Gluten Free Beer Bread

This gluten free beer bread is one of the easiest bread recipes you will ever make. No yeast, no kneading, no waiting around for dough to rise.

You basically mix everything together in one bowl, pour it into a loaf pan, and bake. That’s really all there is to it.

The beer does a lot of the heavy lifting here. It gives the bread a nice lift and a subtle flavor that goes perfectly with the buttery, golden crust on top.

And yes, it’s 100% gluten free. You won’t miss the regular flour at all. The texture is tender on the inside with slightly crispy edges, exactly what you want from a good loaf of bread.

Slice it while it’s still warm, add some salted butter, and enjoy. It’s great on its own or served alongside soup, chili, or really any meal.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Incredibly Easy to Make – You just mix everything in one bowl and bake it so even a total beginner can nail this bread.

No Yeast Needed – The beer and baking powder do all the rising so you skip the kneading and waiting around for dough to proof.

Perfectly Tender Crumb – The tapioca starch keeps the inside soft and moist which is hard to find in gluten free bread.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour
• 1/4 cup Tapioca Starch
• 3 tbsp Granulated Sugar
• 1 tbsp Baking Powder
• 1 tsp Salt
• 12 oz Gluten Free Beer (one bottle, at room temperature)
• 1/4 cup Unsalted Butter (melted)

For the Topping

• 2 tbsp Unsalted Butter (melted)
• Flaky Sea Salt

How to Make

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 375 F and grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan.

Step 2

In a large bowl, whisk together the gluten free flour, tapioca starch, sugar, baking powder, and salt until well combined.

Step 3

Pour in the entire bottle of gluten free beer and the melted butter. Stir with a wooden spoon until just combined. The batter will be thick, sticky, and slightly bubbly from the beer. Do not overmix.

Step 4

Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top with a wet spatula. Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of melted butter evenly over the top. Sprinkle with a pinch of flaky sea salt.

Step 5

Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until the top is deep golden brown, the edges are set, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Step 6

Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack. This bread is best served warm, sliced thick with salted butter. It has a wonderfully tender crumb with a slightly crispy, buttery crust.

My Tips

Use a Light-Bodied Beer

The type of gluten free beer you pick matters a lot here. A light lager or pale ale style works best because it gives the bread a mild, slightly sweet flavor without taking over.

Darker beers like stouts or porters will make the bread taste bitter and heavy. If you wouldn’t enjoy drinking the beer on its own, you probably won’t enjoy it baked into bread either.

Also, make sure the beer is truly at room temperature before you use it. Cold beer won’t react as well with the baking powder, and you’ll end up with a denser loaf that doesn’t rise properly.

Don’t Skip the Tapioca Starch

You might be tempted to just use all gluten free flour and skip the tapioca starch, but that small amount makes a big difference. It helps give the bread a softer, more tender crumb that’s closer to regular wheat bread.

Without it, gluten free bread can turn out dry and crumbly. The tapioca starch adds a slight chewiness and helps bind everything together since there’s no gluten doing that job.

Stop Mixing Sooner Than You Think

When you add the beer to the dry ingredients, it’s going to fizz and bubble up. That’s exactly what you want because those bubbles help the bread rise. If you keep stirring, you’ll knock all that air out.

Give it about 15 to 20 stirs with a wooden spoon, just enough so there are no pockets of dry flour left. The batter should look rough, thick, and bubbly. If it looks smooth, you’ve already gone too far.

More Tasty Recipes

• Gluten Free Asiago Cheese Bread
• Gluten Free Cheddar Jalapeno Bread
• Gluten Free Buttermilk Cornbread
• Gluten Free Traditional Soda Bread
• Gluten Free Honey Oat Sandwich Bread

FAQ

What kind of gluten free beer works best for this bread?

A light, mild-flavored gluten free beer works best here – think pale ales or lagers. These give the bread a subtle flavor without being too hoppy or overpowering.

Avoid dark stouts or heavily flavored craft beers unless you want a stronger, more bitter taste in your bread. The beer should be at room temperature so it reacts properly with the baking powder and helps the bread rise.