Rye bread recipe

Rye bread is packed with flavour, healthy and low in fat. It's delicious with all sorts of savoury and sweet toppings.

Learn how to make classic rye bread with this simple step-by-step recipe. This rye bread takes around 2 hours to prepare and bake but is well worth the wait. Top your rye bread with a variety of toppings such as cheese or smoked salmon and dill. 

Ingredients

• 500g (1lb) stoneground rye flour
• Pinch of salt
• 7g sachet fast-action dried yeast
• 1 level tbsp black treacle
• 18cm (7in) square cake tin, buttered

Method

1. Tip the rye flour into a bowl of a table-top food mixer fitted with a dough hook, or a food processor fitted with a dough-making attachment. Add the salt and yeast.  
2. Stir the black treacle into 450ml (15floz) warm water until it dissolves and then pours it into the flour. Beat the mixture for about 5-8 mins, until it feels stretchy. Alternatively, beat the mixture by hand, using a wooden spoon. This dough is very soft and stickier than a traditional dough mixture.  
3. Turn the mixture out onto a surface lightly dusted with some rye flour and work it into a ball with a smooth surface. Press the dough into the tin, with the smooth surface uppermost, and use your knuckles to press it out into the corners of the tin. Cover the tin with a clean tea towel or with a piece of oiled cling film. Leave the dough to prove in a warm place for about 45-60 mins, or until it has doubled in size.  
4. Set the oven to the gas mark at 6 or 200°C.  
5. Take the tea towel or cling film off the loaf and bake the bread in the center of the oven for 40 mins.  
6. Remove the loaf from the oven and turn it out onto a baking sheet. Return the loaf to the oven to bake for a further 25-35 mins, or until it sounds hollow when tapped on its base. Finally, remove the loaf from the oven and transfer it to a wire rack to cool.

Top tips for making rye bread

This dense bread is delicious topped with cream cheese and smoked salmon. It may appear undercooked when it’s being sliced, as it might stick slightly to the knife, but it will taste great.