Easy recipe for 100% rye bread
Rye is delicious, it's nutritious, it's terrific if you are on a diet or need to be on a low GI diet because it's a very slow release carb. Rye does not have to resemble the black squares of pumpernickel that comes in shrink – wrapped blocks on supermarket shelves.Go on, give this a try. It's fun to make and trust me, it's delicious!
Equipment
- scale, bowl, spoon, baking tin
Ingredients
- 300 grams dark or light rye flour or a mixture
- 250 grams water from the tap
- 6 grams salt
- 1.5 grams instant yeast or 3 grams dry yeast or 6 g fresh yeast
- 1 tsp ground coriander Optional
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin Optional
- 2 handfuls sunflower or pumpkin or flax seeds (or a mixture) soaked overnight in water Optional
- 2-3 tbs honey or molasses or malt syrup Optional
Instructions
- Measure the water into a big bowl and add the yeast. Let it sit for 10 minutes to dissolve.
- Add the flour and the salt and any of the other ingredients you are using.
- Stir together until it is well mixed.
- Grease a bread tin with a hard fat (butter or lard work best).
- Wet your hand thoroughly and pick up the dough. Shape it into a sausage shape the size of the tin. Pick up the tin and place the sausage in the tin gently. Don't push down! Just place it in and leave it. The dough will fill the tin itself and does not need to be squashed into the corners. See below for a video on how to do that.
- You can sprinkle some rye flour on the surface of the dough if you like. Cover the tin with a shower hat – raise the surface of the hat above the dough so that when the dough rises, it does not stick to the hat. Leave it for 2-5 hours – it depends on the heat in the kitchen. Don't try to speed it up by placing it in an overly warm place as rye does not like to be too warm. Check it every once in a while. Rye is ready for the oven when there are little holes all over the surface. Keep your nerve and wait for that point.
- Heat the oven to 200 degrees C. You can decorate the top of the loaf with seeds or a sprinkle of flour. Pop it in and bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and remove from tin. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
- Rye is best eaten the next day and will certainly last for 3-4 days.
- Eat. Yum.
Video
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
This recipe looks awesome and easy for first time bread baker. My question though is you call for the oven to be set at 200 degrees I’m wondering if you mean 200 Celsius? Thank you so much and hope my bread is a success.
Deborah
Hi there, yes I do mean 200 celcius!
Thank you so much. I live in British Columbia, Canada and I’m still baking in Fahrenheit! I am so looking forward to trying your recipe and I love that it doesn’t call for sugar as I’m diabetic.
Deborah
I’ve made this bread for the first time and it is delicious. By far the best rye bread I’ve had. Thank you!
I am so pleased! Thank you!
Hi, sounds really great, i’m going to make it this weekend, please could you tell me how the yeast work because no sugar is added to feed the yeast so it can rise.
thanks in advance
Dear Darran
you don’t need sugar to make the yeast work! sugar makes it work faster but there is enough sugar in the flour to keep the yeast happy! it’s a kind of instruction from the 1950s for the busy housewife (like leaving the bread in the airing cupboard which it does not need either!) Good luck and let us know how it goes. We love photos too!
My first attempt was not very good. The bread tasted fantastic, but it did not rise very well, my fault, the dough was too stiff, I will definitely be making it again, next time I think I will make the dough wetter. What should the consistency be of the dough.
Oh, I wish you had a link to this page from the page with the recipe on it !
Or better still, maybe you could edit that page to mention the problem with instant yeast… I have a loaf failing to rise right now!
Ah well. I’ll leave it overnight… if it comes to life I will leave another comment.
Thanks for a super website – lots more recipes to try.
Hi,
the recipe sounds realy easy, however I have a bread machin which suppose to make this process even easier.
can I do this bread in the bread machine?
There seems to be minimal mixing and no kneading in this recipe. Also only one rise seems a little odd, as most recipes require 2 rises. I’ve been waiting for my dough to rise for almost 3 hours now, and there has been next to no movement…wondering if something is awry…
I am just about to try this recipe. It looks excellent. Can you confirm that 250g of water (or other liquid) means 250 fluid ounces? I don’t think I have ever had to weigh water before!
