Guinness Sourdough Bread Recipe

Yield: loaf

Prep Time: 9

Cook Time: 50

Cold Proof Time: 12

Total Time: 21 50

Guinness sourdough bread is rich, nutty, and perfect for St. Patrick’s Day. Soft crust, moist crumb, and deep flavor from rye flour and Guinness beer!

4.60 from 42 votes

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Equipment

Ingredients

150 grams active sourdough starter 2/3 cup
400 grams Guinness beer, room temperature one 14.9 fl oz can
415 grams bread flour about 3 cups
75 grams rye flour about 1/2 cup
10 grams unsweetened cocoa powder, optional 1 Tablespoon + 2 teaspoons
10 grams salt 1 1/2 teaspoons

Instructions

Make the Dough

In a straight-edge bowl, add active sourdough starter and room temperature Guinness. Mix with a Danish dough whisk or your hand until it looks like a brown, milky liquid.
I love using a straight-edge bowl because it allows you to clearly see when the dough is done rising.
150 grams active sourdough starter, 400 grams Guinness beer, room temperature
To a separate bowl, add the bread flour, rye flour, cocoa powder and salt. Whisk until evenly combined. Then pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Be sure to mix until all of the flour is incorporated. The dough will look shaggy, not like a uniform dough ball.
Note: If you prefer, you can omit the rye flour for more bread flour. You will then need to decrease the Guinness to 350 grams. You won’t taste the small amount of cocoa powder, but it does help to give this bread a darker color. This can be omitted as well. Substitute with more bread flour.
415 grams bread flour, 75 grams rye flour, 10 grams unsweetened cocoa powder, optional, 10 grams salt
Cover the bowl with the plastic cover or plastic wrap and let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes before you move on to the next step.

Stretch and Folds

With slightly wet fingers, scrape the dough away from the bowl. Grab a section of the dough and stretch the bread dough above your bowl. Then fold over on top of the dough. Rotate your bowl clockwise a quarter of the way and repeat identical stretch and fold. Repeat the process until you come full circle, about 4-6 times. You will notice the dough will start to look much smoother than before. Cover the dough again and let it rest for another 30 minutes.
Repeat the identical stretch and fold three more times (for a total of 4 different rounds), waiting at least 30 minutes between each stretch and fold. Cover the dough after each stretch and fold.
You will notice that the dough is stickier than a traditional sourdough bread recipe. This is due to it's higher hydration and is normal.
Once you have completed the final set of stretch and folds, cover the dough and let it rest for the remainder of the bulk fermentation on your counter, about 7-9 more hours if the dough is kept at 68-70 degrees F.

Bulk fermentation

Now this is the most finicky part of sourdough. There isn’t a set time for your bulk ferment. It is greatly dependent on the temperature of your environment. The warmer it is, the faster your dough will ferment. The opposite is true for cooler temperatures.
In an environment of 68-70 degrees F, doughs will typically bulk ferment for 7-9 hours more after the stretch and folds, but again, you will have to look for the signs that your dough is done fermenting, rather than the clock. Warmer temperatures will be faster, while cooler temperatures will be slower.
NOTE: Beer and cocoa powder will slow down the fermentation process slightly. Rye flour also produces a more dense loaf, so the dough won’t rise as high after the bulk fermentation is complete, when compared to a traditional all-bread-flour sourdough loaf.

Here’s what to look for:

-The dough should have increased in size by at least 75% and be domed on top.
-The dough looks light, and jiggles when the bowl is shaken.
-The dough should easily pull away from the bowl.
-There should be visible bubbles in the dough and on top.
-The dough doesn’t tear when you do a windowpane test

Pre-Shape

With slightly wet fingers, gently release the dough from the sides of the bowl. Be careful not to pop all of those lovely bubbles! Tilt the bowl and leave gravity to do the work to move the dough on the counter. Shape the dough by doing another round of stretch and folds until you have gone full circle. With a bench scraper or your hands, turn the dough upside down, so the seam is now on the counter. Cover the dough with the bowl and let it rest for 30 minutes.
While you are waiting for the dough to rest, prepare your proofing basket. This can either be a banneton or a small mixing bowl lined with a damp tea towel. The purpose of this proofing basket is to keep the tight shape that you will create, so make sure you are using a standard bowl that is small enough to help keep the shape.
Dust the banneton or the tea towel with flour (most will say to use rice flour, but I have used just regular all-purpose flour) to prevent sticking.

Final Shape

After 30 minutes of rest, flip the dough, with the seamed side up. Gently pull the bottom of the dough towards you, then fold it towards the center of the dough. Pull the right side of the dough out and fold towards the center. Repeat with the left side. Finally, stretch the top of the dough away from you and fold towards the center of the dough. Flip the dough over again, seam side down.
Gently cup your hands around the dough ball. Turn the ball in a clockwise motion about a quarter turn and then softly pull the dough towards you. Do this repeatedly until you see the dough form a tighter and more round shape. Stop if the dough starts to tear.
With a bench scraper or just your hands, carefully scoop up the dough and lay it upside down (seam side up) into your floured proofing basket and cover it with a plastic bag or a reusable shower cap.

