Food & Cooking Recipes Breakfast & Brunch Recipes Bread Recipes Martha's Homemade Rye Bread 4.0 (161) These homemade loaves are perfect for sandwiches, toast, or simply spreading with butter. Prep Time: 40 mins Cook Time: 45 mins Total Time: 3 hrs 10 mins Servings: 16 Yield: 2 loaves Jump to recipe Our rye bread recipe is made with a mix of rye flour and all-purpose flour, yielding hearty loaves with a subtle tang that aren't dense like some other rye breads. It comes together easily using a stand-mixer and doesn't call for any complicated steps or techniques, making it doable for those just dipping their toes into bread making. This recipe makes two loaves baked in loaf pans, which are just the right shape for slicing for sandwiches (pastrami perhaps?) or toast. You can form the dough into freeform loaves if you prefer. Caraway seeds, mixed into the dough and sprinkled on top, are a traditional addition and add a delicious crunch. The Right Way to Store Homemade Bread So It Stays Fresh Credit: Jake Sternquist Why Give Rye a Try? Hearty and full of flavor, rye bread is just as delicious for toasting as it is for sandwich making. It's full of earthy caraway seeds, which lend an anise-like taste and a pleasing crunch. Thanks to a generous amount of rye flour, rye bread also contains more fiber than many other types of bread, making it a low glycemic food that won't cause a high spike in blood sugar. Equipment for Making Rye Bread at Home Whipping up a couple loaves of rye bread is easier than you may think and requires only a couple pieces of kitchen equipment, including: Stand-mixer: A stand-mixer fitted with a dough hook makes combining the dry and wet ingredients and forming the dough a cinch. If you don't have a stand-mixer, you can mix the dough by hand in a large bowl using a wooden spoon or dough whisk. It'll be sticky and may require a little elbow grease but will still come together just fine. Loaf pans: We like using two 9x5" loaf pans to bake the dough in, which makes the finished bread easy to slice. If you don't have two loaf pans or would prefer free-form loaves instead, you can shape it into rounds or ovals prior to baking. Cooling rack: After baking, you'll want to transfer pans to a wire rack to cool slightly, then turn bread directly onto the rack to cool completely. Using a wire rack allows air to circulate around the loaves, helping them cool evenly and efficiently. When measuring flour for this and other baking recipes, always spoon it into your measuring cup and level off the top instead of dipping the cup directly into the container. Scooping can cause the flour to pack too tightly, which can throw off the amount going into your dough. Directions Credit: Jake Sternquist Proof yeast: In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, sprinkle yeast over 1/2 cup water. Add 2 teaspoons honey. Whisk until yeast dissolves. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Credit: Jake Sternquist Mix remaining water with rest of honey, butter, seeds, and yeast mixture: Add remaining 1 3/4 cups water to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, along with remaining 3 tablespoons honey, butter, caraway seeds, and salt. Add yeast mixture. Mix on low to combine. Credit: Jake Sternquist Add flours: Gradually add both flours, one cup at a time, mixing until dough comes away from sides of bowl and forms a ragged, slightly sticky ball. Butter a large bowl. Credit: Jake Sternquist Knead dough: Knead dough on a floured surface until smooth and elastic but still slightly tacky, about 5 minutes. Shape into a ball. Transfer to prepared bowl; cover with plastic wrap. Credit: Jake Sternquist Add more all-purpose flour a bit at a time when kneading if dough is sticking to counter and hands. Let rise: Let dough stand in a warm place until it doubled in volume (it should not spring back when pressed), about 1 hour. Credit: Jake Sternquist Prep loaf pans and divide dough: Butter two 4 1/2-by-8 1/2-inch loaf pans. Punch down dough and divide in half. Credit: Jake Sternquist Shape one loaf; repeat with second: Working with one piece of dough at a time, shape into a 7-by-7-inch square. Fold dough into thirds; press seam to adhere and pinch ends to seal. Place seam-side down in loaf pan. Repeat process with remaining piece of dough. Credit: Jake Sternquist Credit: Jake Sternquist Brush tops with egg white wash; sprinkle with seeds: In a small bowl, mix egg white with 1 teaspoon water and brush mixture over tops of loaves; sprinkle with caraway seeds. Credit: Jake Sternquist Cover and let rise: Spray two pieces of plastic wrap with nonstick cooking spray; drape loaves with prepared plastic wrap and let stand until dough rises about 1 inch above tops of pans, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Credit: Jake Sternquist Preheat oven: Preheat oven to 450°F on a conventional oven or 425°F on a convection oven. Reduce oven temperature to 400°F (conventional) or 375°F (convection). Bake: Uncover loaves and transfer to oven. Bake, rotating pans after 20 minutes, until tops are golden brown, about 45 minutes. Transfer to wire racks. Let cool slightly; turn out loaves. Let cool completely before slicing. Credit: Jake Sternquist How to Store Homemade Rye Bread Homemade rye bread can be stored at room temperature for 3 to 4 days in a bread box, plastic or paper bags, or wrapped in kitchen towels. Keep the loaves whole until you're ready to eat as slicing ahead of time can cause bread to dry out more quickly. Freezing For longer storage, slice the loaves and wrap them tightly in plastic wrap, then wrap in a layer of foil or transfer to a resealable bag. Freeze bread for up to three months. Thaw at room temperature, microwave for 10 to 20 seconds, or pop directly in the toaster. Ideas for Using Rye Bread Besides toasting and slathering with butter, there are so many ways to use your homemade rye bread, including: In a sandwich, such as our classic deli-style Reuben or lightened-up chicken Reuben Served alongside a hearty soup, like kapusniak (a delicious Polish cabbage-and-bacon combo) or this warming mushroom-and-barley recipe Layered into our smoked-salmon-studded Jewish deli strata Work it into a flavorful stuffing, like this recipe that combines cranberries, sage, and sausage Used as the base of a Scandinavian-style open-faced sandwich topped with salted butter, cured or smoked fish, and pickled vegetables 5 More Yeast Bread Recipes to Try: Homemade Pita Bread Multigrain Bread Tartine Bakery’s Country Bread No-Knead Cheese and Olive Loaf Soft, Buttery Dinner Rolls Updated by Esther Reynolds Esther Reynolds Esther Reynolds is an experienced recipe developer, recipe tester, food editor, and writer with over a decade of experience in the food and media industries.