Bread Machine Beer Rye Bread

I made this honey and beer rye bread to celebrate Oktoberfest. My friend from Romania loves German food so we decided to create our own Oktoberfest meal this weekend. The rye bread went well with the other menu items.

For this bread, you make a rye starter in a separate bowl and let it sit for a few days before making the dough in the bread machine. Letting the sourdough starter develop over 3 days will enhance the flavor of the bread.

If you’re looking for a basic recipe for Pumpernickel Rye Bread that can be made completely in the bread machine, click here.

Honey and Beer Rye Bread (using the bread machine)
Makes 1 loaf
From: Bread Machine: How to prepare and bake the perfect loaf by Jennie Shapter

Ingredients:

For the starter:

• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 cup rye flour
• 3/4 teaspoon rapid-rise active dry yeast

For the dough:

• scant 3/4 cup flat beer
• scant 2 3/4 cups unbleached white bread flour
• 3/4 cup rye flour (medium grind)
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon rapid-rise active dry yeast
• whole-wheat flour; for dusting

Directions:

Step 1: Mix the milk, flour and yeast for the starter in a large bowl. Stir, then cover with a damp dish towel. Rest in a warm place for 3 days; stir once a day.

Step 2: Make the dough. Pour the starter into the bread machine pan. Add the beer.

If the instructions for your machine specify that the yeast is to be placed in the pan first, simply reverse the order in which you add the liquid and dry ingredients.

Step 3: Sprinkle both types of flour over, ensuring that the beer is completely covered. Add the honey and salt, placing them in separate corners of the bread pan. Make a shallow indentation in the center of the flour (but not down as far as the liquid) and add the yeast.

Step 4: Set the bread machine to the dough setting; use basic dough setting (if available). Press Start. Lightly oil a 6 1/2 inch square pan that is fairly deep.

Step 5: When the dough cycle has finished, remove the dough from the machine and place it on a lightly floured surface. Punch it down gently.

Step 6: Roll the dough into a rectangle about 3/4 inch thick. It needs to be the same width as the pan and three times as long. Fold the bottom third of the dough up and the top third down, then seal the edges with the rolling pin.

Step 7: Place the folded dough in the prepared pan, cover it with lightly oiled plastic wrap. Leave in a warm place for 45-60 minutes, or until the dough has risen almost to the top of the pan.

Step 8: Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425°F. Dust the top of the loaf with a little whole wheat flour.

Step 9: Using a sharp knife, slash the loaf with four long cuts. Repeat with five cuts in the opposite direction to give a cross-hatched effect.

Step 10: Bake the bread for 30-35 minutes, or until it sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool slightly before serving.

We had German potato salad, sausage patties and a cucumber salad and this yummy rye bread.

Happy Baking
Cathy

You might enjoy these additional resources for making bread machine bread:

• Making bread machine bread
• Bread machine recipes
• Adapt recipes for use in your bread maker