How To Make a Hearty Rye Bread Recipe (Bread Machine)
Sneak Peek: This Hearty Rye Bread recipe lets your bread machine handle the mixing and kneading, while you shape and bake it in your oven for a dependable result.
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One of my readers taking my FREE bread machine email course asked for a dense rye bread recipe at her husband’s request. After much testing and experimentation, this is the result.
What Makes This One Worth Sharing
- Dense and sturdy, great for sandwiches or toast.
- Caraway seeds are optional.
- Slightly chewy glazed crust.
- Oven-baked after machine kneading for better texture.
Heads Up! Start this recipe the day before for enhanced flavor.
Shared & Loved
“First time trying this rye bread, followed the recipe but left out the caraway seed as I don’t like them, turned out phenomenal. I did take the bread course first so I understood better what to expect and check. Absolutely will be adding this to my regular bread making. Love it. ” —JACQUELINE
But first, let’s talk about rye flour and what makes it different from wheat flour.
Understanding Rye Flour (Key Takeaways)
- High in fiber and great for gut health.
- Naturally extends bread freshness for days.
- Lower gluten content makes dough stickier.
- Tends to spread outward rather than rise.
- Fully baked when the center reaches 200°F-207°F.
- Needs a long cooling time (at least 1 hour, ideally 3).
- Requires careful kneading—bread machines work best.
“Because of the sap-like gum that appears naturally in rye, and because of its water-binding capacity, rye doughs will always feel moist and sticky when you test them with your finger. This makes it easy to add too much flour during kneading, so be careful not to add more than a tablespoon or two more than the measurement given in the recipe.
The Bread Lover’s Bread Machine Cookbook—Beth Hensberger
three Solutions to common problems with rye bread
1. Avoiding Holes and Tunnels: Use a bread machine to mix and knead the dough. Press all air bubbles out before shaping the dough.
2. Preventing a Flat Loaf: Let dough rise in a steep-sided bowl to encourage upward growth.
3. Stopping Cracks on Top: Proof dough with the smooth side down, then flip before baking. Grease the bowl for easy release. Questions? Watch the video in the recipe.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- WATER:
- Spring water or tap water
- Cool water (not ice cold) is the best.
- MOLASSES:
- Molasses is traditional but optional
- Substitute two teaspoons of sugar
- SALT:
- Table salt or sea salt
- If using Kosher salt, increase the amount by 1/4 teaspoon
- RYE FLOUR:
- I used Stone-ground dark rye flour because it was available
- Light or medium rye flour will likely work.
- ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR:
- Unbleached preferred
- Use bread flour for a chewier texture
- CARAWAY SEEDS:
- Caraway seeds are traditional but optional. Interesting fact: In the United States, bread labeled as “rye” nearly always contains caraway unless explicitly labeled as “unseeded.”
- YEAST:
- Instant or bread-machine yeast (same thing) does not need to be dissolved. I use it in all my bread machine recipes.
- Substitute active dry yeast with extra rise time or ¼ tsp more yeast.
Essential Equipment? (Recommended but not required)
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- BREAD MACHINE: Use the DOUGH cycle; Avoid doubling the recipe (dough is dense/sticky)
- DIGITAL SCALE: Essential for accuracy, especially with flour; avoid scooping
- PROOFING BOWL: 2-quart bowl or casserole dish with steep sides. Try a 2-quart plastic batter bowl like this one from OXO
- A LAMÉ OR SHARP KNIFE: Slash loaf tops with a lame, razor, or sharp knife
How To Make and Shape This Rye Bread
Day Before–Pre-ferment: Mix water, rye flour, and yeast to make a pre-ferment (biga). Let rest overnight.
Day Of:
- Add biga and remaining ingredients to the bread machine. Run the DOUGH cycle. Expect the dough to be sticky but resist adding more flour.
- Leave the dough in the bread machine until the DOUGH cycle ends and dough is doubled in size.
- When cycle ends, turn dough onto a wet surface. Flatten into a circle and press out air bubbles.
- Fold edges inward, forming a round ball. Place in a greased, steep-sided bowl with the smooth side down.
- Let rise until doubled. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425°F.
- Flip dough onto a prepared baking sheet.
- Score the top deeply.
- Bake until the internal temperature reaches 200°F-207°F (about 30-35 minutes).
- Cool on a wire rack for at least 1 hour before slicing.
Want a Lighter Texture?
