Beer, Butter, Bake; Beer Bread! Halladay's Harvest Barn Beer bread is a great way to make a homemade delicious bread with barely any effort… shh, we won’t tell! These breads bake up with a perfect, buttery, crisp crust and a soft and tender center. With no more than a few minutes needed to mix; in less than an hour you are enjoying a hot loaf of delicious homemade bread. I love the fragrance of the bread wafting through the house as it bakes. I can never resist breaking off a small corner straight out of the oven.
Beer bread is a quick bread that uses a full 12 oz bottle of beer added to our simple mix. The beer acts in place of yeast as the leavening agent which causes the bread to rise. No kneading or complicated measuring is required. The alcohol in the beer evaporates during the baking process. You can go with a simple light beer or try a more robust IPA or Porter if you would like more of the beer flavor to come through. Not a fan of beer? Try a 12 oz can of plain club soda. It is best enjoyed just out of the oven. If you happen to have any leftovers, it makes great toast!
Our beer bread has been an amazing hit. Everyone is home making comfort food and this beer bread mix fits in perfectly. We have been in the Harvest Barn test kitchen again, working on some fun new flavor varieties. There are so many enticing options! If you can’t wait for the new mixes, here are a few combinations you can try at home. Start with our classic mix and have fun experimenting!
CLASSIC BEER BREAD
1 (12 oz) can or bottle of beer or club soda
½ stick butter, melted
1 package Classic Vermont Beer Bread
Preheat oven to 350°F. Pour Classic Beer Bread mix into a bowl. Add beer or club soda then stir to incorporate ingredients. Pour batter into a greased loaf pan, add melted butter to the top. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, until crust is golden and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
VARIATIONS
Dilly Beer Bread: Add 2 Tbsp of Halladay’s Harvest Barn Dilly Herb Dip & Seasoning Blend to dry contents of Classic Beer Bread mix, before adding beer. Continue as with Classic instructions.
Garlic Herb Beer Bread: Add 2 Tbsp of Halladay’s Harvest Barn Spicy Garlic Dill Dip & Seasoning Blend to dry contents of Classic Beer Bread mix, before adding beer. Continue as with Classic instructions.
Savory Onion Beer Bread: Add 2 Tbsp of Halladay’s Harvest Barn Farmhouse Five Onion Dip & Seasoning Blend to dry contents of Classic Beer Bread mix, before adding beer. Continue as with Classic instructions.
Garlic Rosemary Parmesan Beer Bread: Add 2 Tbsp of Halladay’s Harvest Barn Roasted Garlic & Rosemary Seasoning Blend and ½ cup of Parmesan cheese to dry contents of Classic Beer Bread mix, before adding beer. Continue as with Classic instructions.
Cheddar Chive Beer Bread: Add 2 Tbsp of Halladay’s Harvest Barn Garlic Chive Dip & Seasoning Blend and 1 cup of grated cheddar cheese to dry contents of Classic Beer Bread mix, before adding beer. Continue as with Classic instructions.
Looking for a sweet version? Both of these recipes have been a huge hit with our taste testers (lucky staff!), and are perfect for a weekend breakfast or brunch.
CINNAMON ROLLS
⅓ cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
½ cup brown sugar
4 Tbsp butter, melted
1 package Halladay’s Classic Vermont Beer Bread Mix
1 (12 oz) can or bottle of beer or club soda
½ cup walnuts or pecans, chopped (optional)
Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine sugar and cinnamon; set aside. Combine brown sugar and butter; also set aside.
Lightly grease an 8” round cake pan. Mix beer bread with beer or club soda. Scoop about a ¼ cup of batter with your hands and roll in cinnamon sugar mixture. Place on prepared cake pan and continue until all the dough is used up. Pour brown sugar and butter mixture on rolls. Sprinkle with nuts, if desired. Bake for about 35 minutes. Cool slightly; pull apart, serve and enjoy!
CINNAMON SWIRL BREAD
Batter:
1 package Classic Vermont Beer Bread Mix
12 oz beer or club soda
Topping:
½ stick butter, melted
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup flour
1 Tbsp sugar
½ tsp cinnamon
Pinch of salt
Preheat oven to 350°F. Pour contents of Classic Beer Bread Mix into a bowl; add beer or club soda and stir to incorporate ingredients.
In a separate bowl, prepare the topping by combining the melted butter, brown sugar, flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt; stir until well blended.
Pour half of the batter from the first step into a greased loaf pan. Pour half of the topping mixture on top of the first layer of batter. Pour remaining batter on top of topping mixture, then top with remaining topping mixture. Swirl topping slightly into the batter. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, until crust is golden and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
We hope you try and enjoy some of these delicious and easy to make variations on our Classic Beer Bread! Feel free to experiment with your own flavor combinations.
If you try any of these recipes, we want to see your pictures! Post to Instagram or Facebook and tag us @halladaysharvestbarn and use the hashtag #halladaysathome so we can see them.
-Kathleen Govotski, Owner Halladay’s Harvest Barn