Rye Bread Recipe – Girl Versus Dough

This easy rye bread recipe has a soft, dense crumb, a lightly crisp crust, and balanced rye flavor. Using medium rye and bread flour, it makes two great sandwich loaves in just over 2 hours. The flavor is distinct but not overpowering—perfect for sandwiches, toast, or hearty soups.

I’ve been perfecting this rye bread for years, and it’s become my go-to recipe when I want that authentic deli-style sandwich bread. Unlike 100% rye breads that can be quite dense and crumbly, this recipe uses just the right ratio of rye to wheat flour to give you all that wonderful rye flavor while maintaining a soft, sliceable texture. 

It reminds me of the marble rye bread from my favorite New York delis, but without all the fuss of braided rye bread!

The best part? This dough is forgiving and straightforward. If you can make sandwich bread, you can absolutely make this rye bread. The slightly dense crumb holds up beautifully in sandwiches without falling apart, and it makes excellent toast.

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Medium Rye Flour: This is the star ingredient! I use medium rye flour because it provides excellent rye flavor with a finer texture than whole rye or dark rye flour. The rye flour percentage in this recipe (about 50%) gives authentic flavor while maintaining a soft, sliceable texture. 
• Here’s the important science: rye flour contains the gluten protein gliadin but not glutenin—the protein that creates elasticity in dough. That’s why we need wheat flour alongside the rye. You could use light rye flour for a milder taste, or increase to dark rye for a more robust flavor, though the texture will be denser. This is similar to the flour combination I use in my marble rye bread.
• Bread Flour: The higher protein content in bread flour is essential for structure in this recipe. It provides the glutenin that rye flour lacks, creating the elastic network that traps gas and allows the bread to rise. 
• You could substitute all-purpose flour, but the bread will have a slightly softer, less chewy texture. Don’t use all-purpose if you want to increase the rye percentage—the structure won’t support it.
• Active Dry Yeast: I prefer active dry yeast in this recipe for a slower, more consistent rise that gives the rye flavor time to develop. You can substitute instant yeast if that’s what you have—just add it directly with the flour (no blooming needed) and watch the proof times, as they’ll be about 25-30% faster.
• Kosher Salt: Salt is crucial in bread baking—it strengthens the gluten network, controls fermentation, and enhances flavor. I always use kosher salt for its clean taste and easy measurement. If using table salt or fine sea salt, reduce to about 2½ teaspoons total.
• Canola Oil: A small amount of oil enriches the dough, creating a softer crumb and extending shelf life. You can substitute vegetable oil, olive oil, or even melted butter for a richer flavor. Unlike my brioche loaf, this bread doesn’t need much fat—just enough to keep it tender.
• Water: Lukewarm water (around 110°F) activates the yeast and hydrates the flour. Rye flour absorbs water differently than wheat flour, which is why the dough might seem perfect during mixing but could become sticky during proofing if overly hydrated. This recipe has been tested to get the hydration just right.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Variations

• Add caraway seeds for classic Jewish deli-style rye. Stir in 2-3 tablespoons of caraway seeds with the flour for that traditional rye bread flavor. If you love caraway, check out my pumpernickel bread recipe which features them prominently.
• Make it into dinner rolls. Divide the dough into 16-20 pieces and shape into balls like my sweet potato dinner rolls. Place in a greased 9×13 pan and bake at 375°F for 18-22 minutes. Perfect alongside dutch oven pot roast or beef stew!
• Create a marbled loaf. Divide the dough in half. Add 2 tablespoons cocoa powder dissolved in 2 tablespoons water to one half and knead until incorporated. Then braid or swirl the light and dark doughs together like my marble rye bread for a stunning presentation.
• Add mix-ins for extra flavor and texture. Fold in dried cranberries and walnuts, or sunflower seeds and flax seeds for a heartier loaf. You could also add a tablespoon of molasses or honey with the water for a slightly sweeter, darker bread similar to my raisin walnut pumpernickel.

