1 cup (128 grams) Zingerman’s Bakehouse freshly milled rye flour
3 cups (384 grams) bread flour, plus more for shaping
2 teaspoons (12 grams) salt
2 teaspoons (8 grams) instant yeast
1 tablespoon (7 grams) caraway seeds, optional
1 3/4 cups (400 grams) lukewarm water
1 tablespoon (24 grams) honey
1 tablespoon (14 grams) olive oil
softened butter for greasing
Steps
In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, salt, instant yeast, and caraway seeds if using. Add the lukewarm water, followed by the honey and olive oil. Using a spatula, stir to combine. Dough will be wet and sticky. Cover the bowl with a towel and set aside for 30 minutes.
Using wet hands, grab one side of the dough and pull it up and to the center — the dough may tear and it might feel very fragile. Repeat this several times re-wetting your hands as needed to prevent sticking or, if you are familiar, you can slap and fold the dough several times until it feels smoother and more elastic — the purpose of this step is simply to ensure the flour is completely absorbed by the water and also to help develop some gluten. Cover the bowl and set it aside in a warm place to rise until it doubles in volume, roughly 2 hours.
Heat the oven to 375ºF. Butter a 10x5-inch loaf pan generously with softened butter.
When dough has doubled, gently deflate it; then turn it out onto a floured work surface. Pat it into a rough rectangle, then roll it into a log. Transfer log to prepared loaf pan.
Let the dough rise until it crowns the rim of the pan, 45 minutes to an hour.
Transfer to the oven and bake for 45 minutes. Turn loaf out onto a cooling rack. Let cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing. Once completely cool, transfer to an airtight bag and store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Reviews
jacques on 2025-10-17 (5 stars): would it be okay to use molasses instead of honey
Karl Buter on 2025-10-10 (5 stars): Made this as a boule in a Dutch oven yesterday. Great bread. I wanted a darker loaf, so I added 1 Tbs of cocoa powder and subbed molasses for the honey. I also used only 1tsp of caraway as I wanted the hint, but not all, of the caraway flavor. The cocoa powder yields a deep brown and adds complexity with out tasting like chocolate.
iain on 2025-10-02 (5 stars): This was my first really good bread. I've made some loafs but this is the lightness I was looking for.. My next one will be with the caraway seeds. This was a really good recipe for beginners. Thanks
Patti I on 2025-08-16 (5 stars): Oh, my... I made this today and just removed it from the oven. It was my first attempt at rye with yeast vs. sourdough starter. I used a 8.5" Pyrex loaf pan and didn't modify the recipe or baking time. Amazing recipe. Thank you!
SallyBuffum on 2025-04-16 (5 stars): Best loaf of bread I’ve ever made. Will definitely become my go-to recipe from now on.
Paulo on 2025-03-08 (5 stars): Great recipe. I left out the caraway seeds, and made two small changes. I replaced some flour and water for 125g of my sour dough starter. And I like to slow ferment my dough overnight before baking. The flavor is excellent, but, what impressed me most is the texture of the bread. Soft and very springy. As to the baker Raye that said the dough was too wet, I also thought it might be because of the hydration level, so I held back some water and added more as I mixed the dough. I ended up with maybe a tbs of water that I didn't use. Thanks again for the recipe.
Sue on 2024-05-21 (5 stars): Delicious bread. Just what I was looking for. Thanks for sharing!
Raye on 2024-03-02 (1 stars): It's way to high hydration, would not cook and collapsed the second it came out of the oven. It's gone to the birds.
Shannon W on 2024-01-20 (5 stars): I made this recipe as is and it was great! However, if we want more rye flavor, would you recommend a 50/50 ratio of flour instead of 25/75?? Thank you so much for this recipe!! It was my first time making bread!!
