Light Rye Bread: Soft Homemade Recipe for Rustic Sandwich Loaves

This light rye bread recipe was one of the first rye loaves I baked. It’s scented with caraway, has a firm yet slightly springy crumb, and makes excellent sandwiches.

Last updated on March 9, 2024 – Originally posted on March 11, 2011

Some links on this page may be affiliate links; if you click and make a purchase I may receive compensation.

I developed and tested this light rye bread recipe using a Zojirushi BB-PAC20 bread machine. I’ve baked it at sea level and at about 3,700 feet elevation with consistent results. If you bake at higher elevations, refer to general high-altitude bread tips for adjustments to rise and moisture.

Featured Comment:

“It’s not dry but not doughy and I love that I can cut it into thick or thin slices. Great taste that doesn’t overpower. I can see many, many great sandwiches in the future.” ~ Heather

---

Every Saint Patrick’s Day we make corned beef and cabbage, and the next day the leftover corned beef becomes sandwiches. As my skills improved I began making rye bread to pair with those sandwiches, and this light rye quickly became a favorite.

Light rye is pleasantly flavored with caraway and offers a sturdy texture that still has a little bounce — ideal for slicing and building sandwiches.

White Rye Flour or Light Rye Flour

I originally made this loaf with labeled “light rye flour.” More recently I used what was sold as white rye flour. Sources differ slightly on terminology, but in practice both types work well in this recipe.

White rye is often described as the lightest rye flour, and some mills treat “white rye” and “light rye” as interchangeable. Other sources note small grade differences in ash and protein, but for this recipe either will yield a good result.

Vital Wheat Gluten

This recipe includes vital wheat gluten. It’s a concentrated form of the protein found in wheat that strengthens dough and helps it rise. While it resembles flour, it is essentially powdered gluten and is used in small amounts to improve loaf structure, especially when substituting a portion of wheat flour with rye.

How to Make Light Rye Bread

This recipe produces a two-pound loaf. Use the basic or white setting on your bread machine and select medium crust.

Follow your bread machine’s directions for ingredient order — many machines call for liquids first. With my Zojirushi I add liquids first, then dry ingredients, and yeast last.

After the machine begins kneading, check the dough after five to ten minutes. Open the lid and inspect the dough: it should form a smooth, round ball. If it seems too dry, add water a teaspoon at a time. If it’s too wet or sticky, add flour a tablespoon at a time until the dough has a cohesive, slightly tacky texture.

Return the pan to the machine and let the program complete. When the loaf is done, remove it promptly and allow it to cool before slicing for best texture.

Light Rye Bread Recipe

Yields: one two-pound loaf. Use the basic or white setting on the bread machine with medium crust.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups water (about 355 ml)
• 2 1/2 cups bread flour (about 312 g)
• 1 1/2 cups light rye flour (white rye flour may be used)
• 3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons caraway seeds
• 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons vital wheat gluten
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon active dry yeast

Use your bread machine’s basic or white program with medium crust. Add ingredients in the order recommended for your machine — liquids first on many models. Check the dough after 5–10 minutes of mixing and adjust moisture as described above. Allow the machine to complete the cycle, then remove the loaf and cool before slicing.