German Beer Bread Recipe – Bierbrot

The German Beer Bread is just one more adding to the variety of bread available in Germany. The recipe, including light or dark beer and spices combined with molasses, gives the bread that extra special taste.

Ingredients for the German Beer Bread:

• 500 g (1.1 lbs) of bread flour
• 100 g (2.52 oz) of rye flour
• 150 g (5.29 oz) of spelt flour
• 1 ½ pouches of dry yeast, rapid rise
• 1 ½ teaspoons of salt
• ½ teaspoon of ground rosemary
• ½ teaspoon of ground caraway
• ½ teaspoon of coriander
• 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil
• 2 tablespoons of molasses OR Grafschafter Zuckerrübensyrup
• 355 ml (12 oz) of beer, room temperature (I used Spaten)
• 150 ml (5.07 oz) of water, lukewarm
• 4-5 tablespoons of sunflower seeds

If the ground spices are not available, grind the seeds in a coffee grinder.

Preparation of the dough:

Mix the flour, yeast, salt, and spices in a mixing bowl of a stand mixer and add the sunflower oil, molasses, and beer. Start kneading on low while gradually adding the lukewarm water. Kneading for 6 minutes until the dough loosens from the sides of the bowl.

The dough is a little sticky. Use a spatula to transfer the dough into a bowl covered with flour on the bottom. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let it rise for 40 minutes or until it has doubled.

    

Shaping the dough:

Flour the surface and hands lightly to knead the dough. Flatten the dough into a circle and start folding the edges from the outside to the center. Turn the dough around with the seam down. Make a smooth ball using both hands to pull the sides of the dough underneath the ball. Tuck the ends of the dough underneath while turning the dough in one direction. Place the bread with the seam on top into the floured breadbasket (9 inches in diameter) and cover it with a kitchen towel. Let it rise for 20 minutes.

    

In the meantime, preheat the oven to 220°C – 425°F and place a pot with water on the bottom.

Baking of the bread:

Take the bread out of the basket, brush off the flour, and place it on a baking sheet covered with baking paper. Make cuts on top of the bread using a knife or razor blade and brush the bread with warm water. Sprinkle the sunflower seeds on top and lightly press them onto the bread. 

    

Add 3 ice cubes left and right to the pot on the oven’s bottom to create more steam. Place the bread on the third rack and bake for 35 minutes.  

After 15 minutes of baking, open the oven’s door entirely to release steam and remove the pot with the water. Close the door again and finish baking.

Let the bread cool down on a cooling rack. To make the oatmeal bread, click here; for the flavored bread, click here, and click here for the spelt rolls.