Bread Machine Rye Bread + Recipe Video

Here is a great recipe for bread machine rye bread. This bread is used for classic sandwiches such as the Reuben Sandwich, Ham & Cheese on Rye, etc. Rye bread is a modestly dark bread made with ingredients such as rye flour, molasses and cocoa powder. It has a unique flavor (which can be described as “earthy”) and is a nice change from the white bread used for many sandwiches.

This rye bread recipe is made completely in the bread machine. Unlike some other bread machine recipes, this bread is not baked in the oven. My recipe is generally much easier to make (versus bread machine recipes that make the rye dough in the bread machine and then rely on an oven in order to bake the loaf).

Bread Machine Rye Bread

Loaf of Bread Machine Rye Bread

According to Wikipedia, rye grain “is used for flour, bread, beer, crisp bread, some whiskeys, some vodkas, and animal fodder”. Examples of rye bread sandwiches include Reuben sandwiches, pastrami sandwiches, ham & cheese on rye sandwiches, etc. Given the earthy taste of rye bread, many people like to use sandwich condiments such as mustard in order to complement the bread’s natural flavor.

Key Ingredient – Rye Flour

Since this rye bread recipe is done in a bread machine, it is easy to make. It 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). You will also find a printable and “pin-able” rye bread recipe at the bottom of the page.

If you are looking for a milder & lighter colored rye bread, you should try my recipe for Bread Machine Light Rye Bread.

Ingredients – Bread Machine Rye Bread Recipe – 1.5 lb Bread Loaf

• 1 1/8 Cups – Water (warm) – 267 milliliters – 1 1/8 cups is equivalent to 1 cup and 2 tablespoons
• 2 Tablespoons – Unsalted Butter (softened) – 28 grams – If you prefer, you can substitute olive oil for the butter.
• 1 1/2 Cups – Rye Flour – 180 grams
• 1 1/2 Cups – Bread Flour – 180 grams
• 2 Tablespoons – Molasses – 30 milliliters
• 3 Tablespoons – Light Brown Sugar (packed) – 39 grams – If you prefer less sweet rye breads, cut the brown sugar in half.
• 1 Tablespoon – Cocoa Powder Natural Unsweetened – 5 grams
• 3/4 Teaspoon – Caraway Seeds – 2 grams – optional but traditional rye bread contains caraway seeds
• 1 1/4 Teaspoons – Salt – 7.5 grams
• 1 1/4 Teaspoons – Bread Machine Yeast (Instant Yeast) – 4.5 grams

Ingredients – Bread Machine Rye Bread Recipe – 2 lb Bread Loaf

• 1 1/2 Cups – Water (warm) – 355 milliliters
• 3 Tablespoons – Unsalted Butter (softened) – 43 grams – If you prefer, you can substitute olive oil for the butter.
• 2 Cups – Rye Flour – 240 grams
• 2 Cups – Bread Flour – 240 grams
• 2 Tablespoons – Molasses – 30 milliliters
• 4 Tablespoons – Light Brown Sugar (packed) – 52 grams – If you prefer less sweet rye breads, cut the brown sugar in half.
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons – Cocoa Powder Natural Unsweetened – 7.5 grams
• 1 Teaspoon – Caraway Seeds – 3 grams – optional but traditional rye bread contains caraway seeds
• 1 1/2 Teaspoons – Salt – 9 grams
• 1 1/2 Teaspoons – Bread Machine Yeast (Instant Yeast) – 5.4 grams

Servings – Roughly 12 slices

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

Recipe Video – Watch How This Rye Bread Is Made (2 lb Version)

Instructions – Bread Machine Rye Bread Recipe – 1.5 lb or 2 lb Bread Loaf

• Bread machine settings – 1.5 lb or 2 lb, light color & basic/white bread (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 unplugged bread machine.
• Plug in 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 from the machine. Use oven mitts when removing the bread pan as the 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 at least 1 to 2 hours.
• After removing the bread, don’t forget to remove the mixing paddle if it is stuck in the bread. Use oven mitts as the mixing paddle will be very hot coming out of the bread machine. Or wait until the bread is completely cooled and then remove the mixing paddle.
• Before using any bread machine, you should read the manufacturer’s instructions in order to use your bread machine effectively and safely.
• Please read the tips section below for extra information on how to make this recipe successfully. You also can watch my recipe video to “see” how to perform each recipe step.

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Close-up of Rye Flour

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.
• If you would rather “see” how this recipe is made, please watch the step-by-step recipe video on this page. It is a short & simple video that shows you the steps & ingredients involved in making this recipe and what the bread machine rye bread looks like when it is finished. Many people find recipe videos useful because the videos visually reinforce or clarify the steps detailed in a recipe’s written instructions.
• This recipe is part of Bread Dad’s series on easy Bread Machine Recipes such as buttery white bread, banana bread, multigrain bread and French bread.

