Homemade Rye Bread

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.

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Course: bread

Cuisine: European

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 45

resting time: 3 30

Total Time: 4 25

Servings: slices

Calories: 148kcal

Author: Sarah James

slices

Equipment

Large Cast Iron Dutch Oven - I like to use my Lodge Cast Iron Pot 4.7 litre / 5 US quart.
OR 2lb loaf tin
A large circle of baking parchment (crumpled) to fit your Dutch oven

Ingredients

175 g rye flour - I've used a wholemeal dark rye flour
425 g strong white bread flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp diastatic malt powder or soft brown sugar
2 tsp instant yeast
1 tbs rapeseed /Canola oil
500 ml lukewarm water
Optional: caraway seeds 1 tsp

Instructions

Make Your Dough

By hand: Mix the flour, salt, sugar, malt powder, yeast and oil in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre.
Pour a little water into the well. Mix thoroughly, adding a little water at a time until you have formed a ball of dough.
Transfer dough to a floured surface and knead for 10 to 12 minutes. Bear in mind Rye is a coarser dough and won't be as smooth as an all white flour dough.
KitchenAid: Add flour, salt, malt powder, yeast and oil to the mixing bowl, form a well and pour the water into it.
Mix on slow speed number 1 for 1 to 2 minutes.
Turn up to number 2 speed for a further 8 to 10 minutes. Bear in mind Rye is a coarser dough and won't be as smooth as an all white flour dough.

Prove Your Dough

Place your dough in a large greased bowl and cover. Leave to rest in a warm place for at least two hours or until doubled in size.

Shape the dough

Pull 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 crumpled baking parchment, cover and leave to rise for 90 minutes.
After one hour of rising, place your Dutch Oven or Le Creuset in a cold oven. Preheat to 240°C / 220°C fan / 475 °F / 425 °F fan for 30 mins.

Bake

Carefully take out the very hot Dutch Oven and remove the lid. (Be careful where you place the “counter top burning” lid)
Score across the top of your dough and then use the edges of the parchment to lift it into the Dutch Oven.
Replace the Dutch Oven lid and bake at 220°C / 200°C fan / 425 °F / 400 °F fan for 30 minutes.
Remove the Dutch Oven lid and bake for a further 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown.
Carefully lift your baked loaf from the Dutch Oven using the parchment and place on a rack to cool.

Notes

Cuts into 12 to 16 slices.
Rye flour - I've used a dark rye flour but feel free to use a light rye flour for a milder taste.
Use a Very Strong White Bread Flour high in protein (15%) for best results.
Use lukewarm water - you should be able to comfortably dip your finger into lukewarm water. Yeast works best at around 37°C / 98°F.
Never put a cold Dutch Oven / Le Creuset casserole in a hot oven - it may crack.
Don’t be tempted to slice a loaf while it is still warm. If you do, your bread will have a gummy texture.
Rye bread keeps for up to 4 days at room temperature in a sealed container.
Freezes well. Cool completely before freezing in a suitable bag for up to three months. The bread can be sliced before freezing, avoiding waste as you can take out slices when needed. To defrost, take the bread out of the freezer and leave it at room temperature for 2–3 hours before serving.
To bake in a loaf tin - shape your loaf by gently working your dough into a rectangle.
Roll up your dough from the short side, pinch the seams together and turn the loaf over so you have the long seam on the bottom.
Place in a greased loaf tin or pan.
Cover and leave to rise in a warm place for about 90 minutes. Preheat oven to 230°C / 210°C fan / 450 °F after an hour of proving.
Bake for 10 minutes at 230°C / 210°C fan / 450 °F.
Turn your oven down to 200°C / 180°C fan / 350°F and continue baking for 30 to 35 minutes until golden brown.
Nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only