Sauerkraut Bread
Sauerkraut bread is dense and soft. The recipe contains rye flour and molasses. Those ingredients are key in making bread that’s soft and a little chewy.
Updated March 13, 2024 – First published June 25, 2021
Let’s get something out in the open. I am not a fan of sauerkraut. I like it on Reuben sandwiches, but that’s about it.
Despite my feelings about sauerkraut, the idea of sauerkraut bread intrigued me. What would it taste like? Could I, would I, bake bread with sauerkraut?
The answer is yes!
Recently we had some extra sauerkraut in the refrigerator. I went wild and made sauerkraut rye bread.
What was the result?
The bread is great! It’s dense and soft. Okay, it’s really too soft. That made the bread difficult to slice. However, the flavor is so good that you won’t care. (Or at least I didn’t!) The bread is a little chewy and would be excellent for Reuben sandwiches.
I did not notice a sauerkraut taste. I spotted a strand or two of sauerkraut when I was eating the bread. I didn’t mind it, but if that’s off-putting to you, be sure to chop the sauerkraut before you add it to the bread pan.
Molasses
Note that this recipe contains molasses. I love baking bread with molasses because of the taste and color that it gives to baked goods. If you’re a fan of molasses, be sure to check out my Anadama bread recipe.
Molasses is a thick, sticky liquid that’s made during the sugar-making process.
Juice is extracted from the sugar cane plant. The sugar cane juice is then boiled to concentrate it and promote sugar crystallization.
Light molasses comes from the first boiling of the sugar syrup. It’s lighter in flavor and color. If a recipe doesn’t specify which type of molasses to use, I recommend using light molasses.
Dark molasses comes from the second boiling of the sugar syrup. It’s darker and not as sweet as light molasses. It’s typically used in things like baked beans. Dark molasses is also the type of molasses that I used for this recipe.
What is Sauerkraut?
While sauerkraut is historically popular in Germany, the dish actually originated in China over 2,000 years ago.
Sauerkraut is finely cut raw cabbage that’s fermented. How? The shredded cabbage is layered with salt, and left to ferment.
Different ingredients can be added for sauerkraut variations. For example, some people add caraway seeds, quartered apples, cranberries, bell peppers or beets.
How to Make Sauerkraut Bread in the Bread Machine
Note that this recipe is for a two-pound bread machine. Use the basic cycle with the medium crust setting.
The first step with this recipe is to rinse and drain the sauerkraut.
I used a slotted spoon to take the sauerkraut out of the jar. Then I drained it in a colander. I left that to drain while I started gathering the rest of the ingredients.
I added the sauerkraut to the bread pan after adding the water and molasses. Before I added the sauerkraut, I pressed it with the slotted spoon to drain out even more water.
If you’d like, you can also chop the sauerkraut before adding it to the bread pan.
Follow the instructions that came with your bread machine in terms of which ingredients to put in the bread machine first. With my machine, a Zojirushi Virtuoso Breadmaker, I add the liquids first.
Check on the dough after five or ten minutes of kneading. To check on the dough, pop the top of the bread machine and take a look. You should be a smooth, round ball of dough.
If the dough is too dry add liquid a teaspoon at a time until it looks right. If it looks too wet, add flour a tablespoon at a time until it looks good.
Checking the dough is especially important with this recipe because of the sauerkraut. The residual liquid in the sauerkraut may cause the recipe to need more flour. In my case, I added an extra tablespoon of flour.
Sauerkraut Bread Ingredients
This recipe is for a two-pound bread machine. Use the basic cycle with the medium crust setting.
1 cup sauerkraut – rinsed and drained
¾ cup water
1 ½ tablespoons molasses – I used dark molasses
1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
1 ½ tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon caraway seed
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 cup dark rye flour
2 cups bread flour
1 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast
See below for metric measurements, as well as nutrition information, for this sauerkraut bread machine recipe.
Sauerkraut Bread
Recommended Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup (142 g) sauerkraut - rinsed and drained
- ¾ cup (177.4 ml) water
- 1 ½ tablespoons (1.5 tablespoons) molasses - I used dark molasses
- 1 ½ tablespoons (1.5 tablespoons) olive oil
- 1 ½ tablespoons (1.5 tablespoons) brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon caraway seed
- 1 ½ teaspoons (1.5 teaspoons) salt
- 1 cup (102 g) dark rye flour
- 2 cups (250 g) bread flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons (1.5 teaspoons) active dry yeast
Instructions
- Note that this recipe is for a two-pound bread machine. Â Use the basic cycle with the medium crust setting.
- The first step with this recipe is to rinse and drain the sauerkraut. I used a slotted spoon to take the sauerkraut out of the jar. Then I drained it in a colander. I left that to drain while I started gathering the rest of the ingredients.
- I added the sauerkraut to the bread pan after adding the water and molasses. Before I added the sauerkraut, I pressed it with the slotted spoon to drain out even more water.
- If you'd like, you can also chop the sauerkraut before adding it to the bread pan.
- Follow the instructions that came with your bread machine in terms of which ingredients to put in the bread machine first.  With my machine, a Zojirushi Virtuoso Breadmaker, I add the liquids first.
- Check on the dough after five or ten minutes of kneading. To check on the dough, pop the top of the bread machine and take a look. You should be a smooth, round ball of dough.
- If the dough is too dry add liquid a teaspoon at a time until it looks right. If it looks too wet, add flour a tablespoon at a time until it looks good.
- Checking the dough is especially important with this recipe because of the sauerkraut. The residual liquid in the sauerkraut may cause the recipe to need more flour. In my case, I added an extra tablespoon of flour.
Notes
Nutrition
All information presented within this site is intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information on breadmachinediva.com should only be used as a general guideline. This information is provided as a courtesy and there is no guarantee that the information will be completely accurate. I try to provide accurate information to the best of my ability; however these figures should still be considered estimates.
Diva, Why do you drain and rinse the sauerkraut vs. replacing some of the water with sauerkraut juice to make a more sour rye?
Good question! Sauerkraut brine or juice, contains salt. That could effect the rise of the bread.
Success! The bread was a bit soft, but the flavor is quite good. And the loaf came out perfectly formed.
After rinsing, draining, and squeezing the sauerkraut, 1 cup weighed 153 grams
We definitely could taste the sauerkraut, but we like sauerkraut, so that is OK.
I had to add about 4 TBLs of flour while it was kneading.
Thank you!
What size can of sauerkraut or measured weight of Sauerkraut?
Great question. I wish I had a firm answer for you on the weight question.
I scooped the sauerkraut out of a big jar with a slotted spoon into a pyrex measuring cup. I tried to get as little of the juice as possible. After rinsing the sauerkraut and letting it drain, I “squeezed” it by pressing it with the slotted spoon against the colander.
With this recipe, it’s really important to look at the dough to see if you need to add flour.
Because of this issue AND the fact that the bread was too soft for my liking, I almost didn’t write about it. BUT I really liked it, so I thought I’d share anyway. 🙂