Cold Proof

Place your proofing basket in the fridge to cold-proof for 8-72 hours.
Cold fermenting the dough in the fridge slows down the fermentation process, which enhances the flavor of your loaf. It also gives you more flexibility when you bake your bread. But don’t wait too long! If left in the fridge for too long, your dough will over-ferment, causing the dough to not be able to rise while baking.

Score

Thirty minutes before baking, place the dough in the freezer.
This will tighten up the dough which helps with the scoring design.
At the same time, place your Dutch oven in your oven and preheat to 500 degrees F. Allow the Dutch oven to preheat for at least 30 minutes.
Place a piece of parchment paper on your workspace and gently flip the banneton upside down over the parchment paper. Since you dusted the banneton, your dough should slowly release and fall onto the parchment paper, landing in the middle with the floured side facing up.
With a lame / razor blade or sharp knife, score a crescent moon shape on top of the dough. This is necessary for your bread to be able to expand while baking.
Grab the corners of the parchment paper and carefully place the Guinness dough into your preheated Dutch Oven and cover with the lid.
Lower the oven to 450 degrees F and bake the bread covered for 30 minutes. Then remove the lid of the Dutch oven and continue to bake the bread for an additional 15-20 minutes with the lid off at 425 degrees F or until the internal temperature reaches 205 degrees F.
Once golden brown, remove the Dutch oven from your oven. Using the corners of the parchment paper, lift the sourdough bread out of the Dutch oven and place it onto a wire rack to cool.
Allow your homemade bread to cool for at least 1 hour before cutting into it. (I know!! How can you possibly wait when it looks and smells so good?! But trust me, if you cut in too soon, your masterpiece will turn gummy.)
Once the hour is up, slice into your work of art and slather on some Irish butter, and enjoy!

Notes

Ingredients:

Rye flour: Rye flour brings a delicious nuttiness to this bread, however you can omit it. Increase the bread flour to 490 grams. You will also need to decrease the Guinness to 350 grams.

Cocoa Powder: The cocoa powder is added to bring that dark color to the loaf, just like the Guinness beer, but it is optional. Substitute with more bread flour.

Baker’s schedule #1

DAY 1

Feed starter before bed in a 1:4:4 ratio (ex. 10g starter /40g flour /40g water)

DAY 2

9 am: Mix Ingredients

9:30 – 11:30 am: Stretch and fold every 30 minutes

6 pm: Pre shape

6:30 pm: Shape and place in the fridge

DAY 3

Score and bake in the morning

This schedule is made for a 68-70 degree environment. Higher temperatures will quicken the process. Lower temperatures will lengthen the process.

Baker’s schedule # 2

DAY 1

Feed starter so that it’s active, bubbly, and at its peak (4-12 hours before mixing dough)

9 pm – Mix Ingredients

9:30 – 11:00 pm – Stretch and fold every 30 minutes

DAY 2

6 am – Preshape

6:30 am – Shape and place in the fridge

Score and bake in the evening

This schedule is made for a 68-70 degree environment. Higher temperatures will quicken the process. Lower temperatures will lengthen the process.

How to Store

Store sourdough at room temperature in a paper or linen bag for up to three days to maintain its crust. Avoid plastic, as it traps moisture and makes the bread soggy.

For longer storage, freeze the sliced or whole loaf by wrapping it in plastic wrap and placing it in a freezer bag for up to three months. Thaw at room temperature or reheat in a toaster or oven.

*Refrigeration is not recommended, as it dries out the bread and affects texture.

FAQs

Does the alcohol in the Guinness cook off during baking?

Yes! The alcohol in Guinness evaporates during baking, leaving behind the rich, malty flavor without any alcohol content. This makes the bread safe for all ages to enjoy.

Can I use a different type of stout instead of Guinness?

Absolutely! While Guinness gives this bread its deep flavor and color, any stout with a rich, malty profile will work. Just keep in mind that different stouts may slightly change the taste and color of the final loaf. I prefer dark beer, and what’s darker and richer than Guinness?

Can I Use Whole Wheat Flour to Make Sourdough Guinness Bread?

Yes, you can replace some of the bread flour with whole wheat flour. Whole wheat absorbs more liquid, so you may need to slightly increase the hydration to maintain the dough’s texture. The result will be a heartier loaf with a nuttier flavor, though it may be a bit denser than one made with only bread flour.

Can I make this bread without rye flour?

Yes! If you prefer, replace the rye flour with additional bread flour and reduce the Guinness by about 50 grams. The flavor will be slightly different, but the loaf will still have great texture and taste. But why pass up the chance to savor some Guinness rye sourdough bread?

This recipe card was updated on 03/17/26.

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