Steve
Hello Steve – 250 grams is the same as 250 mls and is NOT the same as 250 oz. Hope this helps! Weighing water is more accurate than measuring it in a jug but as bread is not a science and you will have to adjust manually in any case (remember – WERY WET dough) using a jug is perfectly fine!
Happy to have found this breadmaking blog & great site!!
I only use rye flour and shape them into about 36 rolls. After I let them rise for an hour they are all sticking together, which is good. The last few times I didn’t let the dough rise a second time which resulted in extremely hard crusted rolls that were too difficult to even bite into !
My questions are:
1. Is it necessary to preheat the oven ?
2. How do I know when the rolls are ready i.e. cooked inside? Sometimes I think there are ready but then when we cut into them, they are not cooked inside.
3. Since they are rolls, is the cooking time less and at what temperature in celsius? It seems that preheating the oven creates a hard crust. We prefer a softer crust but want the rolls to be cooked inside.
Hope you reply whenever you can and thank you so much for your tips.
Alisa
Your comment is awaiting moderation.
Dear Alisa
thank you for the message! Rye can be tricky and well done you for making the rye rolls. The trick with rye is to make the oven as hot as possible. That way the crusts forms as quickly as possible (and is as thin as possible). The other trick with rye is to eat them the day after they are baked. Rye is necessarily a wet dough (or else the bread is cement) and it bakes “sticky” so just wait 24 hours! I would put the oven up to 230 if you can get it that high and bake the rolls for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 200 and bake for a further 10. They will sound slightly hollow when you tap their bottoms (but not as hollow as wheat bread.)
Let me know!
Happy to let you know that your advice is perfect !
I preheated the oven to 220, using a turbot fan, baked the rolls for 10 minutes. Then I reduced the heat to 190 and baked for another 35 minutes, not 10 as you suggested 🙂
So pleased that the crust is chewy & easy to bite into with the inside cooked with a dry texture .
P.S. Forgot to mention in my previous post that I scatter sunflower seeds on the bottom of the baking pan. That way the sunflower seeds stick to the bottom of the rolls and prevent the rolls from sticking to the pan.
Thank you so much for your quick reply and am looking forward to learning more bread-making tips here on this wonderful site !
Cheers, Alisa
Hi there, glad they worked. You could try leaving the oven at 220 and baking for 20 mins (maybe 25). Let me know! I usually bake as hot as I can!
Thanks for your advice. My last batch of rye rolls were close to perfection. I let them rise in the baking pan for an hour until they all touched each other and then baked them in a cold convection oven(with fan) for 35-40 minutes at 225C 🙂
I wrote recently asking for clarification about water quantities. My query now is that having made 4 loaves each with varying degrees of success, my main concern is that the loaf is still “doughy” inside. My son called it “cakey”. I read a few of the messages above and I see that you say the bread can be “sticky” and the remedy seems to be to wait 24 hours or so before eating. I’ll try that approach but is there anything else I could alter e.g. the yeast. I’m using Allison’s “active yeast”. I note your view that “instant yeasts” just don’t seem to work as well. Is “active” the same as “instant”? Despite the cakey texture everyone says the bread tastes great – especially toasted!
Kind regards, Steve.
Hi Steve
thanks for this. in order to NOT be like cement, the dough does need to be wet which means the inside is doughy if you cut into it too early. I usually wait two full days! The other thing is to check your oven temp and maybe start the bread high (like 230 degrees) for 10 minutes and then reduce the temp to 200 and bake for a further 30 mins. You could bake it at 230 for 25-30 mins too but watch the top and cover it with foil if it is getting too brown. I am so pleased you are persevering! Alinsons’s active (yellow tin) is different from Alisons “easy bake” (green tin). I prefer the yellow tin – the one you have to let sit for 15 minutes with the water before you mix all the other ingredients in! Let me know how trying a higher temp in the oven works and do get an over thermometer (or borrow one) just to check your temp!
