Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan or coat with cooking spray. Set aside.
In a large bowl, stir together the self-rising flour, honey, beer, and salt until just combined. Do not over-mix.
Transfer the dough to the prepared loaf pan.
Pour melted butter over the top of the dough.
Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Notes
Properly measure the flour. Always spoon and level the flour or weigh it on a kitchen scale -- do not scoop it out of the package. Incorrectly measuring the flour packs it too tightly into the measuring cup and results in a dense, dry loaf of bread.
Use a beer that you enjoy. Light beer is fine, non-alcoholic beer is fine, and a darker, more robust beer works well if you like a more prominently flavored bread.
Do not over-mix the dough. Stir until just combined -- a few lumps are fine. Over-mixing will result in a dry, dense, tough loaf of bread.
Make sure that your self-rising flour is fresh. If the leavening agents in the self-rising flour are no longer effective, your bread will not rise.
Cheese Beer Bread: Add 1 cup of grated cheddar cheese (or another flavorful shredded cheese of your choice). A teaspoon of garlic powder or 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh chives would also be delicious savory additions!
Mix in diced bacon or ham.
Irish: Use Guinness stout or another similar Irish beer for a robust, full-flavored loaf of bread.
Sweet: Double the honey in this recipe to ½ cup. You can also mix in raisins, dried currants, or dried cranberries for a loaf that's similar to Irish soda bread.