Homemade Rye Bread

Sharing is caring!

Learn how to make delicious Homemade Rye Bread with this easy recipe. This hearty, crusty loaf has the perfect balance of tangy rye flavour, nutty depth, and a subtle sweetness.

Made with a blend of dark rye flour and strong white bread flour, this loaf is soft, light, and moist . A perfect bread for sandwiches, toast, or dunking into soups.

Once you try my rye bread recipe, you’ll never go back to shop bought bread!

This blog post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please refer to Disclosure Page for further details.

Rye flour alone can make bread heavy and dense. The key is to blend it with strong white bread flour for better structure and a softer texture.

Combine this with my secret ingredient – malt powder – and your bread will be a real crowd pleaser. Malt helps the dough rise, gives a beautiful crust, and balances the tangy rye flavour with a subtle sweetness. If you don’t have malt powder, use brown sugar instead. The rise, texture and crust won’t be the same as you can achieve with malt but they’ll still be very good.

For this recipe, I use 175g rye flour to 425g white bread flour (about 30% rye). This gives a light, flavourful loaf with just the right amount of tang.

You can experiment with different ratios, but remember: the higher the rye percentage, the denser the loaf. I recommend trying my quantities first before experimenting.

Rye flour contains more fibre and nutrients, making rye bread a healthier option compared to white bread.

You’ll also find that rye bread keeps longer than white bread.

Why you’ll love this recipe

• Easy to make – only 20 minutes of hands on work. Total time: about 3.5 hours (including rising & baking)
• One big loaf – bakes into a 2lb (900g) loaf, enough for the whole family.
• Perfectly balanced – tangy but not overpowering, with a hint of sweetness.
• Flexible – bake in a Dutch oven for a crusty artisan style loaf, or in a bread tin for a classic sandwich loaf.

We love bread making here at the Kitchen Shed. For me the aroma of freshly baked bread is a genuine delight and it’s something I’ve never tired of. Whether it’s wholemeal bread, Seeded Multigrain Bread or my White Sandwich Bread, our oven is always busy.

Equipment you’ll need

• Stand mixer (optional) – I use my KitchenAid but you can knead by hand.
• Large Dutch oven (4.5–5L) – I use a Lodge cast iron pot but a Le Creuset or similar works.
• OR a 2lb loaf tin – I recommend the MasterClass bread tin (its heavy gauge steel gives an even bake).
  Baking parchment – makes transferring dough into a hot Dutch oven much easier.

Ingredients

• Flour – I’ve used a blend of dark rye and white bread flours. White bread flour keeps the loaf lighter than 100% rye. I’ve used Doves Farm Wholemeal Rye Flour. It includes the whole grain, supports digestion, and adds rustic flavour.
• Malt Powder – readily available online and your secret ingredient. Boosts rise, improves texture and adds a malty flavour. If you haven’t got malt powder, use brown sugar for a similar result.
• Yeast – I’ve used instant yeast in the recipe, also called fast action or quick yeast. My favourite is Dove’s Farm Quick Yeast.
• Vegetable Oil – I use rapeseed oil in yeast breads. This helps create the soft, light texture and increases shelf life.
• Salt – I prefer to use sea salt as it contains less sodium than regular salt but any fine salt will work.
• Lukewarm water – warm enough to dip your finger in comfortably.

How to make Homemade Rye Bread

• In a stand mixer: Knead all the ingredients on a slow speed for 10 to 12 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.
• By hand: Mix the ingredients in a bowl and then knead on a counter top.

• Cover your dough and leave it to rise for about 2 hours in a warm place (longer in cooler conditions).
• Once your dough has doubled in size, transfer it to a lightly oiled work surface.

Shape round loaf (Dutch oven):

• Shape the bread – by pulling edges into the centre to form a ball.
• Pinch and rotate until it makes a tighter ball.
• Flip it over and tighten a bit more by pulling towards you and rotating.
• Place on baking parchment and cover for 90 minutes. Put your Dutch Oven or Le Creuset in a cold oven and then preheat for 30 minutes.
• Carefully take out the hot Dutch Oven and remove the lid.
• Score the top of your loaf before using the edges of the parchment to lift the dough into the Dutch Oven.

• Replace the lid and bake for 30 minutes.
• Remove the lid and continue baking until golden brown.
• Remove from the oven and use the baking parchment to carefully lift out your loaf. Allow to cool.

Shape tin loaf:

• Shape your loaf by gently working your dough into a rectangle.
• Roll up your dough tightly from the short side. If you roll up loosely you will end up with big air pockets in your bread.
• Pinch the seams together and turn the loaf over so you have the long seam on the bottom.
• Place in a greased loaf tin.

Baking tips for Perfect Light and Soft Rye Bread

• Use white bread flour for structure – rye alone makes a dense loaf.
• Add caraway seeds for a classic deli rye flavour.
• Allow enough proving time – rye takes longer but develops deeper flavour. You’ll be rewarded with tastier bread if you leave it for longer. Enzymes in rye flour turn starches into sugars, creating richer flavour and a lighter, airier bread.
• Large Cast Iron Dutch Oven – not essential as you can use a conventional bread tin. But I love how a Dutch Oven creates steam for a bakery style crust.
• Never put a cold Dutch Oven or Le Creuset casserole into a hot oven – it may crack.
• Don’t slice warm bread – it can make the bread gummy inside.

Storage & Freezing

Room temperature: Store Homemade Rye Bread in a bread bag or airtight container for up to 4 days.
Freezing: Cool completely, wrap well, and freeze for up to 3 months. You can also slice before freezing so you can take out just what you need.
Defrosting: Leave at room temperature for a couple of hours.

Serving suggestions

• Toast with butter and jam – try my homemade cherry jam.
• Soldiers with a soft-boiled egg.
• Dunked in leek & potato soup or pea & ham soup.
• Hearty sandwiches.
• Homemade croutons or breadcrumbs.

More Bread Recipes you’ll love

• Seeded Multigrain Bread
• Soft Bread Rolls
• Crusty Farmhouse Loaf
• Crusty Bread Rolls
• Portuguese Bread Rolls
• Tiger bread
• Le Creuset No Knead Bread

Let’s Keep In Touch! You can Find Me On Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter