1 lb Bread Machine Light Rye Bread

This 1 lb bread machine light rye bread recipe creates a delicious & mild tasting rye bread. My recipe is designed for small compact bread machines.

Light rye breads are wonderful to use as a sandwich bread for rye “beginners” (who might not like the stronger taste of traditional rye breads which are made with a greater percentage of rye flour).

Recipe Sections

1. Ingredients
2. Instructions
3. Helpful Tips

This 1 lb bread machine recipe is ONLY for small compact bread machines (such as the Briskind Compact Bread Maker or Zojirushi Mini Breadmaker). 1 lb bread machine recipes do NOT work well in large bread machines that have 2 lb or greater loaf capacities. See the tips section below for more information.

FYI – The term “light” refers to the light rye bread’s pale color and lighter rye flavor (and is not referring to the bread’s calorie count).

1 lb Bread Machine Rye Bread

Ingredients – 1 lb Bread Machine Rye Bread

• 3/4 Cup – Water (warm) – 178 milliliters
• 1 Tablespoon – Honey – 21 grams
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons – Olive Oil – 22 milliliters
• 2/3 Cup – Rye Flour – 80 grams – You should use light or medium rye flour for a milder flavor and lighter colored bread
• 1 1/3 Cups – Bread Flour – 160 grams
• 3/4 Teaspoon – Salt – 4.5 grams
• 3/4 Teaspoon – Bread Machine Yeast (instant yeast) – 2.7 grams – Do not use active dry yeast
• Optional – 3/4 Tablespoon – Dried Onion Flakes – While onion flakes are optional, I like to add them because they compliment the mild rye flavor and add a nice aroma to the bread.
• Optional – 1/2 Teaspoon (not tablespoon!!) – Caraway Seeds – The addition of caraway seeds turns this light rye bread into more of a Jewish-style rye bread (another delicious type of rye bread). Be aware some people love caraway seeds & others hate them!

Servings – Roughly 9 slices

Equipment Needed – Measuring cup & spoons, silicone spatula, oven mitts, cooling rack and a bread machine.

Dough for 1 lb Bread Machine Rye Bread

Instructions

• Bread machine settings – 1 pound loaf, light color and “basic/white” bread setting.
• Unplug your bread machine.
• Remove the bread pan from the unplugged bread machine (so when you add the ingredients, they can not accidentally spill into the machine).
• Add the water to the bread pan and then add the other ingredients. Place the bread machine yeast in last and the yeast should not touch the liquid or salt (until the bread machine is turned on and the ingredients start to be mixed together by the bread machine).
• Optional – Add dried onion flakes and/or caraway seeds. See the tips section below for more information on these optional ingredients.
• Put the bread pan with ingredients back into the unplugged bread machine.
• Plug in the bread machine. Enter the correct settings (1 lb, light color & basic/white bread) and press the “start” button.
• When the bread machine has finished baking the bread, unplug the bread machine and remove the bread pan from the bread machine. Wear oven mitts as the bread pan & bread machine will be hot.
• Remove the bread from the bread pan and place the bread on a cooling rack. Use oven mitts when removing the bread as the bread & bread pan will be hot.
• Let the bread cool on the cooling rack for 1 to 2 hours before cutting.
• Please read the tips section below for extra information on how to make this recipe successfully & to avoid common bread machine problems.

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Helpful Tips

• The tips below are designed to help bread machine “novices” and those who haven’t touched their bread machine in years.
• Click on this “print recipe” link if you want to print out this recipe. It includes all of the recipe’s ingredients and instructions. However, the recipe print function does not include my tips section. Please read the tips section in order to avoid common recipe problems.
• This recipe is part of Bread Dad’s series on easy 1 lb Bread Machine Recipes such as banana bread bread, oatmeal bread and whole wheat bread.

• This rye bread recipe is the 1 lb version of my larger Bread Machine Light Rye Bread Recipe (which is focused on making 1.5 lb & 2 lb loaves).
• There are many types of rye bread including light rye bread, medium dark rye bread, pumpernickel, Jewish rye bread, sourdough rye bread, etc.
• This recipe creates a rye bread that is mild in flavor and light in color. My bread machine light rye bread is similar to some of the milder rye breads used by American delicatessens (delis) to make various sandwiches. FYI – As I stated at the top of the page, the term “light” refers to the bread’s flavor & color (and NOT to its calorie count).

• There are also many different types of rye flour including light rye flour (white rye flour), medium rye flour, dark rye flour, whole rye flour, pumpernickel flour, rye meal, etc.
• For the mildest tasting rye bread (with lightest color), you should use light rye flour or medium rye flour. For a stronger rye flavor and modestly darker color, you can use dark rye flour.
• FYI – In the pictures above, I used medium rye flour in order to make my bread machine light rye bread.
• Be aware that different brands & types of rye flour can weigh different amounts. They may weigh more or less per cup than other types of rye flour. Due to this issue, your gram measurements might be different than mine.

• Optional – Add 3/4 tablespoon of dried onion flakes to the bread. While dried onion flakes are an optional ingredient, I like to add them to this light rye bread recipe. I think the dried onion flakes compliment the mild rye flavor and add a nice aroma to the bread.
• Optional – Add 1/2 teaspoon (not tablespoon!!) of caraway seeds. If you add caraway seeds to this recipe, you will create a bread that tastes more like some milder types of Jewish rye bread (a classic deli bread in the USA often used to make pastrami, Reuben or corned beef sandwiches).
• However, be aware that some people love caraway seeds & others hate them!!!

• My bread machine rye bread recipe uses a blend of flours (33.3% rye flour and 66.6% bread flour). Obviously, the lower amount of rye flour creates a milder tasting rye bread.
• Optional – You can adjust the flavor of your bread machine rye bread by using different types of rye flours (e.g. light rye flour versus dark rye flour) or adjusting the blend percentage (e.g. changing the flour ratio to 50/50).
• Be aware that some light/white rye flours have a very mild taste and since this recipe uses only 1/3 rye flour, a bread made with light/white rye flour might have very little rye flavor.
• Visitors – What type of rye flour do you like to use when making a light rye bread? Light rye flour? Medium rye flour? Dark rye flour? Whatever is on hand!!? Please leave your bread machine light rye bread thoughts in the comment section below.

• In my opinion, homemade rye bread is much tastier than most packaged supermarket rye breads. More importantly, since you are adding the ingredients, you know what is going into your bread machine light rye bread (versus packaged breads that might contain undesirable chemicals & preservatives).
• In case you are wondering what to make with your light rye bread, some classic sandwiches made with bread machine rye bread include Reuben sandwiches, ham & Swiss cheese on rye, pastrami sandwiches, corned beef on rye, etc.
• Visitors – How do you like to use bread machine light rye bread? Any great rye bread sandwich ideas? Please post your rye bread sandwich tips & suggestions in the comment box below.

• For this recipe, you should use the “basic/white” bread setting and NOT the whole wheat setting. The whole wheat setting is used for bread machine recipes that utilize lower gluten flours such as 100% whole wheat flour or 100% rye flour (and do not include any bread flour). Therefore, they need longer rising times (and a different machine setting).
• FYI – The “basic/white” bread setting is usually setting 1 on most bread machines.
• Use FRESH rye flour for the best results. An open package of rye flour can spoil quickly in a pantry (as the natural oils in rye flour can easily go rancid). For a longer shelf life, some users of rye flour store their rye flour in an airtight container in their freezer.

• As I stated at the top of the page, this recipe is ONLY for small compact bread machines.
• 1 lb bread machine recipes generally do NOT work well in larger machines with 2 lb loaf capacities, especially if the machines have 2 paddles or a wide horizontal bread pan. However, some visitors have success making 1 lb recipes in a 2 lb “compact” bread machine with a vertical-oriented bread pan (a pan with a square bottom that mainly pushes the bread upwards versus a pan with a wide rectangular bottom)
• If you use larger bread machines with 2 paddles or a wide horizontal bread pan, a 1 lb loaf usually comes out more like a pancake (with lots of exterior crust and less of the soft interior).
• If your bread machine says that it makes 1lb, 1.5 lb AND 2 lb loaves, it will probably have a problem with smaller loaves. Generally, a bread machine is good at making small loaves OR larger loaves (usually not both).
• Moreover, some small compact machines have problems with 1.5 lb online recipes (even if the manufacturer says their machine can handle 1.5 lb loaves). This was another reason for Bread Dad to make some 1 lb loaf recipes.
• If you don’t know the loaf size (e.g. my 1 lb, 1.5 lb or 2 lb recipes) that best fits your bread machine, please take a look at my Bread Machine Pan Sizes page. It covers the internal dimensions of the pans used by variety of different bread machines and offers suggestions about the loaves that best fit those machines.

