Bread Machine Light Rye Bread

This bread machine light rye bread is a delicious & mild rye bread that is perfect for sandwiches. It is a light colored rye bread made with a blend of rye flour and bread flour. My bread is also a great way to introduce people (esp. kids) to the wonderful taste of rye… without overpowering them with a stronger tasting “traditional” rye bread.

Recipe Sections

1. Ingredients
2. Instructions
3. Helpful Tips

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).

My bread machine rye bread recipe takes me roughly 10 minutes to prepare all of the ingredients and then the bread machine does most of the hard work (e.g. mixing, kneading & baking). FYI – This page shows you how to make 1.5 lb & 2 lb bread machine light rye bread.

Bread Machine Light Rye Bread – Cooling Down After Baking

If you are looking for a darker & stronger flavored rye bread, you should try my medium dark Bread Machine Rye Bread recipe.

Or if you want to make a 1 lb version of this light rye bread recipe (for small compact bread machines), please visit my 1 lb Bread Machine Light Rye Bread page.

Ingredients – 1.5 lb Light Rye Bread

• 1 1/8 Cups – Water (warm) – 267 milliliters
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons – Honey – 31 grams
• 2 Tablespoons – Olive Oil – 30 milliliters
• 1 Cup – Rye Flour – 120 grams – You should use light or medium rye flour for a milder flavor and lighter colored bread
• 2 Cups – Bread Flour – 240 grams
• 1 1/4 Teaspoons – Salt – 7.5 grams
• 1 1/4 Teaspoons – Bread Machine Yeast (instant yeast) – 4.5 grams – Do not use active dry yeast
• Optional – 1 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 – 3/4 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!

Ingredients – 2 lb Light Rye Bread

• 1 1/2 Cups – Water (warm) – 355 milliliters
• 2 Tablespoons – Honey – 42 grams
• 3 Tablespoons – Olive Oil – 45 milliliters
• 1 1/3 Cups – Rye Flour – 160 grams – You should use light or medium rye flour for a milder flavor and lighter colored bread
• 2 2/3 Cups – Bread Flour – 320 grams
• 1 1/2 Teaspoons – Salt – 9 grams
• 1 1/2 Teaspoons – Bread Machine Yeast (instant yeast) – 5.4 grams – Do not use active dry yeast
• Optional – 1 1/2 Tablespoons – 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 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 12 slices

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

Optional Ingredients – Onion Flakes & Caraway Seeds

Instructions

• Settings – 1.5 lb or 2 lb, light color crust & basic/white setting (not the whole wheat setting)
• Your bread machine should be unplugged. Remove the bread pan from the bread machine (so when you add the ingredients, they can not accidentally spill into the machine).
• Pour the water into 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).
• Put bread pan with ingredients back into the unplugged bread machine.
• Plug in the bread machine. Enter the bread machine settings (1.5 lb or 2 lb, light color & “basic/white” bread setting) and then press the “Start” button on your bread machine.
• When the bread machine has finished baking the bread, unplug the bread machine and remove the bread pan. Use oven mitts when removing the pan as the bread machine & pan will be very hot!
• Remove the bread from the bread loaf pan and place the bread on a cooling rack. Let the bread cool down on the cooling rack for 1 to 2 hours before slicing.
• Please read the tips section below for extra information on how to make this recipe successfully.

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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 our 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 Bread Machine Recipes such as banana bread, extra soft white bread, multigrain bread and French bread.

• You should make my 1.5 lb version FIRST (unless you have a giant bread machine such as a Zojirushi Virtuoso Plus). Some bread machines with a supposed 2 lb loaf capacity are smaller than advertised (and are better suited for my 1.5 lb recipes). You should see how the 1.5 lb version works in your bread machine first before attempting the 2 lb version.
• I have also added a page to Bread Dad with the Bread Machine Pan Sizes for a number of popular bread machines. This should help you to determine if your machine is capable of handling Bread Dad’s 1 lb, 1.5 lb or 2 lb recipes. It lets people know which of my recipe “sizes” is best suited for their bread machines.
• Do NOT confuse the 1.5 lb and 2 lb ingredient lists on this page (e.g. mix up/transpose the numbers accidentally). Shamefaced… I have done this before!