I’ve recently converted to 100% rye bread as the only bread in my life and it’s amazing – I’ve been making my own using your method and consistency of bake as the template for my sourdough! 1/2 starter, 1/2 flour – It makes an amazing loaf. I use a much slower bake though – 1hr @ 170, 30min @ 150, all with a tinfoil hat. It makes a scandi-esque loaf!
I’m short on time tonight and wanted fruit loaf for the morning so I’ve made your bread with the added extras: 1 tblsp marmalade, 2 tsp cinnamon, 1 tblsp oil and two handfuls of sultanas and a good grate of nutmeg – about to go in the oven, faithful to your 200 for 45 minutes, I’ll let you know how it goes tomorrow!
I’ve proselytised enough to get my mother to make a loaf a week using your recipe, she loves it too. Thanks for the e-help!!!!!!!!!
Dear CLive
thank you so much for your comment – I love it! You are so kind to write and I bet your mum is happy you have bullied her too! Rye is my absolute favourite and I eat it all the time. Love the slower bake too – does it result in a thicker crust, a dryer or wetting inside? Do tell and photos please! ALso, try it with ground cardomom sometime and a spoon of honey or molasses. Delish!
Success at last! I tried your suggestions about using a high heat to begin with and a lower temp to finish. The result is a much drier loaf but still with a close texture and great taste.
I made a 500g loaf using that amount of rye flour. I added 13g of Allison’s active yeast (yellow tin) to the “well” and let it soak in 120mls of water for about 15 mins. I then added 6g of salt (I don’t like to use too much salt) and approx. 300mls of water. I made the dough in the way you suggest passing from wet hand to wet hand and plonked it in a silicone loaf tin. I baked at 230 for 20 minutes, covered with tin foil (the crust was very brown) and baked for another 40 minutes at 180. I left the loaf until today (2 days of torture I can tell you!) but it was all worthwhile. Everyone who has enjoyed a slice or two has said it’s just about perfect. I shall cook and eat nothing else!
Kind regards and thanks, Steve
that is just marvellous! I am pleased. With rye, I always think 2 days in advance so once you get into a routine, you will always have it! You may want to cut your yeast down to about 5 grams. Seriously. The dough will take longer to rise – between 3-5 hours depending on how cold the kitchen it (try it all day or over night in the fridge and then just pop it in the oven) but it will taste better and be even better for you.
@virtuousbread, success also with my rye rolls lately!
Your advice about high heat works 🙂 The only difference
is I put the rolls into a cold convection oven at 225C and bake them for 40 minutes. I don’t turn down the heat during the whole baking process.
When the rolls are done I take them out & place a clean towel over them so steam softens the crust.
The end result is perfect rolls that have a thin crust and are dry and cooked inside. They freeze beautifully & taste like they were freshly baked if defrosted at room temperature, not heated in the microwave oven.
Kind regards and thanks, Alisa
That is just brilliant!!!!!
Great recipe. I am new to bread making, and I am wondering if it is it possible to make a larger rye loaf than the 500g one specified? If it is, can you please tell me what needs to be done differently?
Thanks for your help
Andrew
Dear Andrew
thank you for your message. Just scale up the recipe to whatever size you need. Double it or multiply by 1.5. I have found that, unlike wheat bread, a bigger rye loaf can take a wee bit longer to bake. And, start the oven off higher – like 230 degrees – for the first 10 minutes and then reduce it to 200. That normally does the trick. Let use know!
I tried this recipe the other day using Dove’s rye flour and Allinson’s active dry yeast (yellow tin) – both freshly purchased last week – and the dough did not rise at all.
I came to one of your bread making sessions ages ago and made a wholemeal loaf; thus I remember the whole process of making the well for the yeast and so on, but have not had any joy when trying to bake a loaf on my own!
Should the yeast be activated in warm water separately?
Any suggestions would be much appreciated.
Many thanks
Yes – with yellow tin (dry active) yeast you must “proof” it in some of the water for 15 minutes first. When it is dissolved, add all the other ingredients and knead and follow the instructions. Yellow tin yeast needs this extra step!
