Bread Machine Rye Bread
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Whip up a batch of rich and aromatic rye bread within hardly any time with your bread maker! This easy-to-make rye bread is perfect for grilled cheese or toasted with an over-easy egg on top.
Are you like me? Have one thing that you always order at a restaurant that you could make at home, but just don’t?
For me, it’s rye bread. I love the depth of flavor and density of a good slice of rye, but for some reason, I’d never attempted it. Until recently.
Our restaurants have been closed on and off for months due to the thing that shall not be named, so I had to take matters into my own hands.
This bread machine rye bread recipe is dedicated to taking matters into your own hands.
Jump to:
Tips + Tricks
No. 1 –> Use the scoop and level method for your flour: stir the flour well in the bag, then scoop the flour into your measuring cup and level the cup by scraping a knife across the top. This will result in more consistent scooping!
No. 2 –> Measure the cooking oil, then the molasses. The light coating of oil will help to release the molasses from the spoon easily!
No. 3 –> Having trouble with your bread machine? Check my bread machine troubleshooting guide!
No. 4 –> You can use all purpose flour, IF, the protein content is high enough. Look for flour with a protein content of at least 13%. Check out my whole wheat bread machine recipe to learn how to calculate protein content.
Key Ingredients
Flour: This recipe has 3 different kinds of flour. I know, but hear me out. The rye flour is there for obvious reasons! Rye has a nutty, earthy flavor, but low gluten content. Bread flour and whole wheat flour, with their high gluten content, help to turn this rye loaf into a beautiful airy bread.
Sweetener: We’re using both brown sugar and unsulfured molasses in this recipe. Both of these ingredients have a deeper, more caramelized flavor than regular sugar. They also both serve to color the bread!
Caraway seeds: Caraway seeds give rye bread that licorice (anise) and pepper flavor that rye bread is so well known for. They are aromatic and absolutely delish!
How to make bread machine rye bread:
- Combine warm water, salt, brown sugar, oil, and molasses in the baking pan of your bread machine. To test your water, use my extremely scientific method: dab some on the inside of your wrist like you would with a baby bottle. If it feels too warm, use cooler water.
- Sprinkle the flour on top of the water mixture, and the seeds on top of the flour, then sprinkle the yeast over top of the flour. At this point, I like to shake my flour out and cover the entire surface of this water, this helps to keep the yeast out of the water and away from proofing before my bread machine is done its warm-up cycle.
- Place the baking pan into the bread machine and select your whole wheat, dark crust cycle, and 2 lb loaf. If your machine does not have all these settings, simply pick the closest one – which is likely to be whole wheat.
- Allow the bread machine to bake. This is the hard part! Walk away! You’ll be tempted to check on your bread and then start panicking cause the texture looks weird and the dough looks too wet. Take it from me, a fritterer, just walk away!
- Remove the bread pan from the bread machine and brush the top of your loaf with softened butter or margarine. This step is optional, but it makes for a softer more visually appealing crust. I prefer to brush my loaves.
- Overturn the cooked loaf onto a wire mesh cooling rack. It’s important to get to your machine as soon as possible once it beeps complete to avoid it kicking into keep warm mode, this will dry out your bread and make it less than pleasant.
- Allow the bread to cool completely (if possible, I know it’s hard!) before cutting.
Bake in the oven?
You can certainly bake this light rye bread in the oven! Follow these steps:
- Follow steps 1-2 as you would if baking in the bread machine.
- Place the baking pan into the bread machine and choose the “Dough” cycle.
- Once the dough cycle is complete, turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface, and shape it into a boule or loaves, then transfer it to a greased baking dish.
- Cover baking dishes with a clean kitchen towel and allow to rise for 45- 60 minutes, or until doubled in size.
- At the end of the rising, preheat the oven to 350f.
- Bake your loaves at 350f for approximately 30 minutes or until golden brown on top.
- If desired, brush the top of your loaf with softened butter or margarine.
Love bread machine recipes? Try these!
Batch + storage information
Batch:
This recipe makes 1 2lb loaf.
Storage:
Once the rye bread is completely cooled, store it in a sealed plastic bag at room temperature for 2-3 days.
To freeze your rye loaf, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and then a layer of tin foil. Keep it in the freezer for up to 3 months. To thaw, simply remove it from the freezer and allow to thaw at room temperature for a couple of hours.
Substitutions + variations
- Vegetable oil in this recipe can be substituted for butter, olive oil, margarine, or even BACON GREASE!
- Brown sugar can be substituted for granulated sugar, maple syrup or honey. Though I prefer brown sugar in this recipe.
- Caraway seeds can be omitted completely if you’re not a fan of the licorice-y flavor.
- Whole wheat flour can be omitted in part or in whole for bread flour, but this may change the outcome of the final loaf.
If you love this recipe, please give it a star rating or leave a comment below! This helps me to create more content you enjoy!
📖 Printable Recipe
Easy Bread Machine Rye Bread
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup warm water
- 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons unsulfured molasses
- 1 1½ cup bread flour
- 1 cup dark rye flour
- ¾ cup whole wheat flour
- 1 tablespoon caraway seeds
- 2 teaspoons bread machine yeast
- margarine or butter for brushing crust
Instructions
Bake in a bread machine:
- Combine 1 1/4 cup warm water, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, 2 tablespoons unsulfured molasses, and 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt in the baking pan of your bread machine.
- Sprinkle 1 1/2 cup bread flour, 1 cup of dark rye flour, 3/4 cup whole wheat flour, and 1 tablespoon of caraway seeds on top of the water mixture, then sprinkle 2 teaspoons bread machine yeast over top of the flour.
- Place the baking pan into the bread machine and select your whole wheat, dark crust cycle.
- Allow the bread machine to bake.
- Remove the bread pan from the bread machine and brush lightly with melted butter or margarine.
- Overturn the cooked loaf onto a wire mesh rack to cool before cutting.
Bake in the oven:
- Follow steps 1-2 as you would if baking in the bread machine.
- Place the baking pan into the bread machine and choose "Dough" cycle.
- Once the dough cycle is complete, turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface, and shape it into a boule or loaves, then transfer it to a greased baking dish.
- Cover baking dishes with a clean kitchen towel and allow to rise for 45- 60 minutes, or until doubled in size.
- During the end of the rising, preheat the oven to 350f.
- Bake your loaves at 350f for approximately 30 minutes or until golden brown on top.
- If desired, brush the top of your loaf with melted butter or margarine.
Notes
Batch:
This recipe makes 1 2lb loaf.Storage:
Once the rye bread is completely cooled, store it in a sealed plastic bag at room temperature for 2-3 days. To freeze your rye loaf, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and then a layer or tin foil. Keep it in the freezer for up to 3 months. To thaw, simply remove it from the freezer and allow to thaw at room temperature for a couple of hours.substitutions + variations
- Vegetable oil in this recipe can be substituted for butter, olive oil, margarine, or even BACON GREASE!
- Brown sugar can be substituted for granulated sugar, maple syrup, or honey. Though I prefer brown sugar in this recipe.
- Caraway seeds can be omitted completely if you're not a fan of the licorice-y flavor.
- Whole wheat flour can be omitted in part or in whole for bread flour, but this may change the outcome of the final loaf.
Recommended Equipment + Ingredients
Nutrition
Pin this bread machine rye bread recipe!
Light fluffy rye bread with the taste of molasses adding flavour. My new go to recipe
CAN YOU HALF THE RECIPE FOR A 1 POUND LOAF?
I have not tried this! You could certainly give it a whirl!
@Ally, I’m guessing the bake time would be shorter.
Usually the machine compensates for the time difference in it’s programming. I know mine does
I want to try this for my hubby’s birthday but he doesn’t like dark crust. Dark crust comes out too hard. Could it be done with light crust setting?
If you don’t want too dark/hard of a crust you can do a couple of things. Try using the light crust setting. Add an extra tablespoon of oil to the dough, but subtract a tablespoon of water. Reduce the brown sugar and the molasses by half, this will affect the taste of the bread though. Bag the loaf as soon as it’s at room temperature and allow it to sit overnight, this always softens a crispy crust. Don’t forget to brush the loaf with butter or margarine as soon as it comes out of the bread maker pan and is still hot – this will likely make the largest difference.
Can you choose to make this with light Crust?
Just made this delicious bread. My house smells devine. We couldn’t wait for the loaf to cool down before tearing into it and the whole family gives it a big thumbs up! Soft crumb and perfect crust. Looking forward to exploring your other recipes. Thank you for this!
So glad you loved it! We really enjoy that recipe too!