• WARNING – Since 1 lb recipes use smaller amounts of ingredients, it is easier to mess up 1 lb bread machine recipes!! There is less room for measuring errors versus larger loaves. To make 1 lb loaf recipes successfully, you need to measure accurately (no eyeballing ingredients).
• The top of your bread can sometimes be a little lumpy due to the smaller amounts of ingredients in a 1 lb loaf. Why? Because, as I stated above, there is less room for measurement errors in small loaves versus large loaves. A little too much moisture or flour has a bigger impact on a 1 lb loaf versus a 2 lb loaf.
• To make my 1 lb bread machine recipes, I own & use a Briskind Compact Bread Maker Machine. In case you are interested, another popular (but more expensive) bread machine focused on making 1 lb loaves is the Zojirushi Zojirushi BB-HAC10 Mini Breadmaker.

• In case you are looking at getting a bread machine to make 1 lb recipes, here are some of the benefits of a small compact bread machine; 1 lb loaves are perfect for single people or people who don’t want a ton of bread, a compact machine takes up less space in the kitchen (so more convenient for an apartment versus buying a giant bread machine), it uses less energy than a large bread machine, it creates smaller sandwich slices (sometimes, in my opinion, the slices from 2 lb loaves are too large – especially for kids), etc.
• The disadvantages of a small compact bread machine; small bread pan capacity (so you can’t make a larger loaf if you have guests coming over), not many online recipes are focused on 1 lb loaves, sometimes 1 lb loaves have more uneven crusts (vs bread made with larger horizontal bread pans), etc.
• Visitors – What compact bread machine did you use to make this recipe (such as Briskind Compact Bread Maker or Zojirushi Mini Breadmaker)? Please post your machine & any compact bread machine tips in the comment section below.

• Always use FRESH ingredients (e.g. bread flour and yeast) for the best results. Ingredients that have been sitting in the pantry for months can become stale or pick up weird smells & flavors.
• Try to keep your ingredients (e.g. flour) in airtight food containers in order to extend their shelf life. Airtight containers protect ingredients from moisture (in the air), pests, dust, etc.
• Old flour (when not stored in an airtight container) can absorb a lot of moisture from the air. This extra moisture throws off recipes and can lead to bread collapses, etc.

• If you do not have bread flour, you can use all purpose flour. However, be aware that a bread made with all purpose flour will NOT be as good as one made with bread flour. Most sandwich bread recipes use bread flour because it has more gluten than all purpose flour. This helps to add “structure” to the bread and capture more of the CO2 “bubbles” put out by the bread yeast. Thus bread flour breads tend to be fluffier than all purpose flour breads. Therefore, if you make a bread combining rye flour & all purpose flour, the loaf will come out denser than one made with rye flour & bread flour.
• Moreover, since all purpose flour has less gluten than bread flour, breads made with all purpose flour do not hold together as well as breads made with bread flour. Gluten provides structural strength to bread. Breads made with all purpose flour will in general “crumble” and/or break more easily when sliced (versus breads made with bread flour).
• All purpose flour is better used to make banana breads, muffins, cakes, etc.

• This recipe uses bread machine yeast (instant yeast) and NOT active dry yeast. Bread machine yeast & instant yeast are not the same as active dry yeast. Bread machine yeast & instant yeast are added directly to the recipe’s ingredients. In contrast, active dry yeast must be pre-activated for 5-10 minutes in water/milk before being added to a recipe’s ingredients. If you try to use active dry yeast for this recipe, it is much less likely to work properly (as the recipe instructions & leavening time is based on the use of bread machine yeast).
• When adding the yeast, it should be placed in a position that is separate from the salt (e.g. placed on opposite sides of the bread pan). Close contact with salt can kill or slow the growth of the yeast.
• Many bakers like to make a small pocket in the top of the flour in order to hold the bread machine yeast in place (looks sort of like a small flour volcano with a yeast crater). This is done to prevent the yeast from falling into the liquid ingredients (and activating prematurely), coming into contact with the salt, etc. until the bread machine is turned on.
• I would recommend NOT reducing the salt in this recipe. You generally want to keep the salt-to-yeast ratio at a 1:1 basis in most bread recipes (1:1 based on teaspoons to teaspoons and NOT grams to grams). The salt moderates the growth of the yeast. If you cut the salt (and disrupt this 1:1 ratio), the yeast will grow faster than expected. In turn, this leads to more bread collapses (because the yeast rises too high and then craters in the middle) and/or results in “slack” less manageable dough. In addition, less salt will impact the flavor and browning of the bread.

