Recently, a reader requested a Grandmother Bread version with rye. I make rye bread occasionally–I love rye. Rye doesn’t, on its own, have a high gluten power, so I prefer to mix it with other flours, usually all-purpose, or sometimes a combination of all-purpose and whole wheat. Rye bread has a great flavor. It was a staple for centuries in Europe, and is still popular today. We most often think of rye bread in relation to deli sandwiches, but rye bread is great with anything!

Even with a mixed-flour recipe, rye can really use the addition of homemade dough enhancer. Find out how to make it here.

This is my favorite way to make a rye bread, which is a very light rye. For a darker rye, up the balance of rye vs. all-purpose flour and use molasses in place of sugar.

How to make Grandmother Bread with Rye:

1 1/2 cups warm water
1 teaspoon yeast
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons oil
1/2 tablespoon caraway seed
3 tablespoons dough enhancer
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups rye flour

In a large bowl, combine water, yeast, sugar, and salt. Let sit five minutes.

Stir in oil, caraway seed, and the first cup of flour with a heavy spoon. Add the next cup of flour a little at a time as needed, stirring until dough becomes too stiff to continue stirring easily. Add a little more flour and begin kneading. The amount of flour is approximate–your mileage may vary! Continue adding flour and kneading until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Let dough rise in a greased, covered bowl until doubled. (Usually, about an hour.) Uncover bowl; sprinkle in a little more flour and knead again. With floured hands, shape dough into a free-form loaf on a greased baking sheet or place in a greased loaf pan. Cover and let rise 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the temperature in your kitchen. For a free-form loaf, you may put it immediately into the oven, NOT preheated; turn on oven when you put the loaf in to bake and it will rise as the oven bakes. This method helps retain free-form loaf shape.

Bake for 25 minutes in a preheated 350-degree oven.

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Grandmother Bread with Rye

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