Gluten free beer bread is easy and ahhhmazingly delicious! There is something about the aroma of yeast and beer, baking together in a bread machine or in your oven, into a super-soft loaf of gluten free bread. It’ll just make you crave a good sandwich: peanut butter & jelly, potato salad, BLT … it doesn’t matter. Truth be told, I eat it plain. It’s that good.
Baking this gluten free beer bread will get all kinds of delicious sandwich-making juices flowing!
You may be surprised to learn that there is such as thing as safe, naturally gluten free beer. There is a whole category of it now, made from gluten free grains like sorghum, millet, rice, buckwheat and even chestnuts! Stay away from gluten removed or gluten reduced beers though. Find out more on how to tell the difference and why one is safe and one’s safety is unclear at best and unsafe at worse in my article on gluten free alcohols.
Choosing the right gluten free beer for this bread is the fun part (consult my gluten free beer tasting notes to find one that suits your taste!) since it lends a flavor to this white bread that makes it unique every time. The effervescence of the beer also helps give this bread beautiful lift, and creates a light, airy structure that is truly wonderful.
Of course if you’d prefer to skip the beer, you always have the option of using club soda or sparkling water or even ginger ale in place of the bubbly brew. Whatever liquid you choose will alter the taste of the baked bread, so experiment and find the one that suits you.
This gluten free beer bread recipe is so versatile that it can also be baked into gluten free dinner rolls or even hamburger buns! Bake in the oven or in a bread machine. Yes, you can bake this recipe in a bread machine (but you don’t have to)!
Find out my favorite machines in my bread machine reviews article!
Try my easy and reliable (voted #1 gluten free bread mix several years in a row) gfJules Sandwich Bread Mix in this recipe to get to bread baking nirvana even faster, or choose to just use my award-winning gfJules Gluten Free All Purpose Flour — so many options!
One reviewer on Pinterest even converted this gluten free Beer Bread Recipe into a “whole grain gluten free sandwich bread recipe”. Here’s how she did it:
What’s not an option is using any old other gluten free flour blend as the base flour. They’re simply not interchangeable. Find out all about gluten free flours — individual and blends — and why using another flour or blend will lead to different results.
You do want a light and fluffy, not gritty, not funky tasting and not brick-like loaf of bread, right? (That’s a rhetorical question. If you don’t, you’re already in the wrong place.) So follow the recipe as written and enjoy amazing gluten free bread in 2 hours’ time. See, now that’s easy.
Gluten Free Beer Bread Recipe
Gluten Free Beer Bread Recipe
Gluten free beer bread is such a simple pleasure no one should have to go without, now that we have soft, light, wonderful and reliable gluten free flour and naturally gluten free beers to choose from!
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients:
OR
- 3 cups gfJules™ All Purpose Flour (405 grams)
- 1/4 cup dry milk powder/non-dairy milk powder (e.g. coconut milk powder 27 grams) OR almond meal (44 grams) OR plain GF potato flakes (16 grams)
- 1 tsp. sea salt (5 grams)
- 1 Tbs. granulated cane sugar (16 grams)
PLUS
- 10 oz. gluten free beer (I especially like Green’s or Glutenberg in this recipe) or sparkling water, club soda or ginger ale – room temperature
- 3 large eggs — room temperature or substitute; (if using gfJules Bread Mix, only add 2 eggs or equivalent sub)
- 3 Tbs. olive oil
- 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tbs. honey or agave nectar
- 2 1/4 tsp. (one packet) rapid rise or bread machine yeast (Red Star® Quick Rise)
- sesame seeds, poppy seeds or other topping of choice (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare a regular loaf pan (at least 9×5) by oiling it well. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, apple cider vinegar and honey.
- In another large bowl, whisk all dry ingredients except yeast (flour, salt, milk powder and sugar). With mixer on low speed, slowly pour the dry ingredients into the liquids to combine.
- Continue beating while slowly pouring in the beer to mix. Once incorporated, add the yeast. Beat until the batter is smooth, then increase mixing speed and beat for 4 minutes.
- Pour batter into oiled pan, filling no more than half-way up.
- Cover with oiled wax paper or parchment and let rise in a warm, moist place for at least 30 minutes (an oven preheated to 200 F, then turned off, with a bowl of water in the oven to add moisture, is a good option). Do not let the bread rise over the side of the pan, or it will rise too much to support itself and may collapse when cooling.
- Once the bread has risen, lightly brush with oil to help it brown, then sprinkle any toppings on at this point.
- Preheat the oven to 375º F (static) or 350º F (convection). Bake for approximately 35 minutes. The internal temperature of the bread should be approximately 205 – 210º F. The loaf should have risen above the top of the pan, and will be golden brown with a nice crust.