• Having trouble with bread collapses & misshapen bread tops? Make sure to read Bread Dad’s article on Bread Machine Bread Collapses. It has reasons for and solutions to potential bread collapses.
• If your bread comes out too dense, it is likely due to one of the following reasons; You are using old or stale yeast, using a cold refrigerator temperature liquid (which slows yeast growth), baking in a cold winter temperature kitchen, using all purpose flour (versus bread flour as called for in the recipe), placing salt on top of or next to the yeast (salt kills yeast so it must be placed away from the yeast in the bread pan), etc. For more reasons, you should visit Bread Dad’s Why Is My Bread Machine Bread So Dense? page.
• For information on other possible errors, please visit my Common Bread Machine Mistakes page.

• If you haven’t used your bread machine in a long time, please buy some NEW bread machine yeast before making your bread. Old yeast can die or lose its potency and this will lead to bread that does not rise properly. Bread machine yeast may not be viable if it has been sitting in your pantry for years.
• FYI – Bread machine yeast loses its potency over time. Generally, bread machine yeast lasts for only 3-4 months after you have opened the bottle. However, if the yeast is exposed to air & moisture (e.g. the bottle not sealed tight) or exposed to higher temperatures, the yeast will expire even more quickly.

• Kitchen humidity can impact a recipe. A winter kitchen tends to be drier due to your heating system drying out the air. In contrast, a kitchen in the summer can be much more humid. This change in humidity impacts baking as flour can soak up humidity from the air. Therefore, you might have to add 1-2 teaspoons of liquid in the winter if the dough is looking too dry. Or you might have to add 1-2 teaspoons of flour in the summer if the dough is looking too wet. If your kitchen is very dry or humid, you might have to add even a little more (but start with 1 teaspoon at a time until you achieve the right consistency). Of course, excessive kitchen humidity or dryness can impact a recipe at any time during the year (not just in the summer & winter)!
• Humidity is also one of the reasons that people should store flour in an airtight container (if they have already opened the flour package). Flour (not in airtight containers) can pick up extra moisture from the air while sitting in the pantry. This can throw off recipes, spoil the flavor, degrade shelf life, etc.
• Your kitchen’s temperature can also impact recipes. Dough will rise faster in a hot summer kitchen and slower in a cold winter kitchen. This can impact the rise of your bread.

• If you start substituting ingredients (e.g. using different types of flour not called for in the recipe), you are experimenting and should not expect similar results to the recipe shown above. Experimenting can be fun. However, you should expect some successes but more potential disappointments when you start to experiment with recipes. For example, if you substitute whole wheat flour for the bread flour, you will probably experience a problem (as whole wheat flour doesn’t rise nearly as well as bread flour). Moreover, whole wheat flour has a totally different flavor.
• If you have a problem with a bread machine recipe, please make sure that you are following the recipe exactly (e.g. using the correct bread machine settings), you are using the correct amount of an ingredient (e.g. don’t eyeball the measurements versus using a measurement cup or accidentally add a teaspoon when a tablespoon is called for), you are using the correct ingredients (e.g. bread machine yeast versus active dry yeast or bread flour versus all purpose flour), etc. Please don’t “wing” things with recipes.
• Having a problem when you are making a bread machine recipe? If you leave a polite question, I would be glad to help you! Please post your question in the comment section below. Just be aware that it might take me a day to respond depending on my schedule. Obviously more if I am on vacation!

• You can also use this homemade bread to make one of Bread Dad’s delicious & toasty Grilled Cheese Sandwich & Panini Recipes.
• My recipes are based on US ingredient measurements (e.g. US cups & tablespoons). However, as a courtesy to our European visitors, I have also included some very ROUGH European equivalents (e.g. grams & milliliters). Since I rarely use European measurements when baking, please let me know in the comment section below if any of the European ingredient measurements need to be changed (e.g. for XYZ ingredient, milliliters are more commonly used versus the grams information listed in the recipe).
• Always wear oven mitts/gloves when dealing with a bread machine. The bread pan and the rest of the bread machine can get very hot during the baking process. This means that the bread pan and bread machine is likely to be very hot when you attempt to remove a baked good from the bread machine and/or bread pan.
• For more easy bread ideas, please visit Bread Dad’s sections on Bread Machine Recipes and Homemade Bread Recipes.

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Reference Sources

1. Wikipedia, Bread Machine
2. Wikipedia, Rye

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