• My recipe creates a medium dark rye bread which is good for sandwiches, etc. It is not a light rye bread (e.g. NY deli-style rye bread) and it is not a darker & coarse pumpernickel-style rye bread. If you would like to learn more about the difference between light rye bread, dark rye bread and pumpernickel, you might like to read this TheKitchn article.
• This is not a pumpernickel recipe. Traditional pumpernickel is a dense & coarse bread originally from Germany. According to Wikipedia, pumpernickel is “traditionally made with sourdough starter and coarsely ground rye”.
• Some American restaurants label/market sweet medium dark rye breads (that are made with a blend of bread flour & rye flour) as “pumpernickel”. Why? Because many Americans prefer sweeter & softer breads and don’t like the stronger taste of traditional pumpernickel.
• Be aware there are many types of rye bread including light rye bread, medium dark rye bread, pumpernickel, Jewish rye bread, sourdough rye bread, etc.
• If you are looking for a milder & lighter colored rye bread, you should try my recipe for Bread Machine Light Rye Bread. Moreover, if you add some caraway seeds to my light rye bread version, it will taste similar to a Jewish rye bread (a classic deli bread in the USA often used to make pastrami, Reuben or corned beef sandwiches).

• For this recipe, you should use the “basic” bread setting and NOT the whole wheat setting. The whole wheat setting is only used for some bread machine recipes that utilize 100% whole wheat flour, 100% rye flour, etc. (& no bread flour) and thus need longer rising times.
• The “basic” bread setting is usually setting 1 on most bread machines. This setting might also be called the “white bread” setting.
• 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 go rancid).
• Many people like to store their rye flour in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer for longer storage.
• 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.
• Give the potential for unwanted “extra” liquid from old flour, a humid kitchen or imprecise ingredient measurements, I like to look at the dough in my bread machine after the first 4 or 5 minutes of mixing. If the dough is looking too wet, I will add some flour (a little bit at a time) until the dough consistency looks correct. Check your bread machine’s instruction manual on how to do this safely & effectively with your specific machine.

• Optional – If you prefer less sweet rye breads, you can cut the amount of light brown sugar in half.
• For my rye bread machine recipe, I would suggest that you use “regular” molasses and not “blackstrap” molasses. According to Wikipedia, “Blackstrap molasses is significantly more bitter than ‘regular’ molasses”.
• This recipe calls for the use of natural cocoa powder (and not hot chocolate powder). For the best results, you should stick to natural unsweetened cocoa powder (which is used mainly for baking).
• Optional – Traditional rye breads use caraway seeds as an ingredient. If you really like the flavor/aroma of caraway seeds, you can boost the caraway seeds to 1 1/2 teaspoons in the 1.5 lb bread (versus the 3/4 teaspoon called for in the recipe) and 2 teaspoons in the 2 lb bread (versus the 1 teaspoon called for in the recipe). My thanks to Troy for pointing out that some people prefer more caraway seeds in their rye bread.
• Visitors – What extra ingredients (e.g. caraway seeds) do you like to add to your rye breads? Please leave your ideas in the comment section below.
• Visitor variations – Anne likes to replace the caraway seeds with “diced dried onion” (onion flakes), Grammacat turned the dough into “6 very nice size rolls with my silicone molds” and other visitors like to replace the butter with extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil.

• If you don’t have bread flour, you can use all-purpose flour as a substitute. However, rye bread made with all-purpose flour & rye flour will be less airy (more dense) than a rye bread made with bread flour & rye flour.
• Please keep the 50/50 split between the rye flour and bread flour. Rye flour has a much lower ability to “rise” versus bread flour (because rye flour has less gluten than bread flour). If you increase the ratio of rye flour then the bread will be much more dense.
• Since rye flour has less gluten than bread flour, this rye bread is shorter & more dense than my “regular” white bread recipes. However, be aware that rye flour is NOT gluten free.
• If you want a higher & fluffier rye bread, you can reduce the rye flour and increase the bread flour in this recipe. For example, you can change the rye flour to 3/4 cup and the bread flour to 2 1/4 cups (versus the 1.5 lb recipe’s 1 1/2 cups of rye flour and 1 1/2 cups of bread flour). Of course, the rye flavor will be milder if you use less rye flour.
• FYI – Since this rye bread is denser than my white breads, I prefer to make the 2 lb loaf version (in order to get a more “normal” sized loaf). In contrast, with my white breads, I usually make a 1.5 lb loaf because they rise higher than this rye bread.

