Easy Irish Guinness Bread (No Yeast)
This Guinness Bread is a quick and easy no yeast bread. Enjoy with butter, as a side to dip into your favorite soups and chilis, or sliced for sandwiches.
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I love making this Guinness bread because it’s the quickest and easiest way I know to get that texture of yeast bread, without all the waiting.
Most quick breads have a more dense and often sweet flavor as they don’t rise as much, but this Guinness beer bread recipe without yeast is the exception to that. The yeast in the beer and the carbonation of the beer allow the bread to rise and create a light bread texture.
The flavors in this no-yeast beer bread recipe are perfect with a bowl of Irish Leek & Potato Soup!
Quick breads became popular in the 1860s when self-activating baking powder hit the store shelves. That’s around when Irish Soda Bread became popular. Irish Soda bread uses buttermilk as the activating agent to the baking soda.
Someone replaced the buttermilk with beer and Irish beer bread was born.
Now we can have delicious bread for soup and sandwiches without kneading, resting or hours in the kitchen. This easy Guinness bread recipe can be made and enjoyed at the same time as your dinner.
What Makes Guinness Bread So Great?
- Tons of Uses. Enjoy it with butter, use it as a side to dip into soups or chilis, or slice it for easy and tasty sandwiches. This beer bread complements various dishes effortlessly.
- Simple Ingredients. With just a handful of common pantry items and a can of Guinness beer, you can create this bread without the need for special equipment or hard-to-find ingredients.
- Malty Sweet Flavor: The distinctive taste of Guinness beer creates a malty, slightly sweet flavor that sets this bread apart from the usual quick breads.
- Perfect for Beginners: If you’re new to baking or hesitant about working with yeast, this Guinness bread provides a beginner-friendly introduction to homemade bread-making. No complex techniques or extensive kitchen skills required.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- All-purpose flour – Combined with baking powder and salt, this makes the self-activating flour that allows the bread to rise.
- Baking powder – Works with the yeast in the beer for the bread to rise.
- Quick oats – Adds a heartiness to the bread and are also used for topping.
- Brown sugar – Adds sweetness to prevent the bread from being bitter and is the food that the yeast in the beer uses to rise.
- Salt – A flavor enhancer.
- Molasses – Helps to balance the strong flavor of the beer and add a hint of sweetness and deeper flavor.
- Unsalted butter – Used in both the dough and basted over the top at the end to help with browning so that the oats will stick to the top.
- Guinness – The center of this easy Guinness bread. Substitute your favorite beer if you don’t have Guinness on hand.
How To Make Beer Bread
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease a loaf pan and line it with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl add the flour, baking powder, 1/2 cup oats, brown sugar and salt. Mix to combine.
- In a medium bowl mix the molasses with 3 tablespoons of melted butter and the beer. I recommend adding the butter to the molasses first when it is warm so that it loosens up the sticky molasses and mixes better and then adding in the room beer.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. The batter should be sticky but not loose.
- Scoop the dough into the prepared loaf pan. Use a spatula to spread it out evenly to all edges and corners.
- Baste the bread with the remaining butter, melted, and sprinkle it with the remaining oats.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean.
How does beer bread rise without yeast?
This easy no yeast Guinness bread rises thanks to the yeast in the beer. When you mix the bread in with the sugar and baking soda, they work together to help the bread rise.
Sugar is the food that feeds the yeast and when consumed it releases a gas which gives rise to the bread dough. This same process is where champagne made in the traditional method gets it bubbles from.
Tips
- Dry dough. If the dough appears too dry after adding the beer, gradually incorporate more beer until you achieve a thick and sticky, yet not dry, consistency.
- Toasted oats. For an extra burst of flavor and texture, consider toasting the oats lightly before sprinkling them over the bread.
- Adjust the sweetness. Adjust the amount of brown sugar to suit your preference for sweetness. If you prefer a slightly sweeter bread, you can add a bit more brown sugar to the dry ingredients.
Storage
This Guinness beer bread can be stored in a tightly sealed container or wrapped tightly in plastic wrap for up to 3 days or frozen by double wrapping tightly in plastic wrap for up to 2 months.
Try These Other Easy Quick Bread Recipes:
Easy Irish Guinness Bread (No Yeast)
Equipment
- Oven
- Loaf Pan
- Large Bowl
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Spoon
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ cup brown sugar packed
- ½ cup +1 tsp rolled oats divided
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter melted; divided
- 2 tbsp molasses
- 14 oz Guinness beer
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray or lightly grease with butter and line with parchment paper.
- To a large bowl add 3 cups flour, 4 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 cup packed brown sugar and 1/2 cup oats.
- In a small bowl add 3 tbsp of butter, melted and 2 tbsp molasses. Mix to combine. Then add the beer and mix.
- Add the molasses mixture to the dry ingredients along with the beer and mix. The dough should be thick and sticky but not dry. If dry add a little more beer.
- Pour the dough into the prepared loaf pan and use a spoon or spatula to spread evenly ensuring the dough is tight against the sides and in the corners of the pan.
- Base the top of the dough with the remaining melted butter and sprinkle with a tbsp of oats.
- Bake for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Enjoy hot out of the oven with butter!
Nutrition
Notes
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Does the beer need to be room temperature or can it be used cold?
It is said that using room temperature beer is better but honestly I have done it with cold beer as well and haven’t experienced any issues.
Beer bread actually doesn’t taste beery at all. It seems to take on only the flavour notes of the beer without any hoppiness.