German Beer Bread

This is a German beer bread recipe with yeast and light rye flour. You can make it only with all-purpose wheat flour and shape the dough into rolls or a loaf – your choice.

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Beer Bread with Yeast

The principal reason to use beer in a yeasted dough is extra flavor. With yeast as an ingredient the effervescence of beer is not needed as a leavener such as is the case with the category of quick beer breads like this one. The additional flavor the brew brings can steer the overall taste profile of the bread and therefore the beer should be selected with care. See our tips below.

Rye flour, so well-loved in Germany, is the typical choice in this recipe. It is mixed with some wheat flour to facilitate the workings of the yeast because rye is notorious for its the lack of gluten-forming protein. We give you suggestions on how to skew the rye to wheat ratio or make the bread entirely with all-purpose flour for a more spectacular rise (but a different flavor profile).

Finally, the original German rye beer bread uses both a bit of vinegar and caraway seed as flavorings. The former adds a hint of sourness, similar to that of sourdough bread and the latter is a classic in German baking. We explain more below.   

You Will Need

• Rye flour and all-purpose flour. No other country holds rye in such high esteem as Germany and the flour made from it has historically been used in a variety of baking recipes. That being said, breads containing only rye flour are almost never baked. Not only is the taste too strong for many people but if made with only rye flour the bread is extremely dense and chewy. Rye has very little gluten-forming proteins and wheat is necessary to achieve a decent rise for the dough.
• Yeast. Use active dry yeast and make a starter (see step-by-step below).
• Beer. See the notes below. 
• Vinegar. White wine vinegar is often used in baking to help rye doughs rise better. The acetic acid in vinegar increases the acidity of the dough and facilitates the chemical reactions responsible for bread to rise. It also gives the bread a slightly tart, sourdough like taste. 
• Oil. Use vegetable, sunflower or olive oil. 
• Sugar and salt. The sugar will be used in the yeast starter and the salt flavors the bread. 
• Caraway seed. A classic German spice especially suitable for baking with rye.

Best Beer Style to Use

The top choice for this beer bread is Munich helles. It is a Bavarian light lager that was created as a rival to the original Czech pilsner back when light kilning was first used in lager brewing. It is widely available in the US as import (see picture) and locally brewed craft versions. 

The reason it works so well is that it is only lightly hopped with Noble hops varieties (aromatic but not too bitter) which leaves the beer mildly sweet. It also has bready notes from the lightly kilned malt of the grain bill. 

You can also use Czech pilsner or American craft lagers that are modeled after helles and are not agressivley hopped with high alpha American hops. 

Rye beer bread with yeast has a dense and somewhat chewy texture, similar to traditional rye sourdough.

To Rye (Flour) or Not to Rye?

Before you decide whether you want to pursue the original mostly rye flour recipe or if you’d rather stray from it and use only wheat flour consider your preferences for flavor and texture. 

• Rye plus wheat. As seen above, when using mostly rye flour the resulting texture is dense and chewy, just like traditional sourdough rye bread. The flavor is also somewhat similar – earthy and with sour undertones from the vinegar. 
• Only wheat. If you prefer a classic bready, yeasty flavor enhanced by the wonderful notes of the beer, then by all means skip the rye. You can even skip the ground caraway seed to be able to smell and taste more of the yeast and the beer flavors. Definitely omit the vinegar.

Step-by-Step Workflow

Make a starter. It is worth it to make a starter for the bread dough – simply warm up some of the beer (to lukewarm) and mix it with the yeast, sugar and a bit of wheat flour. 

Mix the dough. Before you make the dough, grind half the caraway seed very fine. Along with the remaining flour, salt and cooking oil add them to the starter. Next add the remaining beer, water and vinegar and mix. 

Knead, rest, shape, rest. Knead the mixture with the dough hook or vigourously by hand over a floured surface. Shape into a ball, cover and let rise until almost doubled in size. Turn it out onto a floured surface, knead for a couple of minutes and shape into rolls or loaves or a combination. Let the shaped dough rest again until it rises.

Bake. After the second rest (less noticeable rise if using rye flour) brush with water, sprinkle with caraway seeds and bake until golden. (Place a small heatproof bowl of water in the oven for moisture). 

NOTE: If using mostly rye flour or at least a small amount of it do not expect it to behave exactly like all-purpose wheat flour.

How to Store Yeasted Beer Bread 

This beer bread will keep for 3 to 4 days, or a bit longer if refrigerated. It is best when consumed on the day it was baked. 

To store it use a container that allows for some air circulation (such as a bread bin, cloth or paper bag). Do not keep it in a plastic bag to prevent mould from growing. 

Traditional Ways to Enjoy This German Beer Bread

When baked with rye, whether in loaf or rolls form this bread is excellent with traditional German Creamy Cod Stew, Beer Beef Goulash and Cabbage Stew with Smoked Sausage. While still warm it is delicious with a slathering of butter and/or leberwurst or accompanied by salami and cheese. 