- Reduce rye flour and increase wheat flour.
- For example, if the recipe calls for 2 cups of bread flour and 1 cup of rye, decrease the rye flour to 1/2 cup and increase the bread flour by 1/2 cup.
- Use light rye instead of dark rye (which contains bran).
- Add vital wheat gluten (2 tbsp per 3 cups flour).
How to Make a Hearty Rye Bread Recipe (Bread Machine)
Video
Ingredients
Sponge
- ⅔ cup (151 g) water, cool
- ½ cup (53 g) rye flour
- ¼ cup (30 g) all-purpose unbleached flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoons instant or bread machine yeast
Dough
- ½ cup + 1 tablespoon (128 g) water
- 2 teaspoons molasses (not blackstrap)
- ½ cup (53 g) rye flour
- 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose unbleached flour
- 2 teaspoons caraway seeds, optional
- 1 ½ teaspoon table or sea salt
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
Glaze (optional)
- 1 large (50 g) egg
Instructions
- Mixing the sponge: Add 2/3 cup (151 g) water, cool, 1/2 cup (53 g) rye flour, 1/4 cup (30 g) all-purpose unbleached flour, and 1 1/4 teaspoons instant or bread machine yeast to the bread machine pan in the order given.
- Choose the DOUGH cycle. Let the sponge mix for about 5 minutes. Use a small spatula to clean the flour out of the corners. Unplug the machine and let sit overnight or for at least 10-12 hours.
- Mixing the dough: Add 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon (128 g) water, 2 teaspoons molasses (not blackstrap)1/2 cup (53 g) rye flour, 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose unbleached flour, 2 teaspoons caraway seeds, optional, and 1 1/2 teaspoon (1 ½ teaspoon) table or sea salt, (but the olive oil) to the sponge you already mixed the day before. Select the DOUGH cycle. After about 5 minutes, add the olive oil.
- Shaping: When the DOUGH cycle completes, pull the rye bread dough out of the machine onto a surface you have sprayed with water. (I like to use a silicone baking sheet so I can also bake on it, then throw it into the dishwasher.)Wet your hands and manipulate the dough to form a rough ball. Allow to rest for 5-10 minutes.Press the dough into a large circle approximately 9-10 inches in diameter being careful to push out all the air bubbles.Fold the edges to the middle and press to secure. Keep folding the dough toward the middle to make a tight ball.Use 2 teaspoons of olive oil to completely coat the inside of a round container (1 1/2 to 2-qurt) with high, steep sides. (The post provides more details.)Place the ball of dough with the smooth side down into the oiled container.
- Final rise: Cover loaf with a tea towel or a cheap plastic shower cap. Allow to rise until double the original size.
- Preparing to bake: Preheat your conventional oven to 425˚F(220˚C).Prepare a cookie sheet by covering it with a silicone mat, a piece of parchment paper, or sprinkle it with semolina or finely-milled cornmeal.Remove cover and use a thin spatula to carefully loosen dough from the edges of the bowl.Carefully turn the bowl upside down and let bread gently fall onto a cookie sheet. The smooth side of the ball should now be showing.
- (Optional glaze) Whisk 1 large (50 g) egg in a small bowl. Use it to glaze the loaf. Sprinkle with Kosher salt. Work quickly so your loaf won’t have a chance to spread.
- Bake: Make three to five slashes across the top with a clean single-edge razor blade or a very sharp knife. They should be at least 1/2-inch deep. Repeat the same slashes if necessary to make the slits deep enough.Without delay, place bread into a hot oven before the dough has a chance to spread out. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until a quick-read thermometer reads 200˚F (93˚C) and the rye loaf is nicely browned.
- Cooling: Move the loaf to a cooling rack to cool for a minimum of 1 hour. Slicing into the loaf sooner can result in a gummy texture.
Notes
Equipment
Nutrition
All images and text ©️ Paula Rhodes for Salad in a Jar.com
Final Thoughts
If you’re a beginner, this might be a challenge, but it’s worth the effort! Looking for something simpler? Try my Crusty French Bread or Cracked Wheat Berry Bread.
Need help troubleshooting? Please email me: Paula at saladinajar.com–photos welcome!
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Paula Rhodes, owner
As a retired home economist, I created Saladinajar.com to share my belief that you don’t have to be a chef to find joy in creating homemade food worth sharing. Bread machines (used in an unconventional way), homemade yogurt, and quick microwave recipes are my specialty.