• For bread machines with a loaf capacity greater than 1 lb, you should consider making my 1.5 lb version FIRST. Some bread machines with a supposed 2lb loaf capacity are smaller than advertised. See how the 1.5 lb version works in your bread machine before attempting the 2 lb version.
• This recipe is NOT for 1 lb capacity bread machines. Please check the capacity of your bread machine before making this recipe. This recipe helps you to create a 1.5 lb or 2 lb bread loaf. If you have a small bread machine (e.g. a bread machine that has only a capacity for 1 lb breads), you will be unable to make this recipe. The loaf will be too large for your machine and could overflow the bread pan (and the top is likely to collapse). An example of a bread machine with only a 1 lb capacity is the Zojirushi Home Bakery Mini Breadmaker (model BB-HAC10).
• 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. For example, some bread machines with a supposed “2 lb loaf capacity” are better suited for my 1.5 lb recipes (as they can’t handle my fluffy 2 lb recipes) and some are better with my 2 lb recipes (as their pans have lots of extra space).
• Do NOT confuse the 1.5 lb and 2 lb ingredient lists (e.g. mix up/transpose the numbers accidentally). Shamefaced… I have done this before!
• Also enter the correct setting (e.g. 1.5 lb or 2 lb) for the amount of ingredients added. A 2 lb loaf takes longer to bake than a 1.5 lb loaf. On my Hamilton Beach bread machine, the 1.5 lb “basic bread” setting takes 2:53 hours and the 2 lb “basic bread” setting takes 3 hours.

• 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 haven’t used your bread machine or bread maker 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 is not likely to be viable if it has been sitting in your pantry for years.
• If your dough is having trouble rising properly, you should check out my How To Test Yeast page. This yeast test will show you if your yeast is alive & active or dead/expired. It will save you from a few bread disasters!

• Many bakers like to make a “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) 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).
• 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.

• Molasses is often added to darker rye bread recipes because it adds color & a smoky sweet flavor. However, some people like to replace it with honey (since many people do not have molasses at home). If you do not have molasses, you can replace the molasses in the recipe with honey (on a 1:1 basis).
• 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).

• In my opinion, homemade rye bread is much tastier than most packaged supermarket rye breads. In addition, since you are adding the ingredients, you know what is going into your homemade bread (versus packaged breads that might contain undesirable chemicals & preservatives).
• Use FRESH ingredients for the best results. For example, if you use months old stale bread flour, your bread will not taste great! Even things like molasses can spoil.
• In case you are interested, some classic rye sandwiches include Reuben sandwiches, ham & cheese on rye and hot pastrami sandwiches.
• According to Wikipedia, the typical Reuben sandwich is a “grilled sandwich composed of corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Russian dressing or Thousand Island dressing”. Of course, the sandwich made with rye bread!
• Visitors – How do you like to use your rye bread? Any great rye sandwich bread ideas? Please post your rye bread tips & suggestions in the comment box below.

• 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)!
• If want to learn how to make bread machine bread without the mixing paddle hole on the bottom, please visit Bread Dad’s White Bread Recipe Instant Yeast page. It will show you how to create dough in your bread machine and how to finish the bread in your oven. You can use this information to make rye bread without the mixing paddle hole.

• 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, Hamilton Beach and Zojirushi. The page provides my thoughts on the machines’ strengths and weaknesses.

• 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 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 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.
• Be aware that some bread recipes may differ slightly between different types of bread machines. Therefore, please read your bread machine manufacturer’s instructions for basic bread recipes (e.g. white bread or whole wheat bread) as these are more likely to work on your individual bread machine.
• 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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Rye Bread Machine Recipe – Questions

What are the caraway seeds used in bread machine rye breads?

Caraway seeds are used as a spice in many types of bread, especially rye bread. These seeds often have a distinctive taste which is described by Wikipedia as “a pungent, anise-like flavor”.

What is rye?

Rye is a grain and it is related to wheat and barley. Rye is used for used to make rye flour, rye bread, some types of beer, rye whiskey, as an animal fodder, etc. Rye is grown primarily in Europe but it is also grown in other countries such as Russia, China, the United States and Canada.

Reference Sources

1. Wikipedia, Bread Machine
2. Wikipedia, Caraway
3. Wikipedia, Molasses
4. Wikipedia, Rye

Related Recipes

1. Bread Machine French Bread
2. Bread Machine Light Rye Bread – Milder rye flavor
3. Bread Machine Multigrain Bread
4. Bread Machine Oatmeal Bread
5. Bread Machine White Bread
6. Bread Machine Whole Wheat Bread

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