No-Knead Beer Rye Bread

Finished no knead rye bread
Diana Rattray
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 50 mins
Rise Time: 12 hrs
Total: 13 hrs 5 mins
Servings: 14 servings

There's nothing like warm slices of crusty warm bread slathered in fresh butter. Moreover, there's nothing like slicing a loaf you've made yourself. Many cooks abstain from baking bread as they think it's too complicated or requires a special oven or contraptions. In reality, you just need to follow a recipe appropriately and have a tiny bit of patience. Luckily, for our tangy and bold rye-beer bread, you can also skip the kneading part, one of the steps people are afraid of as it requires some practice.

Bread's versatility as an ingredient is only comparable to the varied types, shapes, and flavors that exist. Our loaf has an earthy quality only found in rye bread but also carries a deep character and perfume that beer and caraway seeds bring into the mix. Choose a beer that you'd drink, as the stronger the flavor in the glass, the deeper the flavor it will bring into the dough. Lagers, brown ales, and porters are commonly used in bread making, but use the beer that suits your taste.

As a no-knead bread, simply allow the yeast to do its thing. Bake in a Dutch oven and enjoy a delicious crusty loaf of bread, ideal on any type of sandwich, as a side to soup or pasta, or as a snack with some hard cheese and fruit. Before you start, plan accordingly, as the dough needs to rise for at least 12 hours and up to 18.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups (15 ounces) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

  • 1 cup (5 ounces) rye flour 

  • 1 cup (8 ounces) water, at room temperature

  • 1 cup (8 ounces) beer, at room temperature

  • 1 3/4 teaspoons fine salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast

  • 1 tablespoon caraway seeds

Steps to Make It

Make the Dough and Allow It to Rise

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Place all ingredients in a large bowl and stir with a wooden spoon or mix by hand until a dough is formed. It will be soft and shaggy looking.

  3. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let it stand at room temperature for 12 to 18 hours.

Shape the Dough and Allow a Second Rise

  1. Flour your hands and a piece of parchment paper. Scrape the dough from the bowl onto the floured parchment paper.

  2. With lightly floured hands, fold the dough over on itself about 4 times. If too sticky, add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, or enough to form a taut round or oval loaf.

  3. Position the dough in the center of the floured parchment paper, seam-side down.

  4. Sprinkle it with flour and put a lightweight clean kitchen towel over the loaf.

  5. Let it rise for another 2 hours. Halfway through the rise, score the loaf with a sharp knife as simply or intricately as you'd like.

Preheat the Oven and Dutch Oven

  1. Position the oven rack in the center of the oven. Place a heavy Dutch oven—about 4 to 6 quarts in size—in the oven. Include the lid if you are sure the knob is oven-safe to 500 F, or if you have removed the knob. Preheat the oven to 500 F.

  2. Carefully remove the hot Dutch oven and place it on a metal rack. Reduce the oven temperature to 425 F. Most Dutch oven lids are safe to 425 F, but if you aren't sure, check the manufacturer's website.

  3. Using the parchment paper to lift the loaf, place it with parchment paper included into the hot Dutch oven. Cover the pot and put it back in the oven. Alternatively, if you're using an enamel-coated iron Dutch oven, you can flip the dough over and into the ungreased hot pot, leaving the seam-side up. It makes for a nice texture on top. Bake for 30 minutes with the lid on.

  4. Remove the lid and bake for about 20 minutes longer to allow the crust to brown.

  5. When the bread is golden brown on top and registers at least 200 F on an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center, remove it and place it on a rack to cool before slicing and serving.

  6. Enjoy.

How to Store Homemade Bread

The texture of a homemade loaf of fresh bread has a short life span. As it's made without any additives that support shelf stability, homemade bread goes hard fairly fast, usually between three to four days. For an unsliced loaf, keep it un-bagged at room temperature. When sliced, keep in a paper bread bag.

What Is Dipping and Sweeping?

Baking needs precision, so measuring your main ingredient, flour, correctly is key to obtain the best results. In order to measure flour, always go by weight. A food scale can be a valuable gadget to have at hand, but manual measuring can also be adequate if done with proper measuring cups meant for dry goods. A good method is so-called "dipping and sweeping":

  • Stir the flour in the container before measuring, as storage can compact it.
  • Dip your measuring cup into the flour and overfill as much as you can.
  • With the back of a knife, sweep the top of the flour against the rim of the measuring cup and level-off the amount.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
132 Calories
0g Fat
27g Carbs
4g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 14
Amount per serving
Calories 132
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 1%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 267mg 12%
Total Carbohydrate 27g 10%
Dietary Fiber 2g 6%
Total Sugars 0g
Protein 4g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 10mg 1%
Iron 2mg 8%
Potassium 68mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)