- Remove to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, laying it on one side, then the other to help support it as it cools. Then gently remove the loaf from the pan to finish cooling on a wire rack.
- Cut only when fully cooled. Store in a sealed ziptop bag on the counter – do not refrigerate, or it will dry the bread out.
- *If using a bread machine, bring all ingredients to room temperature. Add liquids to the pan first, then the dry ingredients, followed by the yeast, pouring into a small well made in the middle with your finger. Use the gluten-free 2lb loaf setting. For more information on baking in a bread maker, see my article on gluten free breads in bread machines..
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Nutrition Information
Yield 16 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 95Total Fat 5gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 4gCholesterol 36mgSodium 187mgCarbohydrates 11gFiber 1gSugar 7gProtein 3g
Please keep in mind that nutrition information provided is per serving, which may vary. While we have taken care to provide you with the most accurate nutritional values possible, please note that this information may differ significantly depending on the exact ingredients and brands that you choose to use to make this recipe. Additionally, where options are given for ingredients, the resulting calculation may include all ingredient options instead of only one per line, skewing the totals significantly.
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Based on 39 Review(s)
I printed this recipe in an email I got from you and have been baking the beer bread for the past 3 months. i do substitute the beer for gingerale, as I don’t , usually have any beer around. Anyway, “IT IS THE BEST GF BREAD EVER”!
TyVm for posting the recipe after creating it and testing it. Really appreciate it. For the past 5 years we have tried unsuccessfully to achieve/acquire a good bread and now we have a great one. 🙂
So glad to hear that you love this recipe, Donna, and that you love it with ginger ale! It’s a wonderful gluten free bread recipe option that sometimes I forget about because I seem to always gravitate to my gluten free sandwich bread recipe or my gluten free baguette recipe. But then I make this gluten free beer bread recipe again and wonder why I keep forgetting about it! It’s such a soft, white loaf … and I love the way it smells when it’s baking! Anyway, thanks for taking the time to let me know how much you and your family have enjoyed it too!!!
~jules
Hi, I don’t have any dry milk powder/non-dairy milk powder (coconut milk powder 27 grams) OR almond meal (44 grams) OR plain GF potato flakes (16 grams) on hand and I don’t wish to go out to the store for a while so could I substitute regular milk or canned milk instead of the above dry ingredients? If so, then how much should I use? Thanks in advance! I LOVE ALL YOUR PRODUCTS that I’ve tried thus far, Jules!!! 🙂 Stay healthy my friend! Arrenia
Hi Arrenia, thank you for the well wishes! I hope you are doing well, too! It’s such a strange time and yes, we all want/need to stay inside and try to make due with what we have! So, about that ingredient issue … it’s not quite as simple as just using regular milk or canned milk because we would be substituting a liquid for a dry/powder at that point and it would really be throwing things off! We would need to be looking for another dry ingredient for structure. I’m trying to get creative here … do you have any pudding mix or protein powder or anything crazy like that!?? I’m just trying to think outside the box … looking for something that would be as close to a 1:1 as possible. I’m assuming you don’t have my gfJules Sandwich Bread Mix on hand?
~jules
You’re welcome! Yes, it is a strange time indeed! Ok, I’ll check to see if I have anything on hand that might make a good dry substitute. I never know what I might find lurking in the dark corners of my pantry that might work. Lol! Thanks for the tip, Arrenia
Do you dissolve the yeast in water before adding to the mixer bowl with the mixed ingredients?
Hi Lucinda, you may proof the yeast using that method if you like, but it’s not necessary if using the quick rise yeast. Hope that helps!
~jules
I just made this bread, but I used sparkling water and gluten free all purpose flour. I also added 4 T of lighthouse poultry herb blend. It turned out beautifully. I have cubed it and dried it to use for stuffing. I have 3 siblings who are celiac, so I bake everything at thanksgiving gluten free. The bread smelled so good while baking, my husband asked if he could try the bread when it came out of the oven. He is not celiac. He loved it! Thank you for this recipe!
You are so very welcome! I bet those herbs with the yeast bread smelled amazing! What a great idea to add the herbs to the bread while baking — that’s going to be amazing stuffing!
~jules
Do you make croissants?
Hi Shyrose, I have a recipe for gluten free crescent rolls that you could use, or use my gluten free puff pastry recipe to make croissants instead. Hope one of those works for you!
~jules
Have you ever tried to make this with gluten free ginger beer? That just happens to be what I have on hand. The thought of make a loaf like yours makes me drool.
Hi Diane, gluten free ginger beer would be wonderful in this bread – just a little sweeter, but that would still be yummy! Enjoy!
