Russian Black Bread for the Machine

Transform your bread machine into a bakery with this rich and flavorful Russian Black Bread recipe, perfect for lovers of hearty, artisan-style loaves. Infused with bold ingredients like rye and whole wheat flours, unsweetened cocoa, molasses, and instant coffee, this bread delivers a uniquely deep, slightly sweet, and earthy flavor profile. Aromatic spices like caraway and fennel seeds, combined with dry onion flakes, create a traditional, robust taste that pairs beautifully with soups, cheeses, or smoked fish. The bread machine does all the work—mixing, kneading, rising, and baking—making this a convenient recipe with artisan-level results. Whether served warm with butter or as the base for a rustic sandwich, this Russian Black Bread is a hearty treat for any table.

Nutriscore Rating: 72/100

Prep Time:10 mins

Cook Time:240 mins

Total Time:250 mins

Servings: 12

Ingredients

• 1.25 cups Water
• 2 tablespoons Molasses
• 2 tablespoons Vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons Balsamic vinegar
• 1.5 cups Bread flour
• 1 cup Rye flour
• 0.75 cup Whole wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon Unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons Brown sugar
• 1.5 teaspoons Salt
• 1.5 teaspoons Instant coffee granules
• 1.5 teaspoons Caraway seeds
• 1 teaspoon Dry onion flakes
• 0.5 teaspoon Fennel seeds
• 2.25 teaspoons Yeast, active dry or bread-machine

Directions

Step 1

Add the water, molasses, vegetable oil, and balsamic vinegar to your bread machine pan in the order recommended by your bread machine manufacturer.

Step 2

Carefully layer the dry ingredients—bread flour, rye flour, whole wheat flour, cocoa powder, brown sugar, salt, coffee granules, caraway seeds, onion flakes, and fennel seeds—on top of the wet ingredients.

Step 3

Create a small well or indentation in the center of the dry ingredients, and place the yeast in the well. Be sure the yeast does not touch the liquid ingredients at this stage.

Step 4

Insert the bread pan into the bread machine and select the 'Whole Wheat' or 'Basic' bread setting, depending on your machine's options. Choose the 'Medium' crust color for best results.

Step 5

Start the machine and let it knead, rise, and bake the bread automatically. This process will take approximately 3-4 hours, depending on your machine.

Step 6

Once the machine indicates the bread is done, carefully remove the hot bread pan using oven mitts. Turn the loaf out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

Step 7

Slice and serve with butter, cheese, or use as a hearty base for sandwiches. Store any leftover bread in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Nutrition Facts

Serving size	(821.8g)

Amount per serving	% Daily Value*
Calories	1857.8

Total Fat 34.4g	0%
Saturated Fat 5.4g	0%
Polyunsaturated Fat 16.8g
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 3586.5mg	0%
Total Carbohydrate 358.3g	0%
Dietary Fiber 39.3g	0%
Total Sugars 51.4g
Protein 51.2g	0%

Vitamin D 0IU	0%
Calcium 258.2mg	0%
Iron 18.8mg	0%
Potassium 2155.4mg	0%

*The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Source of Calories

Fat: 15.9%

Protein: 10.5%

Carbs: 73.6%