Sourdough Guinness Bread
This sourdough Guinness bread feels special without being difficult to bake at all. The dark beer gives the crumb a deeper malty flavor and a gorgeous color, while sourdough keeps the texture great for slicing and sharing on Game Day. It's an easy, hands-off dough that's simple to throw together, and it always impresses!
I love this loaf for toast nights, soup dinners, and "let's make a snack board" moments (together with my sourdough bread with roasted garlic and parmesan cheese!).
If you're new to baking with beer, don't worry, it doesn't taste like drinking a pint, it just adds richness and that cozy, bakery-style depth.
Quick Look
- Prep Time: About 30 minutes (hands-on)
- Bulk Fermentation: 4-6 hours
- Final Proof: 2-3 hours + overnight in fridge
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: About 8-10 hours (mostly resting)
- Servings: 1 round loaf (10-12 slices)
- Difficulty: Easy
- Baking Method: Oven-baked (Dutch oven recommended)
- Best For: Toast, sandwiches, or simply with butter
Jump to:
- Quick Look
- Important Ingredients
- Substitutions & Variations
- How to Make Sourdough Guinness Bread
- Baking Schedule
- 💭Crucial Success Tips
- Recipe FAQs
- How To Store Sourdough Guinness Bread
- Other Delicious Recipes
- Sourdough Guinness Bread
- Need Help Tweaking This Recipe?
- Other Sourdough Bread Recipes You'll Love
- Lazy Sourdough Tangzhong Sandwich Bread
- Sourdough Ciabatta Bread
- Soft Sourdough Italian Milk Rolls
Important Ingredients
- All-purpose flour gives some structure and soft crumb
- Active sourdough starter helps the bread rise naturally and adds flavor depth
- Dark beer (Guinness, stout, or dark lager) enriches the flavor and helps fermentation
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- Use your favorite dark beer. It can be stout, porter, or dark lager.
- For a slightly milder flavor, replace half of the beer with water.
- Optionally add caramelized onions, roasted garlic, or herbs for a vey unique bread.
How to Make Sourdough Guinness Bread
Step 1: In a mixing bowl, combine the sifted flour, sourdough starter, and dark beer (Image 1).
Step 2: Knead until a cohesive dough forms. Cover and let the dough rest for 15 minutes (Image 2).
Add the salt and knead until the dough becomes smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky. Cover and let it rest for another 15 minutes.
Step 3: Over the next two hours, perform four sets of stretch and folds, spacing them about 30 minutes apart (Image 3).
Step 4: After the final fold, cover the dough and let it rest in the bowl for about 3 to 4 hours, until visibly risen and airy (Image 4).
Step 5: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface (Image 5) and shape it into a round loaf.
Step 6: Let it rest briefly (Image 6), then tighten the surface if needed.
Step 7: Place the dough seam-side up into a well-floured proofing basket (Image 7). Cover and let it rise at room temperature for about 2 to 3 hours, then transfer it to the refrigerator for an overnight cold proof.
Preheat the oven with the Dutch oven inside.
- With convection (fan):
- Preheat to 270°C / 520°F
- Without convection (no fan):
- Preheat to 280°C / 535°F
Step 8: Carefully transfer the dough into the hot Dutch oven, score the top, cover, and bake (Image 8).
- With convection (fan):
- Bake 25 minutes covered at 240°C / 465°F, then uncover and bake another 25 minutes at 200°C / 390°F
- Without convection (no fan):
- Bake 25 minutes covered at 250°C / 480°F, then uncover and bake another 25 minutes at 210°C / 410°F
Step 9: Remove the loaf from the Dutch oven and let it cool completely on a rack before slicing (Image 9).
Hint: Open your beer and let it sit for a few minutes before mixing if it's very fizzy. Less foam means easier measuring and a smoother mix, and the dough won't trap as many bubbles early on.
Baking Schedule
- Morning: Mix ingredients and let dough rest
- First 2 hours: Stretch and folds
- Bulk fermentation: 3-4 hours
- Shape & pan: Late afternoon
- Final rise: 2-3 hours at room temp + overnight in fridge
- Bake: Evening
💭Crucial Success Tips
For a strong oven spring, don't rush the cold proof. The overnight rest helps the loaf hold its shape and makes scoring easier, especially with a slightly tacky dough.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. sourdough guinness bread works well with stout, porter, or any dark lager. The darker the beer, the deeper the flavor and color, but the method stays the same.
sourdough guinness bread rises based on starter strength and temperature. If your starter was not active or your dough was fermenting in a cool spot, it may need more time. Look for a dough that feels lighter and shows visible lift before shaping.
How To Store Sourdough Guinness Bread
Store the cooled bread in an airtight container or bread bag at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, slice and freeze. Toast slices straight from the freezer as needed.
Other Delicious Recipes
- Lazy Sourdough Tangzhong Sandwich Bread
- Sourdough Guinness Bread
- Sourdough Ciabatta Bread
- Soft Sourdough Italian Milk Rolls
If you tried this sourdough Guinness bread or any other recipe on my blog please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below! Happy Baking!
Sourdough Guinness Bread
Ingredients
- 500 g all purpose flour
- 330 g dark beer Guinness, stout, or dark lager11-12oz room temp
- 125 g active sourdough starter
- 10 g salt
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, combine the sifted flour, sourdough starter, and dark beer.
- Knead until a cohesive dough forms. Cover and let the dough rest for 15 minutes. Add the salt and knead until the dough becomes smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky. Cover and let it rest for another 15 minutes.
- Over the next two hours, perform four sets of stretch and folds, spacing them about 30 minutes apart.
- After the final fold, cover the dough and let it rest in the bowl for about 3 to 4 hours, until visibly risen and airy.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and shape it into a round loaf.
- Let it rest briefly, then tighten the surface if needed.
- Place the dough seam-side up into a well-floured proofing basket. Cover and let it rise at room temperature for about 2 to 3 hours, then transfer it to the refrigerator for an overnight cold proof.Preheat the oven with the Dutch oven inside.- With convection (fan): Preheat to 270°C / 520°F- Without convection (no fan): Preheat to 280°C / 535°F
- Carefully transfer the dough into the hot Dutch oven, score the top, cover, and bake.- With convection (fan): Bake 25 minutes covered at 240°C / 465°F, then uncover and bake another 25 minutes at 200°C / 390°F- Without convection (no fan): Bake 25 minutes covered at 250°C / 480°F, then uncover and bake another 25 minutes at 210°C / 410°F
- Remove the loaf from the Dutch oven and let it cool completely on a rack before slicing.
Notes
- Dark beer works incredibly well in sourdough. It boosts fermentation and gives the bread a deeper flavor and darker crust without making it bitter.