~jules
I am really confused now because I thought you only sell gluten-free with absolutely no wheat in it. My sister in law also has Celiac’s disease and she CANNOT have any wheat whatsoever. My question is why do you have Whole Grain Bread mix? On Amazon, it states that your flour is made in a certified gluten-free factory. I have been buying your flour almost since the beginning. Thank you, Star
Hi Star, thanks for writing and I’m happy to answer your questions! There is NO wheat or gluten in ANYTHING I make or in the facility where my products are manufactured. There never has been. Whole Grain does not mean wheat, it means that it has whole grains like buckwheat (in the rhubarb family, not wheat) in it to make it more nutritious. Whole grains simply mean that rather than separating the starch out of a grain, it is the WHOLE grain. There are more gluten free grains in the world than those which contain gluten, so you can rest assured that my bread mix is not only gluten free, it is more nutritious than simply making bread from gluten free starches. I also have celiac disease and would never compromise anyone’s health by adding non-gluten free grains to any of my products. I hope that clears it up for you, but feel free to email me anytime at Jules at gfJules.com if you have more questions.
~jules
Soooo good! Brought me to tears! I can eat a sandwhich again!!!!
OH Nichol I totally understand what you mean — there’s so much more to bread than just … bread! Having REAL soft and delicious bread again after thinking it will never be possible with gluten free means so much. I’m thrilled that you have this recipe and you’ll now have great bread again, anytime you want it!!!
~jules
Oh my goodness- what a delight this bread is. It’s easy to make and oh so delicious! I have had searched and tasted so many breads and always threw away after 1 bite because of its gritty, sandy mushy texture. Thank you gfJules!
I was diagnosed with celiacs last June 2018 and have tried many flours- but none compare to your flour with texture and awesome flavor.
Thanks for all your hardwork
Oh Maribeth, I’m SO happy to hear it! I’m glad you didn’t give up on gluten free bread altogether before trying mine. It’s SO nice to have great bread again, isn’t it?? Happy baking!
~jules
I don’t have your flour can’t get it locally I do have better batter on hand at the moment would that work
Hi Karla, all GF flour blends are different so it’s hard to say. From what I know of that blend, I believe you’re supposed to add extra liquid to any recipes? To be sure, check their website about converting recipes and follow their recommendations. In the future, you can order my flour or mixes on line and we deliver right to your door, so I hope you find that handy. Let me know how the recipe experimenting goes!
~jules
Just tasted my first slice of this bread….excellent! My daughter is on a gluten free diet but has had difficulty finding bread off the shelf that she really liked. I am retired, so I have the free time to be her ‘test kitchen’. I have tried several gf flours – both at the local store and online. So far this bread and your recipe with the gfJules flour is the winner! I used your all-purpose flour, ginger ale and dry yeast – that’s what I had on hand. I used the ginger ale – 2 ozs. as the liquid to dissolve the yeast. Worked great! I am ordering some gf flour for my daughter today. I will try the tortillas next – she misses her favorite ‘Mexican Ring’! Thanks for a great product and for a recipe that works!!! Carolyn
Hello Jules,
My son has an intolerance to wheat, gluten, dairy, and eggs (among others). I’ve tried another GF bread mix and used flax-eggs as an egg replacer, but it never really turns out very good. Not sure if there is something else I am doing wrong (only attempted homemade bread 3 times). Do you have any recommendations on using an egg replacer in your bread recipes?? I’ve scanned your website, so if you’ve answered this question and I missed it, my apologies!
I’m ordering some of your bread mix today! The biggest disappointment for my son is not having hamburgers, so my goal is to produce buns (and sandwich bread) that makes this GF lifestyle a happier place for him; and that my picky husband will also approve. Can’t wait to try your recipes!! Also, I’m happy to buy a bread maker, do you think that is best route if you can afford this option? If so, which one is your most favorite-I’m happy to make the investment in one that performs the best and is easy to use!!
Thank you in advance.
Christy
Hi Christy, the new year is a great time to start fresh with your goal of baking great GF bread for your son — I’m so glad you haven’t given up! I use flax eggs for eggs in all my GF yeast breads (including pizza!) and it works great! I’m excited for you to try the bread mix. There are lots of recipes on my site where you can use the mix: sandwich bread; bread sticks; hamburger buns; dinner rolls; artisan bread … there will be lots to keep you busy! As for bread machines, I think they’re great, but not necessary. If you think you’ll want to make at least a loaf or two every week though, I highly recommend it. Here’s my recent review of two machines I really like – one is less expensive, but really performs well. I think it boils down to weather you and your son like a crust or not. Also check out my article on baking GF bread in a bread machine and my top 18 Tips for baking GF Bread. These should get your started! Feel free to reach out anytime with other questions – I can’t wait to hear all about your baking!
~jules
Hi there I want so much to make this receipe but do not know where to get gf Jules. I have never seen it in Canada, Could I use any other flour? Any suggestions for a flour blend that I can make to make this work?
