the goey mixture in the video. I added 1 tbsp of brown sugar for color. The times were on point except for the rising but it must be the Puerto Rican sunshine. I will make this bread for ever!!! So crunchy and goey...I'm making soup to serve with this bread, they'll go so well. Thanks

DanceCat said...

Finally found a way to like beer!!!
Thank you :)

Chuck Sotis said...

Dear Chef John,
I just took the world's most beautiful loaf of Beer Bread - using your recipe - out of my oven. Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wish I could send you a picture of it.
Big Loafer

Dave Wygonowski said...

When I make no kneed bread it is great ter it comes out of the oven. But my family tells me that it is quite chewy the next day. Could this be the result of me not waiting for the bread to cool completely? I have not experimented with this recently so I wanted to ask the experts first, before I make a bunch of bread that the family won't eat, and I'll just have to feed the birds with.

Thanx.

Unknown said...

I love sourdough bread, but don't have the maternal instincts for the starter. Cooks Illustrated once suggested adding dark beer and vinegar to the liquids. And it's close enough for me! I substitute a third or a quarter of the liquid with each.

Carl Pond said...

It’s -13 deg below zero so what better activity could one engage in today?
This is the second time I made this recipe, the first was yesterday when it was 20 below.
Wow, a great recipe for making hardy rustic bread — with out the 18 hour wait
I’ll make another loaf tomorrow, then my wife and I’ll be in bread for a good month anyhow.
BTW I too can cannot think of more than two things that are more supple than the touch of forming the loaf.
Thanks much for this recipe Chef John.

Chez' Bubba said...

Tom (AKA...Chez' Bubba)
I've been doing the Ciabatta bread for some time now and tried the beer bread and we have a new winner and champion. I'm using Stella Artois for the recipe and it never fails.