Irish Beer Bread

Flour, baking soda, and salt are combined with Guinness stout to form a dense, slightly wet dough, then shaped into a loaf. The stout adds moisture, subtle sweetness, and a malty flavor, while the baking soda reacts with the acidic buttermilk to leaven the bread quickly. The loaf is scored on top before baking to create a rustic appearance.

During baking, the crust turns golden brown and slightly crisp while the interior remains moist and tender. The flavors of the stout and butter meld, producing a rich, aromatic bread with a slightly tangy finish. The preparation emphasizes simple mixing and careful shaping for a traditional Irish soda bread with depth and character.

Print Recipe

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes minutes

Bread

Servings: 5

Equipment

• loaf pan

Ingredients

• 3 cups flour
• 4 tsp. baking powder
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 12 oz. Guinness stout, room temperature

Instructions 

Don’t Sleep

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Grease loaf pan.
• Combine flour, baking powder, brown sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Sift the brown sugar if it is clumped.
• Add Guinness and mix.
• Pour batter in a greased loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes.
• Set bread aside to cool, then serve.