Don’t throw leftover ale away – use it to make this delicious beer loaf. Equally good with beer which is fresh from the bottle. Recipe has detailed instructions so all bakers can successfully make this bread.
Leftover Beer Bread
I know, I know, the old joke – ‘What is leftover beer?’ But it happens, and it would be a shame to waste it. Beer just happens to make a delicious loaf of bread. Of course, you don’t need to wait for leftover beer to make a leftover beer loaf. A fresh bottle will do just as well, and you can always drink any leftovers.
Beer bread rises well and has a lovely earthy, malty, slightly sweet flavour from the beer. The bread has a soft golden crumb and slices beautifully, making it perfect for sandwiches and toast.
We made this with a bottled ale but I’m sure any beer will do, fresh or leftover, fizzy or flat. A stout will produce a deeper, darker chocolatey, malty loaf. Alternatively, you could experiment with cider. Endless possibilities.
How to Make Leftover Beer Bread
Step 1– Measure out the ingredients.
Step 2– Put both types of flour in the bowl. Then add the yeast on one side and the salt on the other. You don’t want to allow the salt to come into contact with the yeast at this stage, as it will kill it. We used quick yeast. For instructions on using other types of yeast, see the notes at the bottom of the page.
Step 3– Then make a hollow well in the middle of the flour and add the beer and oil.
Step 4– Using your hands, mix everything together until you have a rough, shaggy dough.
Step 5– Turn the dough out onto a work surface, and knead it for about 8–10 minutes, until smooth and pliable. Test with the windowpane test, to see if the dough has ready for the first rise. If it fails the test, carry on kneading for another 3-4 minutes.
The windowpane test – this is a test to see if the gluten has developed, which enable the dough to trap the carbon dioxide gas released by the action of the yeast. Take a small piece of dough – a ball about 5 cm in diameter, and gently pull and stretch it out. If you can stretch it thin enough that you can see through it, the gluten has developed. If the dough rips rather than stretches, the gluten hasn’t developed and needs more kneading.
Step 6– Put the dough back in the bowl, cover, and leave somewhere warm for about 45-60 mins to rise.
Step 7– Once the dough has doubled in volume, it it is ready to turn out, knock back and put into the tin for the second rise. Grease a loaf tin with butter, and flour the work surface. Turn out the dough. Fold it over twice, and then roll it up. Place it in the loaf tin, seam down. Cover again, and leave for 45 minutes.
Step 8– Meanwhile, heat the oven to 180°C (Fan) /350°F (Fan) /Gas Mark 6, so that it’s hot when the dough has risen. My gas oven takes about 15 minutes to get to a stable temperature, so I switch it on about 30 minutes into the second rise.
Step 9– When the loaf has doubled in size again, and is springy to the touch but dimples when gently poked, taking a few seconds to spring back, it’s ready to bake. Place in the middle of the oven and bake for about 40-45 minutes.
Step 10– Test after 40 minutes. Turn the bread out of the loaf tin, then tap the bottom. If it sounds hollow, it’s done. If in doubt, pop it back in the oven for five minutes. You don’t need to put it back in the tin for this.
Step 1– Allow to cool on a wire rack, slice and enjoy.
Hints & Tips for Making Leftover Beer Bread
- The timing of the first and second rises can depend a lot on the weather – air temperature makes a huge difference. While we suggest an hour, it can vary from 30 mins to a couple of hours, so be flexible.
- With the first rise, remember that if the dough is shaped into a ball in a large bowl, an increase of 25% in each direction doubles the volume.
- Hotel shower caps are perfect for covering the rising dough and unlike clingfilm can be used again and again, we always grab them when we have a night away.
- Try adding 50 g of grated cheese, or some mixed seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, poppy, and linseed) up to 15% of the weight of flour.
- If you have less than 300 ml of beer, just make up the liquid with water.
- Pay attention to the type of yeast.
- The loaf slices beautifully and freezes well. Toast from frozen.
What Type of Yeast Do I Use for Home Baking?
There are two main types of dried yeast, either of which are ideal for the beginner baker. For most home baking, it doesn’t matter which you use, as long as you use them correctly.
Quick Yeast – You just add this to the flour. You can buy a tub or individual sachets (which are perfect if you only bake occasionally).
Dried Active Yeast – This needs to be reactivated before use. Fully dissolve in the liquid you are using before making the bread. This type of yeast can’t be used in a bread maker.
Most bread making problems are down to using the wrong yeast, stale yeast or allowing salt to come into contact with quick yeast.
More Easy Bread Recipes
If you love this try some more bread recipes
And to go on your bread!
- Homemade butter
- Plum Jam
- Mixed Berry Jam
- Blackberry jam
- other easy jam recipes
Leftover Beer Bread Loaf
Ingredients
- 100 g (1/2 cups) wholemeal flour
- 300 g (2 cups) strong white bread flour
- 1 tsp (1 tsp) quick yeast
- 1 tsp (1 tsp) salt
- 300 ml (1 1/4 cups) beer
- 1 tbs (1 tbs) oil
Instructions
- Put the flours in a large mixing bowl. Add the yeast to one side of the bowl, and the salt to the other so that they do not come into contact until you mix the dough.
- Make a well in the middle of the flour and add the beer and oil. Using your hands, mix everything together until you have a rough, shaggy dough.
- Turn the dough out onto a work surface and knead for about 8–10 minutes, until smooth and pliable. When you can stretch it thin enough to see through, place the dough back in the mixing bowl and cover.
