• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Kickass Baker
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Recipes (Legacy)
  • Let's Work Together!
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • About Me
  • Recipe Search
  • Recipe Index
  • Work With Me
  • Baking Resources
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » Breads

    3 Ingredient Bread

    5 from 7 votes
    Leave a comment

    Apr 9, 2023

    by Kimberlee Ho

    Jump to Recipe

    Making homemade bread doesn't have to be intimidating or require hard-to-find ingredients. With this easy bread recipe, you can have a delicious loaf of freshly baked bread in no time, all with a few simple ingredients. 3 Ingredient bread is similar to quick breads in that there is no yeast and the texture is heartier and denser than a yeast bread recipe.

    There is no rising time required for this homemade bread recipe. Get ready to bake the easiest bread recipe there is!

    Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Why you'll love this 3 ingredient bread

    The secret to making this delicious homemade bread with only pantry staples lies in the power of self rising flour! Self-rising flour is a combination of low-protein flour, baking powder, and salt.

    With the leavening agent (baking powder) already in the flour, you do not need to worry about adding additional ingredients to your bread.

    Other than self-rising flour, you will just need a mild beer, and some sugar to help balance out the bitterness. Serve your bread with butter or jam, or alongside a bowl of soup or stew for a satisfying meal!

    Here are a few more reasons to love this recipe:

    • It is made with simple, basic ingredients that you likely already have on hand
    • This is a no-knead bread, making it a great easy recipe for baking beginners
    • 3-ingredient bread is super versatile and can be eaten with sweet toppings or paired with a savory meal

    Ingredients & substitutions

    As the name of this bread implies, the basic ingredients are only three in this no fuss bread recipe. Butter is entirely optional in this recipe. See the recipe card below for ingredient amounts and the full recipe.

    • Self-rising flour: Using self-rising flour kept this bread’s ingredient list short. Self-rising flour already has salt and leavener mixed into a low-protein flour, so all we had to do was add a bit of sugar to balance the tanginess of the mild lager. Do not substitute with all-purpose flour of bread flour. The bread will not rise.
    • Sugar: Granulated sugar helps balance the bitterness of the beer. It may be substituted with brown sugar in equal amounts for a flavor variation.
    • Mild beer: use a mild-flavored beer or ale, such as Budweiser, in this recipe. Using a darker beer or more heavily flavored beer may change the flavor and texture of this bread.
    • Butter: butter in this recipe is optional. Even though that is technically a 4th ingredient, this base bread recipe is only three ingredients.

    How to Make 3 Ingredient Bread

    Step 1

    Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400ºF. Brush melted butter liberally on the bottom and sides of an 8 ½ x 4 ½ -inch nonstick loaf pan. Set loaf pan and remaining melted butter aside

    Step 2 

    Stir dry ingredients (flour and sugar) together in a large mixing bowl with a wooden spoon. Stir in the beer and mix until a shaggy, sticky dough forms. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to sit for 15 minutes

    Mix until a shaggy dough forms
    Cover & let rest for 15 minutes

    Step 3 

    Transfer the dough to the prepared loaf pan.

    Transfer dough to loaf pan

    Brush 3 tablespoons melted butter over top, smoothing the top of the bread dough a bit as you brush on the melted butter., Reserve about 1 tablespoon of the melted butter for brushing on the baked loaf

    Brush top of dough with melted butter (optional)

    Step 4 

    Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out with no crumbs attached and the top is light golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. After removing from the oven, Immediately brush top of the loaf with remaining melted butter

    Step 5 

    Transfer pan to wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Turn loaf out onto a wire rack, turn right side up and let cool completely on rack, at least 1 hour. Slice and serve

    Brush loaf with melted butter
    (optional)

    FAQs

    Can I substitute another type of flour for self-rising flour?

    Do not substitute all-purpose flour or any other type of flour for the self-rising flour. Doing so will result in bread that will not rise.

    What type of beer should I use for this bread?

    It is best to use a light beer like a pilsner or ale, as a darker, more intensely flavored beer can impact the texture and flavor or your bread.

    How to store 3 ingredient bread?

    Store your bread in an airtight container or ziplock bag at room temperature on the countertop for 2-3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. To freeze, tightly wrap the bread in plastic wrap or parchment paper and place it in a sealed container or ziplock bag. Freeze for up to three months.

    What else can I make with self-rising flour?

    Got leftover self rising flour? Try Self Rising Flour Biscuits and Self Rising Flour Pancakes!

    Like this recipe? Follow me on Pinterest for lots more recipes just like this one! And don’t forget to pin this recipe for later by clicking on one of the images below the recipe. Or, click on any of the images in this post to save to Pinterest.

    FOR ALL MY FAVORITE BAKING TOOLS INCLUDING THOSE USED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE, CHECK OUT MY BAKING RESOURCES PAGE!

    More bread recipes

    Inspired to try your hand at making more homemade bread? Check out these delicious bread recipes!

    Sourdough Challah

    Challah is traditional Jewish bread made with sugar and honey. With this recipe, I have adapted my Challah bread to use a sourdough starter in place of yeast! So you can have all of the delicious flavor of sourdough bread, with the fluffiness of Challah!

