Homemade Rye Bread

Homemade rye bread is easier than you might think, and so worth it!

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
Learn about Simply Recipes' Editorial Process
Updated November 03, 2024
Elise Bauer
A cutting board with sliced rye bread ready spread with butter and eat
Sally Vargas and Elise Bauer

For as long as I knew my friend George he was an enthusiastic bread maker. Often when I visited his home in Carlisle, Massachusetts, he had a freshly baked loaf of rye bread for us to enjoy.

One time when George came to visit my family in Carmichael, I put him to work, showing me the way he makes his rye bread.

What Is Rye Bread?

Rye bread is simply bread that is made with rye flour. Rye has an earthy flavor, and using more or less of it in combination with other flours a loaf will give it more or less of that flavor. Rye bread is often made with additions like molasses and cocoa powder, which add color and flavor. Caraway seeds can be added as well, for an even more distinctive flavor.

While you can make a loaf that is made 100% rye, those tend to be quite dense and heavy. For a lighter loaf that still has good rye flavor, mix rye flour with bread flour, which helps form a better gluten structure within the dough.

As for this particular bread from George? It was wonderful. Lightly flavored, soft inside, with a crusty crust. My father doesn't like caraway seeds so they were kept out. I love them so the next time I make this bread they're going in.

A man holding rye bread
George holding his rye bread.

Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas & Elise Bauer

Best Way to Learn to Bake Bread? Hands on!

I don't think one can easily learn to make bread by reading about it.

It really helps to get your hands in it and learn directly from someone who can say, "See? This is the right consistency for the dough." Bread making is something that you just have to practice. The more bread you make, the better you get at it.

A stack of slicked homemade rye bread slices on a board

Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas

Ways to Enjoy Rye Bread

Rye is, of course, essential for a good reuben sandwich or a classic liverwurst sandwich with pickled onions. It makes the perfect bread for a grilled cheese sandwich.

Have leftover rye bread that's going stale? Make them into bread crumbs and freeze them to use later. You can sprinkle them over salads, casseroles, or this Hot Reuben Dip.

Storing and Freezing Rye Bread

Rye bread will keep for several days at room temperature if kept in a paper bag. To extend its life another few days, wrap it in a plastic bag instead.

Rye bread also freezes very well. Wrap it in plastic wrap and aluminum foil, then store in a freezer bag for up to three months. Thaw at room temperature and reheat in the oven if desired.

Rye bread on a counter spread with butter

Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas

Love Baking Bread? Try These Recipes

Homemade Rye Bread

Prep Time 30 mins
Cook Time 40 mins
Total Time 70 mins
Servings 24 servings
Yield 2 loaves
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

  • 2 packages active dry yeast (4 1/2 teaspoons or 16 grams)

  • 2 1/2 cups warm water (just barely warm to the touch)

  • 2/3 cup molasses (regular, NOT blackstrap)

  • 2 tablespoons caraway seeds (optional)

  • 1 tablespoon salt

  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil

  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder (unsweetened)

  • 2 cups rye flour

  • 5 cups bread flour

Method

  1. Dissolve the yeast:

    Dissolve the yeast in the warm water with the molasses. Put yeast mixture into a large metal bowl.

    Dissolving yeast with water and molasses in a measuring cup

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer
  2. Make the dough:

    Add the caraway seeds, salt, vegetable oil, cocoa powder, 2 cups of rye flour and then 2 cups of bread flour, mixing into the yeast mixture after each addition with a wooden spoon.

    Add more bread flour, a cup at a time, until the dough is not so sticky and it is too hard to mix it with the wooden spoon. At that point, spread a half cupful of flour onto a large, clean, flat surface and put the dough onto the surface.

    Mixing rye bread dough ingredients in a mixing bowl

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer
    Rye bread dough mixed in a mixing bowl

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer
  3. Knead the dough:

    Knead the dough by pressing down with the heel of your hand, stretching it, turning the dough a quarter-turn, pulling the dough back toward you and then pressing and stretching again. Knead additional bread flour into the dough until it reaches the right consistency. Knead for 5-7 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic.

    Hands kneading rye bread dough on a wooden table

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer
    Kneading rye bread dough on a wooden table dusted with flour

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer
    Hands shaping rye bread dough on a wooden table

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer
    Hands to the side, shaping rye bread dough on a flour-dusted wooden table

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer
  4. Let the dough rise:

    Spread some vegetable oil around a large bowl and place the dough in it, turning it so it gets coated in the oil.

    Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp cloth. Let rise at room temperature until it has doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

    Rye bread dough rising in a metal bowl

    Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas & Elise Bauer
  5. Divide the dough:

    Gently press down on the risen dough so some of its air is released. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, knead the dough a few turns and then divide it by cutting it in half with a sharp knife.

    Risen rye bread dough in a metal bowl

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer
    Fist punching down rye bread dough in a metal bowl

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer
    Shaping rye bread dough with hands on a floured surface

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer
    A hand smashing down and shaping rye bread dough

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer
    Two hands pressing down and shaping rye bread dough

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer
    Cutting rye bread dough into two portions with a knife

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer
  6. Shape the loaves:

    Shape each half into loaf. Place dough loafs into either oiled 8x4-inch bread loaf pans, or onto a flat baking sheet or peel that has been sprinkled with corn meal, depending if you want to cook the loaves in pans or directly on a baking stone. Cover with plastic or a damp cloth.

    Hands holding half of a rye bread dough loaf

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer
    Rye bread dough in a loaf pan

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer
  7. Let the loaves rise:

    Let the bread rise again, this time not doubling in volume, but rising by about half of its volume, about 30 to 45 minutes, half as long as the first rising. The dough should be peeking over the top of the loaf pan if using a loaf pan.

  8. Preheat the oven to 350°F:

    If you are using a baking stone, place the stone in the oven. Preheat it for at least half an hour before baking.

  9. Bake the loaves:

    If baking on a stone and not in the pan, score the loaves a few times on the top of the dough right before putting it in the oven.

    Put loaves in the oven. If you have a mister, mist the dough with a little water the first 10 minutes of baking. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until done. The bread should sound hollow when tapped.

    Did you love the recipe? Give us some stars and leave a comment below!

    Scoring rye bread dough with a knife

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer
    A freshly baked loaf of rye bread on a wood table

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
185 Calories
3g Fat
35g Carbs
5g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 24
Amount per serving
Calories 185
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 3g 4%
Saturated Fat 0g 1%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 270mg 12%
Total Carbohydrate 35g 13%
Dietary Fiber 2g 7%
Total Sugars 7g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 27mg 2%
Iron 1mg 7%
Potassium 204mg 4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.