- Leave the dough in a warm place for 45–60 minutes, until doubled in volume.
- Butter an 8" loaf tin.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Fold it over twice, and then roll it up. Place it in the loaf tin, seam down. Cover again and return it to the warm place for approximately 45 minutes.
- When the loaf has doubled in size again, and is springy to the touch but dimples when gently poked, taking a few seconds to spring back, it's ready to bake. If it springs back too quickly, leave it a little longer.
- Place in the middle of a preheated oven to (180°C (Fan) /350°F (Fan) /Gas Mark 6) and bake for about 40-45 minutes.
- Test after 40 minutes. Turn the bread out of the loaf tin, then tap the bottom. If it sounds hollow, it's done. If in doubt, pop it back in the oven for five minutes. You don't need to put it back in the tin for this.
Notes
- The timing of the first and second rises can depend a lot on the weather – air temperature makes a huge difference. While we suggest an hour, it can vary from 30 mins to a couple of hours, so be flexible.
- With the first rise, remember that if the dough is shaped into a ball in a large bowl, an increase of 25% in each direction doubles the volume.
- Try adding 50 g of grated cheese, or some mixed seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, poppy, and linseed) up to 15% of the weight of flour.
- This recipe is 4 Weight Watchers Smart Points per portion
Update Notes: This recipe was originally posted in 2012 as a Beer Lammas Loaf, but was rewritten and republished with new photos, step by step instructions and hints & tips in May 2019.
Camilla @Fabfood4all
What a perfect looking loaf and with the cheese in it, sounds like the perfect accompaniment to a nice bowl of homemade soup!
Helen
Thank you Camilla,
I think it is the prettiest loaf I have made so far. Very proud of it!
heather @girlichef
Oh my gosh…those pictures! You don’t know how badly I just want to jump into the screen and hang out there. I’ll be baking a loaf of bread later today for Lammas (though won’t be ready in time to post today)…I usually make one with grain from a local mill and lots of fresh herbs from the garden! I LOVE the sound of your Cheese & Beer loaf. So happy you’re sharing it w/ #BakeYourOwnBread, as well! :)
Helen
Thanks Heather!
My bread currently seems to be getting better by the loaf. Was delighted with this one.
Love Cornwall. Cotehele is very special.
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I do love your bread recipes, you seem to find such wonderful flours and this is no exception. I have to get myself a bottle of Doom Bar beer which we always drink whilst on holiday every Easter in Cornwall. It is a delicious beer and I think it would be perfect for this loaf!
Helen
Thank you Laura.
I need a flour map of the country. Love finding different ones!
Michelle K. @ Delectable Musings
This looks amazing, and your photos and story to go with it is great. Very informative! Thank you for sharing this with BYOB.
Jude A Trifle Rushed
Wonderful, and I hope my soda bread using Breton Ble de Noir and Lait Ribot, will count as they are both local produce, though I forgot to use sea salt, so goodness knows where that came from!
Sarah, Maison Cupcake
Cheese and beer! Two of Nick’s favourite things! If he sees this he’ll be wanting me to make some. Very envious of your trip to Cothele, it was on my wish list last time I had National Trust membership coinciding with a Cornwall trip (back in 2002!) but we never made it. Then when we went back to Cornwall in 2007 I was six months pregnant and not up to it. Lovely pictures to get a feel of the place.
rita cooks italian
I am a keen baker and this bread is very inspiring!! it’s so nice to learn about local traditions in the UK.
Choclette
How exciting. I’m always surprised if I see anyone writing about my local haunts as our part of Cornwall is generally forgotten. You’ve taken some great photographs, far better than anything I have. Cotehele flour is the one I use if using wholemeal flour, which is most of the time so I get through a fair amount of it. And your Lammas loaf looks absolutely delicious.
Mich - Piece of Cake
Hi, I’m dropping by via BYOB. What beautiful photos! And I love the idea of using bear in bread, that is so unique and the first time I have come across this.
working london mummy
a lovely idea.the loaf looks delicious. I have never heard of Lammas and loaf baking, but you have inspired me to take part – next year now as I have missed this years i guess!
Raquel
Great idea for leftover beer:) Didn’t know about the “windowpane test” for gluten development. Love baking, but don’t always get the kneading right. Thanks for the tips!
Demeter
Thank you so much for going through all the steps. So helpful in getting this right.
Dannii
Beer and bread are two of my favourite things, so this sounds good to me b
SHANIKA
I love that you’ve used leftover beer! Any recipe that re-purposes leftovers are great and this loaf looks amazing!
Toni
This was really amazing!! My family loved it!
adriana
My grandma was used to bake bread with beer instead of yeast and the result is fantastic. Love the recipe and how your bread looks.
Noelle
I just made this and it was great, soft in the best way! Just how I like my bread
Krissy Allori
What a great idea! Thank you for sharing!
Sara Welch
I make beer bread at least once a year! My family loves it! I will be giving your recipe a try; looks perfectly fluffy and moist!
Tilly
I love the taste the beer adds to this bread!
Gemma
What a great idea, I had never thought of this. Love your easy to use guide and tips, so useful.
Alice
Brilliant recipe. I funnily enough often have bits of ale left over as I use it for making stuffing and in other recipes. I don’t drink it, so inevitably it gets tipped out. Now I have a good way of using it up.
JaJa
Check the title & correct. It says BEEF Bread.
Helen
Great catch. Now corrected!