Hi Mary, check out my article on gluten free flours with a ratio recipe to make your own. We do ship to Canada, but it can be very pricey; a lot of our Canadian customers have my flour delivered to friends who ship to them or they get it when they come over the border, depending on where they live.
~jules
Have a loaf in the oven rising right now, It’s been a few years since my daughter was taken off gluten by a wise allergist and since then, I have had two siblings dxed with Celiac, I became GF and now as my adult niece and her symptomatic kiddos are all GF. Thanks to you, I have become the gluten free family baker and am in charge of the holiday sweets and breads. You have truly impacted this family. I have 11 siblings and too many nieces and nephews to count, thank you for making life sweeter, literally and figuratively. I once said I would follow you anywhere, but I didn’t know it would be such a delightful trip!
Oh Chari, you just made my day!!! Wow – thank you so much for your sweet note. I’m thrilled to have been able to help you and your family in any way. Thanks for letting me know!
xoxox
~jules
Is there a way to make this or any gluten free bread low calorie (<70 per slice)?
Hi Luke, the easiest fix is to not use GF beer, just to use sparkling water instead. I hope that helps!
~jules
Hi Jules,
I just got a bread machine w/gluten free setting and have tried this recipe twice using ginger ale – the first time the dough was super sticky – almost like a really thick sticky batter instead of dough – and when I took it out it fell. The second time I made it I added extra flour so it was a bit more like dough but it didn’t raise as much and was really heavy.
I’m wondering what consistency should the dough be for this recipe? I want try this again to see if I can get it right.
Not sure if it matters but my machine is the Cuisinart 100 and I’m using the gluten free setting
Hi Audrey – using gingerale, the dough should be more like batter, not thick like a gluten dough you might expect. Adding more flour would do exactly what happened when you added more flour: make it really heavy. What flour blend are you using in this recipe?
~jules
I am using the gfjules all purpose flour
Ok, this info is all very helpful. Now that I know we can rule out a problem with the proportions in your flour blend, I’d look to a few things. First, the Cuisinart is unfortunately notorious for not baking a gluten-free loaf all the way through … which would cause the sinking you experienced when you followed the recipe without adding more flour. The way to know is to take the bread’s temperature with an instant read thermometer like this one (linked) – it should be 205-210 before removing it. The other unfortunate thing about the Cuisinart is that it doesn’t allow you to add time to the machine to bake longer, so you have to turn your oven on and preheat it to 350, then take the bread pan out of the machine and put it into the oven to bake for another 5-10 minutes, removing only after the internal temperature has reached 205-210.
The other thing to think about is measuring ingredients. Read this quick list of bread baking tips and focus on measuring flour and also any other tips that seem like they apply to the way you were making the recipe (like ingredients not at room temperature, etc.). I know it seems like this is a lot of steps, but the bread maker should make your life easier, not harder, so exchanging it for another bread maker might be a good option, if possible, or just learn exactly what it takes to get this machine to bake the bread all the way through. Here’s another article where I review a couple bread makers and compare them; you might find it helpful.
This short video shows how to bake bread in a bread maker – it really should be THIS simple! Another thing to consider is just to try my bread mix instead of a from-scratch recipe. That would remove a lot of variables and help you narrow down the problem if these other ideas don’t help!
I hope this gets you started in the right direction, Audrey!
~jules
I’m interested in trying this (although do not have your flour and will have to see if it’s worth trying to get it in Canada)… but usually find bread recipes way too sweet and am wondering how much of the sugar/honey can be left out. Of all the liquid choices, I would probably use sparkling water. Thanks
Hi Gintyb – the honey or agave is actually helpful here as a humectant to help retain moisture and keep the bread soft. I don’t think you’ll notice a sweetness from it because there’s not much in the recipe. Definitely choose sparkling water, though. Unless you like sweet breads, I would recommend against the gingerale or vanilla yogurt. Let me know how it goes with another flour. Here’s a little more info on how to choose the right flour to use.
~jules
I used this recipe with a gluten free, all natural ginger ale, no high fructose corn syrup. The flour was one that Williams Sonoma sales. It is an all purpose gluten free flour. My bread maker is a Breville. I used the GF setting and it turned out BEAUTIFUL. my hubby even loves it!!
I am so so happy and feel so blessed to have found this website! I feel a little more “free” now that I can make awesome GF bread in a bread maker.
I also read reviews on the Cuisineart 100 that said not good for GF.
Hi Jennifer – I’m so happy for you to have great GF Bread back in your life! It is a “freeing” feeling (well put!). I hope you explore all the other kinds of recipes on my site as well – there are nearly 400! I also have books, cookbooks and lots of easy and award-winning GF mixes, too! So glad you found me and you are looking forward to a happy GF future!
~jules