Where is the oil? You list it as an ingredient, it’s not pictured with the other ingredients and I don’t see it in the recipe instructions
Hey! So sorry, the oil and the molasses are in the same small cup in the ingredients picture. I did miss the oil in the brief directions within the post but the quantities and when to add it are within the recipe card at the bottom of the post! Either way, you need to add 2 tablespoons of your chosen oil to the water/molasses/sugar/salt.
This loaf was light, airy and delicious. Now one of our faves! Thanks for sharing
I made this today and LOVED it. It was hard to not cut into it before it had cooled down. I will definitely be making it again.
So good, right? Happy to hear you loved it <3
1 teaspoon salt in ingredients list, but 1 Tablespoon in instructions – probably the first is right?
Oh dang. That’s a big whoops! I will fix that right now, but yes it should be a teaspoon!
I’m a beginner with bread making. My machine makes a 3lb loaf. Will your recipe still work?
Yes, that should be no problem! Let me know how you like it!
very tasty!
Whats the nutritional facts for it?
Glad you enjoyed it! Sorry about that, I must have missed the nutritional facts, they are included now – right at the bottom of the recipe card!
@Ally,
OH, I LOVE THIS BREAD!! 1st time Baking Rye. ❤️❤️TY.
Yes! This is the best 🙂
Have made this a number of times. Only changes I’ve made are to cut the recipe in 1/2, use barley malt instead of molasses and I do use the lighter crust. Turns out great!
Barley malt, hey? I’m gonna have to try that! Thanks for sharing in the tip!
How much barely malt? I don’t like the taste of molasses and was wondering if there is anything I can substitute, maybe honey or maple syrup?
Hey Rebecca, I have not baked with barely malt, so I cannot help you here, but I’ll post this comment so that maybe a fellow baker has and can offer some advice
I made this bread today and it is so delicious! Thank you for sharing your easy to follow recipe!!
Happy to hear you enjoy the recipe, Nancy!
I made this in my Breadman 1.5 lb machine and it worked perfectly! Didn’t blow the top up.
Just putting this out there for those who also have 1.5 lb machines.
I increased the rye flour to 1-1/4 C and decreased the white whole wheat to 1/2 C.
Those were my only changes. We love the bumped-up rye flavor.
This recipe is absolutely FABULOUS!!! It’s now my go-to. Thanks so much, Ally!
Sue, that’s awesome to hear. I will have to try increasing the rye next time I make it. I am such a sucker for rye bread!
This bread is delicious!
I didn’t have a bread flour so I just used AP flour.
Definitely will make again and again!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! It’s one of my faves too!
I’ve made this bread twice and we love it! Delicious flavor from a simple recipe!
It’s a fave here too! I love to make it the same night I cook up a cross rib roast, so that we have rye bread on hand for cold roast beef sandwiches with pickles the next day – a secret weakness of mine!
I make this bread every week but it always caves in during baking. I follow the instructions so I don’t know what I’m doing wrong. It tastes good but it looks wonky
Hey Helena, sorry to hear that’s happening to you. I would try reducing the water a little bit, and even the yeast by 1/4 teaspoon.
How did you measure your flours? I usually weigh mine but if you don’t then the flour will be off. Dip and sweep? 1 cup of flour weighs 4 1/2 oz or 125 grams.
Thanks
Hi Pam, I stir, spoon from the bag into the measuring cup, then level. I haven’t used this recipe with a scale before because most bread machine users look for recipes that have cups and spoons, sorry!
What type of yeast? Thanks for your help.
Bread machine yeast, but if you don’t have any, I have a guide to bread machine yeast alternatives with guides on how to use them!
The bread looks good, but it’s sunk in the middle. Not a whole lot, but noticeable. Any thoughts?
Hey Patti, I would maybe try to reduce the water content a smidge next time, or reduce the yeast by 1/4 teaspoon!
I am making this recipe right now. I didn’t see in the notes that it was for a 2 lb loaf. I set my machine for 1.5lb. I wonder what will happen???????
It should be ok as long as you don’t have too small a machine, the crust might be a little lighter but other than that, should be ok!
I tried this recipe and it was delicious. It was so good I sent two loafs to my Mom, at a family reunion. My daughter reported that both loaves were finished in the first evening. I was surprised as my Mom and I are the only ones who like rye bread! It’s my go to recipe for dark rye. Thanks 😊
So happy to hear this! Thank you for sharing!