I have a wheat allergy and am very happy to find this recipe. I am wondering how long I can keep this on the counter after making ( you mentioned it is best eaten 1-2 days after making) and should I cover it with something? is it okay to keep this on the counter in warm weather? also the baking temperature which is 200 degrees.. is that 200F or 200C? THanks!!
I wrap up my bread in a tea towel – just that! Temp is Celcius!
you also mentioned that 6 g of yeast is needed. is that 3 grams of active dry yeast or instant yeast? thanks!! can’t wait to make this!
Hi there – sorry for late response but I see you have had a go. You need 6 g fresh OR 3 g dry active OR 1.5 g instant. With rye, in all cases it helps to dissolve the yeast in water first (following instructions for active dry yeast) as it helps the yeast get going. Don’t get too technical – just pop in a teaspoon of yeast!
Hello I want to cook this lovely looking recipe. I have a question?
What yeast manufacturer do you use? I’ve looked at loads of yeasts I am confused! Its confusing when you read the descriptions of the different yeasts! Especially instant yeast and dried yeast.
The yeast I was thinking of using is Allinson Dried Active Baking Yeast.
I followed the recipe but my loaf was very hard, heavy and doughy, what could i have done wrong?
Hi there
ok, a couple of things:
1. check your oven temp to make sure it’s working properly
2. the dough really REALLY should be very wet – so wet you can barely pick the dough up to shape it and put it in the tin
3. take the time to proof the yeast – whatever type it is – to maximise your “rise”
4. make sure it’s really risen (little bubbles ALL OVER the top of the dough in the tin)
5. don’t eat it until the next day (or even day 2)
let me know!
all else fails, come and take a course with us!
Thank you for your advice. My second attempt was better but the dough did not rise much before, or after baking. I used 1tsp about 5 grams of the Allinsons dried active yeast. Left it for 15 minuntes. I left the dough to rise for 3 hours and although it rose a little it didnt rise very much. I baked it for 10 mins at 230 then at 200 for 30 mins. It tastes good and the texture is ok but it just didnt rise. Any tips?
Hi there, I know this sounds daft but rye is slow and lazy! just be patient. It could take 5 hours and if the kitchen is a bit cool it will take a long time! One minute it’s languising in the tin and the next it is at the top! Try again (do try) and just keep checking – or put it in the fridge over night or all day if you don’t want to keep checking – and it will rise eventually as long as the yeast is alive! Thank you for trying – it’s worth it – truly! Jane
Hi. My rye bread comes out with the crust hard and tasty, separating from the centre, soft and sticky. Is this the oven temperature?
Hi there, this crust separation is a sign that the bread has over proofed (ie too long rising before you bake it). When you say the centre is sticky – that could partly be because the bread is collapsing (over proofing) and so there are not a lot of air holes to help it bake. It could be oven temp/time in oven. Do check your oven temperature with a thermometer and also remember that rye IS sticky because the dough is so wet. It’s best cut into 24-48 hours after baking. Let me know how it goes!
Hello, I’m curious If you have tried making this Rye Bread recipe with sour dough/wild yeast. I noticed the Rye bread recipe recommends 1.5 g instant yeast or 3 g dry yeast or 6 g fresh yeast.
How many grams(g) of sourdough starter(wild yeast} would be recommended for this Rye Bread recipe?
Other than a 1 lb / 500 g bread tin , will a 5.5 lb. / 2,750 g Staub cocotte or French oven (enameled iron with lid) be suitable for this recipe?
Hello, I make sourdough rye all the time – here is the recipe:
http://www.virtuousbread.com/how-to-make-bread/recipies/sourdough-bread-the-way-we-make-it-at-virtuousbread-com/
I have no idea what a Staub cocotte is! And if you would like to bake it in an “oven in an oven” i see no reason why it won’t work!
Jane
Hi there, Thanks for the detailed recipe!
Just wondering is it possible to add molasses/malt into the mixture to make it dark. Would this ‘destroy’ the light and airy texture this recipe called for?
Many thanks in advance!
hi there, not at all. The bread is super light whether or not you use molasses or honey or malt. I use maximum 50 g and when I say “light” i mean in texture, not in colour!