A flavorful and crisp German lager such as the helles used to make it or a darker version such as dunkel or bock should be on the top of your list as the beverage of choice. 

You Might Enjoy

Brotzeit and Butterbrot
Obatzda German Beer Cheese Dip
Limburger Cheese Salad
German Sausage Salad (Wurstsalat)

German Beer Bread with Yeast

Yield: 2 small loaves or dozen rolls

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Additional Time: 2 hours

Total Time: 2 hours 35 minutes

This beer bread with yeast can be made with a combination of rye and wheat flour or only wheat (all-purpose) flour. Two distinclty different tasting breads will result. With rye the texture will be denser and chewier, the flavor earthy and with sour notes from added vinegar. With all-purpose flour only the bread will have classic white bread texture and sweetness, enhanced by the use of a sweet German lager known as helles or an original Czech pilsner.

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Ingredients

Rye Version

• 3 1/4 cups rye flour*
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 12 oz helles German lager (or Czech pilsner or American craft lager)
• 1 package dry active yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp (heaping) caraway seeds
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil (or vegetable or sunflower oil)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 tbsp white vinegar

All-Purpose Flour Version

• 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 12 oz helles German lager (or Czech pilsner or American craft lager)
• 1 package dry active yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp caraway seeds (optional, may omit when not using rye)
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil (or vegetable or sunflower oil)
• 1/2 cup water

Instructions

RYE VERSION

1. In a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand up mixer) make a starter for the beer bread dough. Warm up 1 cup of the beer (to lukewarm, in the microwave) pour it into the bowl and add the yeast, sugar and about 1/3 cup of the wheat flour. Mix and allow the yeast to activate for 10-15 minutes.
2. Grind half of the caraway seeds to very fine. Reserve the rest.
3. Add the remaining wheat flour, all the rye flour, the salt, the ground caraway and the cooking oil to the starter. Next add the remaining beer, the water and the vinegar. Mix with a wooden spoon.
4. Use the hook attachment on medium speed to knead the mixture until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Alternatively, on a clean floured surface knead the dough vigorously for about 5 minutes. Shape into a ball, cover with plastic or a clean kitchen towel and allow to rest for 60 minutes to rise.
5. Turn out the dough onto a floured surface, knead for a couple of minutes and shape into rolls or loaves or a combination. For example, you could divide in into 1/3 for a small loaf and 2/3 for rolls. Shape the 1/3 into an oblong loaf and divide the 2/3 into 8 or 10 uniform pieces and shape into balls for rolls. Line one or two baking sheets with parchment paper and place the shaped dough on top. Let rest another 45 minutes (covered) until it rises again.
6. Pre-heat the oven to 400 F. Place an oven safe bowl of water on lower rack.
7. Brush the loaves/rolls with a bit of water and sprinkle with the remaining (unground) caraway seeds. Bake for about 15-18 minutes (or until golden brown) for rolls and about 20-22 minutes (or until golden brown for loaves). If baking a combination leave the loaf a bit longer.

ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR VERSION

1. In a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand up mixer) make a starter for the beer bread dough. Warm up 1 cup of the beer (to lukewarm, in the microwave) pour it into the bowl and add the yeast, sugar and about 1/3 cup of the flour. Mix and allow the yeast to activate for 10-15 minutes.
2. If using caraway, grind half of the caraway seeds to very fine. Reserve the rest.
3. Add the remaining flour, the salt, the ground caraway (if using) and the cooking oil to the starter. Next add the remaining beer and the water. Mix with a wooden spoon.
4. Use the hook attachment on medium speed to knead the mixture until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Alternatively, on a clean floured surface knead the dough vigorously for about 5 minutes. Shape into a ball, cover with plastic or a clean kitchen towel and allow to rest for 60 minutes to rise.
5. Turn out the dough onto a floured surface, knead for a couple of minutes and shape into rolls or loaves or a combination. For example, you could divide in into 1/3 for a small loaf and 2/3 for rolls. Shape the 1/3 into an oblong loaf and divide the 2/3 into 8 or 10 uniform pieces and shape into balls for rolls. Line one or two baking sheets with parchment paper and place the shaped dough on top. Let rest another 45 minutes (covered) until it rises again.
6. Pre-heat the oven to 400 F. Place an oven safe bowl of water on lower rack.
7. Brush the loaves/rolls with a bit of water and sprinkle with the remaining (unground) caraway seeds (if using). Bake for about 15-18 minutes (or until golden brown) for rolls and about 20-22 minutes (or until golden brown for loaves). If baking a combination leave the loaf a bit longer.
   
   

Notes

*You can use light or dark rye flour. If you want to dial down the rye a bit, reduce the quantity by 1 cup and increase the all-purpose flour by the same amount.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 415Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 587mgCarbohydrates: 78gFiber: 6gSugar: 1gProtein: 11g

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