Dark Rye Bread

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Published April 6, 2024  ·  ⭐ 5.0 (10 reviews)

Prep	Cook	Total	Yield
30 min	50 min	14 hr	1 loaf

Difficulty: Medium

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Ingredients

Soaker (night before)

• 200 g cracked rye or rye chops
• 200 ml boiling water

Dough

• 300 g dark rye flour
• 150 g strong wholemeal bread flour
• 50 g plain white flour
• 10 g fine sea salt
• 7 g instant dried yeast
• 2 tbsp molasses or dark treacle
• 1 tbsp caraway seeds
• 350 ml warm water

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Steps Overview

1. Prepare the rye soaker overnight
2. Mix all dough ingredients including soaker
3. Prove in a tin until domed (2–3 hours)
4. Bake covered, then uncovered for crust

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Step-by-Step

1. Make the soaker

The night before, pour boiling water over the cracked rye. Stir, cover, and leave overnight. This softens the grain and improves flavour and digestibility.

2. Mix the dough

Combine rye flour, wholemeal flour, white flour, salt, yeast, molasses, and caraway seeds. Add the soaker and warm water. Mix vigorously with a wooden spoon — rye dough is more like a thick batter than a kneadable dough. It will be very sticky and dense.

3. Tin and prove

Scrape into a well-oiled 900 g loaf tin. Smooth the top with wet fingers. Cover with a damp towel and prove at room temperature for 2–3 hours until the dough has risen to just above the tin rim.

4. Bake

Preheat oven to 220 °C. Cover the tin tightly with foil. Bake for 30 minutes covered, then remove foil and bake a further 20 minutes at 200 °C until the crust is firm and a deep brown. Internal temperature should be at least 98 °C.

5. Cool completely

This is the hardest part: do not cut for at least 12 hours. Rye bread needs this time to set its crumb — cutting early will give you a gummy interior. Wrap in a clean cloth and leave on a rack overnight.

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Notes

• Rye bread keeps exceptionally well — it actually improves for 2–3 days after baking.
• The gumminess of rye starch requires a high internal temperature and a long rest before slicing.
• Caraway seeds are traditional but optional. Fennel seeds or anise work beautifully too.
• Serve with cold smoked butter, aged cheese, or pickled herring for a Scandinavian feast.