This is a heavy dark peasant bread, sort of a mock rye bread. You could push it closer to rye if you want to add caraway seeds to it. It has a coarser texture, in part because of being a single rise, and a high percentage of whole wheat flour.
The coloration comes from the things you see in eastern European breads; cocoa, coffee, and of course beer. To make it quicker there is a larger quantity of yeast than single loaf recipes often call for.
Single rise beer bread recipe
Warm ¼ cup coffee with 2 Tablespoons butter. Set aside to cool slightly.
In a bowl, combine:
- ¾ cup dark beer
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast
Let sit 5 minutes. Whisk in;
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa
Let sit 5 minutes. Whisk in;
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- Coffee and softened butter
Add;
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt




Stir together to make a shaggy dough. Turn to a lightly floured counter or board and knead until smooth. Shape into cylinder and place in a lightly oiled loaf pan. Place in a warm spot for one hour, should be close to double in size.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Make a few cuts across the top of the loaf with a razor or sharp knife. Bake for about 40 minutes, until the internal temp is 190 or the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom of the pan.
Remove from pan to rack, let cool at least 10 minutes before slicing.