    Pull Apart Pizza Bread

    The perfect recipe for any pizza night! This pull-apart pizza bread is made with basic pizza dough, flavored with Italian seasonings and garlic butter, then topped off with melty cheese and pepperoni. It simply can't be beaten!

    Banana Bread with Chocolate and Ginger

    Banana bread is such a classic treat! But this recipe takes it to the next level with chunks of semi-sweet chocolate and chewy, sweet ginger!

    Irish Soda Bread with Raisins

    Irish soda bread is a quick bread and doesn't require any kneading, making it a great recipe for first time bread makers! Slather slices of this bread in butter for a hearty, comforting snack that's perfect for St. Patrick's day, or any day of the year! 

    Honey Wheat Sandwich Bread 

    Fresh bread takes your everyday sandwich to the next level! And this bread is made with whole wheat flour and is free of refined sugar. It makes for a great weekend baking project that will leave you with delicious sandwich bread that you can use throughout the week!

    Did you enjoy a KICKASS BAKER recipe? Please share a comment and leave a 5 Star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Rating on this recipe! We appreciate you sharing your feedback!

    Loaf of 3-ingredient bread with a slice cut away in front of it and a bowl of butter.

    3 Ingredient Bread

    3 Ingredient bread is similar to quick breads in that there is no yeast and the texture is heartier and denser than a yeast bread recipe. With this easy bread recipe, you can have a delicious loaf of freshly baked bread in no time.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes
    Resting Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour hour
    Course: All Recipes, Bread
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: 3 Ingredient Bread, baking beginner, beginner bread recipe, Bread recipe, easy bread recipe
    Servings: 8
    Calories: 249kcal
    Author: Kimberlee Ho

    Equipment

    • 8 ½ x 4 ½ -inch nonstick loaf pan

    Ingredients

    • 3 cups self-rising flour*
    • 3 tablespoons sugar
    • 1 12-ounce mild lager (1 ½ cups) bottle, such as Budweiser
    • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter melted, divided (optional)

    Instructions

    • Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400ºF. Brush melted butter liberally on the bottom and sides of an 8 ½ x 4 ½ -inch nonstick loaf pan. Set loaf pan and remaining melted butter aside
    • Stir flour and sugar together in a large bowl. Stir in beer and mix until a shaggy, sticky dough forms. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to sit for 15 minutes
    • Transfer dough to the prepared loaf pan. Brush 3 tablespoons melted butter over top, smoothing the top of the bread dough a bit as you brush on the melted butter. Reserve about 1 tablespoon of the melted butter for brushing on the baked loaf
    • Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out with no crumbs attached and the top is light golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. After removing from the oven, Immediately brush top of the loaf with remaining melted butter
    • Transfer pan to wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Turn loaf out onto a wire rack, turn right side up and let cool completely on rack, at least 1 hour. Slice and serve

    Video

    Notes

    • *Do not substitute all-purpose flour for the self-rising flour, or your bread won’t rise
    • Darker beers may be used, however, the bread may be darker than the bread in the photos. And, the flavor of the beer may carry through to the baked bread more than a milder lager
    • The butter is optional. If not using, spray the loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray such as Pam, before pouring the bread dough in and baking
    • Store cooled bread in an airtight container or ziplock bag at room temperature on the countertop for 2-3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days
    • To freeze, tightly wrap the bread in plastic wrap or parchment paper and place it in a sealed container or ziplock bag. Freeze for up to three months. Defrost at room temperature then warm in the oven or toast
    • Recipe slightly adapted from CooksIllustrated.com.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 249kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 19mg | Sodium: 2mg | Potassium: 49mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 220IU | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 0.4mg
    Did you make this recipe?Tag @kickassbaker on Instagram so I can see!

    Filed Under

    BreadsSmall BatchBeginner
    « How to clean an Ooni Pizza Stone
    Chocolate Sugar Cookies »

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a comment & rate this recipe Cancel reply

    I am honored you made this recipe from kickassbaker.com! Your star rating and comment will help others looking for recipes like this one. Please take a moment to share a star rating and offer a helpful comment or tip for other bakers. Thank you!

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Hey there!  Thank you so much for visiting Kickass Baker!  I’m Kim, the working mom and home baker behind this blog.  I know how crazy life can be.  Too often, we can beat ourselves up and give up things we enjoy because we think we aren’t great at them.  But you are kicking ass everyday and I’m here to help you bake up some crazy-good recipes and embrace your Kickass Baker!

    More about me →

    Popular

    • Jumbo double chocolate chip muffin with a bite taken out.
      Bakery-Style Double Chocolate Chip Muffins Recipe
    • serving a slice of dalgona coffee chocolate cake
      Dalgona Coffee Chocolate Cake
    • Challah braided bread slices ready to be eaten.
      Fluffy Challah Bread
    • Close-up image of easy homemade cinnamon sticky bun fresh out of the oven
      One Hour Cinnamon Rolls
    • Brioche Doughnuts | kickassbaker.com #brioche #donuts #doughnuts #vanilla #cream #creme #filled #dessert #nutfree #recipes #kickassbaker #fried #breakfast
      Brioche Donuts with Vanilla Cream Filling
    • Challah Rolls recipe is great for the holidays.
      Challah Rolls

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Learn More

    • About Kim
    • Web Stories

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Work with Me

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Privacy Policy
    Copyright © 2023 Kickass Baker