How to Make Homemade Rye Bread
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Made with a mixture of bread and rye flours, a small amount of honey, and a few teaspoons of caraway seeds, this simple no-knead rye bread tastes beautifully tangy with a hearty, chewy texture perfect for sandwiches or toast. It comes together in no time and bakes in a single loaf pan, but the recipe can be doubled, and the baked bread freezes very well.
Rye bread has a reputation of being dense and heavy as well as aggressively sour in flavor. While some people love these qualities, others, understandably, do not. I love a rye bread with a subtle tang and a hearty but not leaden texture.
This no-knead rye bread is just that: made with a mixture of bread and rye flours, the texture of the finished loaf is light enough for a sandwich but makes excellent toast as well. A small amount of honey balances out the sourness and lends a nice chew, while caraway seeds, which can be left out, impart subtle notes of citrus and anise.
This recipe calls for 1 cup of rye flour and 3 cups of bread flour, and while you could play around with increasing the proportion of rye in this recipe (which is roughly 20% by weight), keep in mind that the more rye flour you use, the denser your bread will be. Why? Because rye flour is different than wheat flour in a number of ways, namely:
- Higher in Bran and Minerals: Flour with a high amount of bran and minerals will produce bread that is lower in volume because the sharp shape of the bran cuts the gluten network.
- Different Proteins + High in Pentosans: Wheat flour contains two gluten-forming proteins: glutenin (which promotes elasticity) and gliadin (which promotes extensibility). When these proteins mix with water, gluten begins forming. Rye flour on the other hand contains gliadin and a protein called glutelin (similar to glutenin). It also is high in pentosans (a polysaccharide composed of carbon sugars). The pentosans absorb water and compete with the gliadin and glutelin for moisture, which inhibits the development of gluten in rye breads.
Got all that? I’m still processing it. It comes from Jeffrey Hamelman’s Bread, which is a great resource if you like to understand the science behind bread baking. I have to confess I have never made a recipe from the book, and I pull it out seldomly but when I do, I always find the answer I am looking for (and more!).
Homemade Rye Bread, Step by Step
This recipe calls for a mix of rye flour and bread or all-purpose flour. I’m using Zingerman’s freshly milled rye flour.
The Importance of Using a Scale
I was curious as to how much 1 cup of this particular rye flour would weigh, so I set my measuring cup on the scale and spooned in as much flour as I could without it spilling out.
I was able to get 96 grams of flour in without spilling, then I gently shook the cup…
… which brought the flour down to just below the rim of the measuring cup. This is an example of why it is so important to use a scale. Depending on how we measure, 1 cup of flour can vary dramatically in weight.
Once you have your ingredients measured accurately…
whisk together the flours, salt, instant yeast, and caraway seeds, if using.
Whisk together the water and honey until the honey dissolves, then add the mixture to the bowl, followed by the oil.
Stir with a spatula until you have a sticky dough ball.
Cover the bowl and let rise until doubled, 2 to 3 hours.
Rub the surface of the dough with a tablespoon of oil, then deflate the dough.
Turn the loaf over, then roll into a loaf shape.
This video may help:
Transfer to a buttered 8.5×4.5-inch or 9×5-inch loaf pan.
Let rise until the dough crowns the rim of the pan by about an inch.
Bake for 45 minutes at 375ºF.
Let cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing. I like to slice it, then freeze it in bundles of 3 to 4 slices.
Like the maple-oat bread and the three-seed bread, this one makes great toast:
PrintHow to Make Homemade Rye Bread
- Total Time: 5 hours 45 minutes
- Yield: 1 loaf
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Adapted from my cookbook, Bread Toast Crumbs.
Changes from the original recipe include:
- The vessel: This one is baked in a single loaf pan as opposed to two 1-quart Pyrex bowls. You can use an 8.5×4.5-inch pan or a 9×5-inch pan. And 8.5×4.5 -inch will produce a slightly taller loaf.
- Weight of the rye flour: I find a cup of rye weighs roughly 96 grams, whereas in the book I was using 128 grams for a cup of rye. See post above for more details.
- Added an additional tablespoon of honey.
- Reduced the oil to 1 tablespoon.
- Reduced the water by 1/4 cup.
Notes:
Salt: I always use Diamond Crystal kosher salt. If you are using Morton’s kosher salt or fine sea salt use half the amount by volume or the same amount by weight.
Yeast: If using active dry yeast, sprinkle the yeast over the lukewarm water-honey mixture and let stand for 10 minutes; then proceed with the recipe.
Caraway: If you don’t like the flavor of caraway, simply omit the seeds or use less: 1 to 2 teaspoons or to taste.
Ingredients
- 3 cups (384 g) bread or all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (96 g) rye flour, see note
- 2 teaspoons (10 g) kosher salt, see note
- 2 teaspoons (10 g) instant yeast, see note
- 1 tablespoon (9 g) caraway seeds, see note
- 1.75 cups (395 g) lukewarm water
- 2 tablespoons (42 g) honey or maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons (28 g) extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- Softened unsalted butter, for greasing
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, salt, instant yeast, and caraway seeds, if using. In a medium bowl, whisk together the water and the honey until the honey is dissolved. Add to the flour, followed by 1 tablespoon of the oil. Using a rubber spatula, mix until the liquid is absorbed and the ingredients form a sticky dough ball.
- Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel or a cloth bowl cover or plastic wrap and set aside in a warm spot to rise for 2 to 3 hours, until the dough has doubled in volume.
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Grease an 8.5×4.5-inch (or 9×5-inch) loaf pan generously with softened butter.
- When the dough has doubled, drizzle the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over the top and use your hand to rub the oil over the surface to coat. Use your hand again to release the dough from the sides of the bowl, then flip the ball over so that the oil side is down. Roll the dough into a coil or into a loaf shape, then transfer to your prepared pan seam side down. Watch this video for guidance.
- Let the dough rise on the countertop (preferably in a warm, draft-free spot) for 45 minutes to an hour or until the dough has risen significantly in the pan — it should be doming above the rim of the pan by about one inch. See photos for reference.
- Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 45 minutes, or until the top is evenly browned. Remove the pan from the oven and turn the loaf out onto a cooling rack. Let the loaf cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing.
- Prep Time: 5 hours
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
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167 Comments on “How to Make Homemade Rye Bread”
This recipe is really fantastic! I add 1 Tbs. Dried minced onion for a little more of a savory hit and it is absolutely delightful! Everyone who has tried it has asked me to make more! Thank you!
Yum! Great to hear, Sean. Thanks so much for writing and sharing your notes. I will try the dried onion. Sounds delicious!
Oh I can’t wait to try this – I have the 10×5 inch loaf pan you recommended for the sourdough sandwich bread…would that be 1.5X of the given recipe here ?
I think that would work well, Chantal!
Why do I need to preheat the oven for 45 minutes?? That’s seems like a huge waste of power. Or was that not necessarily in that order?
Yeah, it’s not in the right order… you don’t need to preheat for 45 minutes, but shortly after you transfer your dough to your loaf pan, I’d suggest getting your oven up to temperature.
Very easy to make, beautiful rise and texture (thanks for including the roll advice!), but rye flavor was quite mild without the caraway seeds. I’m not a big rye fan but my parents are, so definitely want to up it before sharing with them.
I bought ground caraway seeds off of Amazon and it was a game changer! Really up the rye flavor without having the seeds
Interesting! Great tip 🙂
Please clarify the weight of the yeast in this recipe. Two teaspoons of yeast weigh 6 grams. Ten grams of yeast would equal 1 tablespoon. (After all, the individual packets are 2 1/4 tsp and weigh 7 grams). When I used SAF, weighed out 10 grams as directed, the rise was extremely rapid. The dough crowned the rim of the pan in only 10 minutes! I then baked it and the bread turned out to be delicious. Should I cut the SAF to 6 grams? Thanks.
Mine as well. The weighed yeast was not 2 t. Mine initial rise to double was 20 minutes max.
Really great recipe! I have made it to plan three times. Today I switched up the taste profile and used 9 gr of ground Caraway, and then added 9 gr Penzey’s toasted onion granules, 3 scant tsp dried dill, and added 2 soup spoons of quality golden hot-dog mustard. DANG! An amazing rye sandwich bread that only needs a light grill for a great corned beef sandwich!
Wow!! That sounds outstanding… I’m going to order some of those spices. Love the idea of adding mustard to the dough!
I love rye bread, I decided that I would like to try making it now as Christmas us around the corner, I added some cinnamon and nutmeg as I can’t do any cooking without that addition it reminds me of my dad. It came out beautiful and tasted better than store bought. The texture was fantastic can’t wait to make it for Christmas day
Thank you so much blessings always
Great to hear all of this! Thanks for writing and sharing your notes Leslynne!
Do you have any nutritional information on this bread?
I don’t I’m afraid.
I absolutely LOVE this recipe! Today is the 3rd time I am making it. Making one loaf is a BIG beautiful loaf, but it makes BIG beautiful sandwiches. Today I divided it into two loaves which produced more traditional sandwich-sized bread.
The 2nd and 3rd time I made this recipe I reduced the water to 1.5 cups; otherwise I made the recipe as stated using my bread machine to do the work.
Thank you so much!
Great to read all of this, Mary! Thanks so much for writing and sharing your notes 🙂 🙂 🙂 Happy New Year!!
This was my first truly successful bread making attempt and it makes me incredibly happy! I did everything exactly as written except one tiny change is I used 1 tablespoon of honey + 1 tablespoon of molasses. I am thrilled I found this recipe. I just purchased an 8.5 x 4.5 pan (instead of the 9×5 that I used) so it would be even taller. So excited to make it again (and again!). Thank you Alexandra!
Wonderful to read this! Thanks so much for writing and sharing your notes 🙂
I’ve just made this So easy and delicious! I left out the sweetening and used wholewheat with the rye.
Great to hear! Thanks for writing 🙂
Awesome bread recipe! Will definitely make again
Great to hear, Nicole!
Another winning loaf. I used B&B King Caraway seeds in the dough. I made up a dried dates butter mixture to slather the loaf once sliced and toasted. Next time, dbling!
