Rye bread

Name: Rye bread
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 90 min
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: Polish
Ingredients: 200g Rye flour; 200g Strong white bread flour; 10g Yeast; 1/2 tsp Salt; 1 tablespoon Honey; 1 tsp Caraway Seed; 300ml Water

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Serves 12 127 kcal per serving Prep 30 min Cook 1 h Passive 3 h

Ingredients

200g Rye flour
200g Strong white bread flour
10g Yeast
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tablespoon Honey
1 tsp Caraway Seed
300ml Water

Instructions

Place the rye flour, strong white bread flour, yeast and salt in a large bowl. In a jug, dissolve the honey in 250 ml of warm water. Pour the liquid into the bowl and mix to form a dough. Rye flour absorbs a lot of moisture, so add a little more warm water if needed until the dough is soft.
Turn the dough out onto a work surface and knead for about 10 minutes until smooth. The dough will feel less elastic than a white bread dough due to the lower gluten content of rye flour.
Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a well-oiled bowl. Cover and leave to rise in a warm place for 1–2 hours, or until roughly doubled in size. Dust a 2lb (900g) loaf tin with flour.
Tip the dough back onto the surface and knead briefly to knock out excess air. If using caraway seeds, work them into the dough at this stage. Shape into a smooth oval loaf and place in the tin. Cover and leave to rise again for 1–1½ hours, until doubled in size.
Preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan). Remove the cover, dust the top of the loaf with rye flour and make a few diagonal slashes. Bake for about 30 minutes, until dark brown and hollow-sounding when tapped. Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing.

Tips

Rye flour is lower in gluten and very sticky; use wet hands to handle the dough rather than adding too much extra flour.
Incorporate caraway seeds into the dough for the iconic ‘deli-style’ rye aroma.
Allow the bread to cool completely before slicing; rye bread continues to set its structure even after leaving the oven.

Variations

Pumpernickel: Add cocoa powder and molasses for a dark, dense, and slightly sweet loaf.
Light Rye: Use a 50/50 mix of rye and bread flour for a loftier, softer texture.

Storage

Rye bread stays fresh longer than white bread. Wrap in a clean cloth or paper bag and store for up to 5 days. It also freezes well.

Serving Suggestions

Perfect for a Reuben sandwich with corned beef, sauerkraut, and Swiss cheese.
Serve toasted with plenty of salted butter or topped with smoked salmon and cream cheese.