• 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).
• If you are looking for a DARKER rye bread with more rye flavor, you might like Bread Dad’s recipe for medium dark Bread Machine Rye Bread.

• Optional – 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 while some people love the taste of caraway seeds, others hate the taste!
• Optional – 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.
• Visitors – What do you like to add to rye bread? Caraway seeds? Onion powder? Garlic? Molasses? Fennel seeds? Please post your rye bread variations in the comment section below.
• Visitor variations – Gerard likes to add “garlic powder, caraway seeds and Dill”

• There are 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.

• 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 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 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 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 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 (& do not include any bread flour) and thus need longer rising times.
• 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).
• Many people like to store their rye flour in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer for longer storage.
• Old flour absorbs moisture from the air (if kept in an open bag and not an airtight container). This extra moisture can throw off recipes and leads to overly wet dough and/or underbaked bread. You know there is a problem when the flour looks “lumpy” and pours out with many clumps of flour. FYI – Sometimes, even new flour can have an excess moisture problem if the paper package is not tightly sealed. I occasionally have this problem with “generic” supermarket brand flour.
• Do NOT use water. Cold water will slow the growth of the yeast. The ideal temperature for water (and other liquids) used in most bread machine recipes is around 100-110 F.

• This recipe uses bread machine yeast (instant yeast) and NOT active dry yeast. Bread machine yeast and instant yeast are not the same as active dry yeast. Bread machine yeast and 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).
• Many bakers like to make an indent 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) or coming into contact with the salt until the bread machine is turned on.
• The salt should be placed in an area that is separate from the bread yeast (they should not be mixed together until the bread machine starts the mixing cycle). For example, add the salt on one of the sides of the bread pan (away from the yeast in the center). If placed together, salt can slow or kill the yeast.

• 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.
• If you use measuring cups to make this recipe, you need to make sure the ingredients have been leveled flat with the rim of the cup. No heaping mountain of ingredients.
• Many Europeans prefer to use a kitchen scale to weigh their ingredients versus using measuring cups & spoons. The use of grams tends to provide more consistent results (versus the variation caused by using a cup of fluffed or non-fluffed/compacted flour).

• 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)!
• Having trouble with bread collapses & misshapen bread tops? Make sure to read Bread Dad’s article on Bread Machine Bread Collapses. It has reasons and solutions to potential bread collapses. It covers reasons such as too much liquid was added, too much yeast was added, too much humidity in the kitchen, kitchen temperature impact, etc.
• If your bread comes out too dense, it is likely due to one of the following reasons; You are using old or stale yeast (so it doesn’t grow as well as expected), using a cold refrigerator temperature liquid (which slows yeast growth), baking in a cold winter temperature kitchen (yeast likes kitchen temps of 75-80 degree F), 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.
• If you would like to read my review of the bread machines that I own & use to create my bread machine recipes, please visit my Best Bread Machines page. It covers bread machines such as Briskind, KBS, Hamilton Beach and Zojirushi. The page provides my thoughts on the machines’ strengths and weaknesses.

• 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 measuring cup or accidentally add a teaspoon when a tablespoon is called for), you are using the correct ingredients (e.g. bread machine yeast versus regular yeast or bread flour versus all purpose flour), etc. Please don’t “wing” things with recipes.
• 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.

• You can also use this homemade bread to make one of Bread Dad’s delicious & toasty 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, Caraway
3. Wikipedia, Rye

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1. Bread Machine French Bread
2. Bread Machine Multigrain Bread
3. Bread Machine Oatmeal Bread
4. Bread Machine Rye Bread – Medium dark
5. Bread Machine White Bread
6. Bread Machine Whole Wheat Bread

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