Professional Tips for Rye Bread

• Your stand mixer might struggle with this recipe—and that’s okay! This makes a large batch of fairly stiff dough, which can strain smaller stand mixers. 
• If your mixer is laboring or feels hot, stop and let the dough rest for 10 minutes. This allows the flour to hydrate and gluten to develop passively, giving your mixer’s motor a break. Then continue kneading on medium for 3 minutes. My 5-quart KitchenAid handled it, but it was working hard!
• Don’t rely on the windowpane test with rye dough. Because rye flour lacks the glutenin protein that creates elasticity, the dough won’t form clean windowpanes like you’d get with white sandwich bread or brioche. The dough should feel soft and supple, with some elasticity, but the panes will break easily. Just go by the kneading time—5 minutes at medium-low speed is perfect.
• Skip the pre-shape to avoid tearing the surface. Unlike recipes for same day sourdough bread or French bread, this rye bread dough doesn’t benefit from pre-shaping. The gluten structure is more delicate, and pre-shaping can cause surface tears. Just divide and go straight to final shaping.
• There’s minimal oven spring, so proof adequately! Unlike wheat breads that get a final rise in the oven, rye bread has limited oven spring due to its weaker gluten structure. The dough can’t support the expansion of larger air bubbles, so they escape through the top crust, leaving a characteristic freckled appearance. Make sure your dough has risen above the rim of the pan during final proof—what you see is pretty much what you’ll get after baking.
• The crumb will be denser than wheat bread—and that’s perfect! If you’re used to the open, airy crumb of no-knead Dutch oven bread or sourdough focaccia, this rye bread will look quite different. The dense, even crumb is exactly what you want—it slices beautifully and holds up to sandwich fillings without falling apart.

How to Make Homemade Rye Bread

Use these instructions to make the perfect rye bread every time! Further details and measurements can be found in the recipe card below.

Step 1: Bloom the yeast. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine yeast and warm water. Whisk or stir with a fork and allow to sit undisturbed for 5-10 minutes, or until foamy (photo 1).

Step 2: Add rye flour, bread flour, kosher salt, and oil to the stand mixer bowl. Fit with the dough hook attachment and mix on low to incorporate until a cohesive dough forms (photo 2).

Step 3: Knead the dough. Once a dough forms, increase the speed to medium-low and knead for 5 minutes. If your mixer is struggling, stop and let the dough rest for 10 minutes to hydrate the flour, then continue kneading on medium for 3 minutes. The dough should feel soft and supple (photo 3).

Step 4: First rise. Remove dough from the mixer and place in a lightly oiled large bowl for the first rise or bulk proof. Flip the dough to coat the top with oil, then cover with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm spot for 45 minutes, or until doubled (photo 4).

Step 5: Start shaping. Divide the dough into two pieces, approximately 900g each. Working one piece at a time, take the side furthest from you and fold it down to the center. Rotate the dough 180 degrees and repeat by folding the other side down towards the center (photos 5 & 6).

Step 6: Thumb-fold shaping. Perform 2 thumb folds by wrapping the dough around the thumb of your left hand and sealing the edge with the heel of your right hand. Start this motion towards the right side and gradually move left, rolling and sealing as you go. The first thumb fold will not fully close the dough log. Perform one more thumb fold to fully create a cylinder or log shape (photos 7 & 8).

Step 7: Place the log-shaped dough seam-side down in an 8-9 inch loaf pan sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Repeat with the second piece of dough (photo 9).

Step 8: Final proof. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow to proof in a warm spot for 30-45 minutes, or until the dough has risen above the edge of the loaf pan in most places. Remember, there’s minimal oven spring, so make sure it’s adequately proofed.

Step 9: Bake. While the dough is in its final proof, preheat the oven to 375°F conventional (no fan). Bake in a preheated oven for 28-30 minutes until the crust is a light golden brown or an instant-read thermometer reaches 185°F.

Step 10: Cool completely. Remove the loaves from the oven and turn out immediately onto a cooling rack to cool completely before slicing (photos 10 & 11).

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