Great to hear, Hillary! Date butter sounds divine 🙂 🙂 🙂
Wow just made this and its fantastic!!!
Thankyou so much for sharing the recipe.
Great to hear, Tony!
This is by far the easiest recipe for bread that I’ve ever made. The dough was very wet on my first attempt with the dough spilling out over the top of the bread tin, so the finished bread was a little more moist than intended but perfect for toasting. I reduced the water by about 75ml for 2nd loaf & it was perfect! This is now my go-to recipe. Thanks Alexandra!
Great to hear, Jane! Thanks so much for writing and sharing your notes. So helpful for others.
Your weight measurements to volume don’t make any sense. Unless you live in very high altitude 1 cup of water is 240g so 1.75 is 420g. the same is to the weight of the flours. I bake bread for more then 10 years and APF is 140g for 1 cup and Rye is 100 to 110g. I live in Toronto Canada
Everybody has a different standard, which is why I always recommend using the gram measurements of a recipe. It’s the only consistent way to measure. For me, 1 cup of flour is 128 grams and 1 cup of water is 227 grams, but other bakers have a different standard. If you plan on making this, use the gram measurements and because you are in Canada, I’d use bread flour as opposed to AP flour.
I’ve only found Dark Rye flour. Can this be used in the same way as regular rye flour?
Yes!
It worked perfectly. Followed the recipe exactly and it was delicious.
Great to hear, Susie! Thanks for reporting back 🙂
Would this be the same measurements for a bread maker?
I would imagine? I’ve never used one so I can’t say for sure.
I’m going to make this for my husband, who LOVES Rye bread. This will be my first attempt! I know the estimated rise time is 2-3 hours, any objections to leaving it rising overnight? Will it overflow? Or, can I leave the dough in the refrigerator overnight and set to rise next day?
I think it’s safer to leave in the fridge than overnight. Good luck! When rising in the fridge (or at room temp for long periods of time), be sure the bowl is tightly covered to prevent the dough from drying out.
This is absolutely the best bread recipe I have ever made. And I do love to make yeast rolls and bread, and try different recipes all the time. I’m making this every week now!
So nice to read this, Brita! Thanks so much for writing 🙂
Could this be baked in Dutch cast iron
Are you looking to shape it into a boule and to create a crusty type sort of rye loaf?
YES…. most delicious and easy. I am going to up the caraway seeds a bit on the next bake and try cooking it in my Emile Henry potato pot. The crust was very good in the bread pan, but I wanted more. Will try and remember to update this when I do.
Great to hear, Judith! Thanks for writing 🙂
Can a Pullman pan be used for this recipe? If I can use this, how long would I bake?
How large is your pullman pan? I’d compare the size to the pan I use here. If it’s much larger, just keep in mind the loaf will be shorter. You may need to reduce the baking time as well, but I’d rely on the visual cues to help you determine if it’s done — evenly browned, etc. If you have a Thermapen, you can take the bread’s temperature — it should register 205ºF or above.
Love this recipe! Can I substitute whole wheat flour for all purpose flour?
You can, but the loaf will be much denser in texture.
I forgot the oil in the mixture 😫
I forgot the oil in the mixture 😫 hopefully it will still work out.
It will!
My kids and I have been enjoying this bread. Nice crumb. Easy and fairly quick as yeast breads go. It seems that 7 grams of yeast is plenty – the first rise is typically about an hour for me while the second may only require 30 minutes (or fewer). A pinch of cocoa powder will give it a darker hue if desired.
Great to read, Anita! Thanks for writing 🙂 🙂 🙂
Such a great recipe! I’ve had some rye flour kicking around for a bit and I can’t believe it never dawned on me to make bread with it. 😅🤦🏻♀️ I’m so thankful I found this recipe. I added some milled flaxseed to my dough and it still turned out wonderfully. 😊👍🏼 I have a few of your recipes I’m looking forward to trying! The maple oat bread sounds devine.
Great to hear, Sam! Thanks for writing and sharing your notes, and I hope you find some more recipes you love. The maple-oat bread is a favorite.
Hi: I am making more of your recipes – twice this winter, I have made a slab sandwich for our TGIF. The star of the sandwich is THE BREAD! We use mayo, salami, ham, provolone, and diced lettuce. Here is my question – is the rye bread recipe for rye sandwich bread? If not, what changes could I make to the recipe to adapt it to sandwich bread. Thanks so very much! Alan Loe
Great to hear, Alan! Yes, you definitely can use it for sandwich bread. I will say it’s a little hard to cut thinly when freshly baked, so if you can plan ahead and make it a day before you are planning on using it for sandwiches, that is ideal because it will be easier to cut.
The 1st time I made this it was perfect. The next 2 times the 2nd rise was not good. The 1st loaf I used King Arthur bread flour and the next two I used a stone milled bread flour. Can it be too heavy? All ingredients were weighed every time.
Hi Kelly,
It’s definitely the stonemilled flour making a difference — the presence of all of that bran in the flour cuts through the gluten structure making it hard for it to form air bubbles in the dough. Next time you could try using 50% (or less) of the stonemilled flour, then adjust with more or less the next time around depending on your results.