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No-knead rye bread just got even better with this Dutch oven method! This hearty, flavorful loaf combines bread, rye, and whole-wheat flours with a touch of molasses and caraway for a classic taste.
All it takes is a little mixing, a few hours of rise time, and your Dutch oven to create a rustic loaf with a crackling crust. No need to knead. Just simple, hands-off baking that’s as easy as it is satisfying.
There’s nothing like the smell of fresh-baked bread filling the house, and this rye loaf brings it to a whole new level! I love slicing it up for savory toast topped with smoked salmon and cream cheese for breakfast. And I’ll be saving a few slices for dinner tonight with a warm bowl of soup.
Here is Why This No-Knead Bread Recipe Works
Hands-off and hassle-free: No kneading, no fuss! Just mix, let it rise, and your Dutch oven does the heavy lifting. No knead bread at its best.
Rustic, bakery-style crust: That Dutch oven traps steam, giving you the perfect crisp, crusty top that’s hard to beat.
Rich, classic flavor: Rye flour, whole wheat, and caraway seeds bring an earthy, nostalgic taste that’ll transport you to an old-school bakery.
Big, beautiful rise: This loaf bakes up tall and airy, with a texture that’s as soft inside as it is golden on the outside.
The Ingredients
- Pantry: Bread flour, rye flour, whole-wheat flour, molasses
- Pantry Seasonings: Caraway seeds, salt
- Baking Essentials: Instant yeast
To use active dry yeast instead of instant yeast, dissolve the active dry yeast in the warm water and let it sit for 5–10 minutes until foamy, then proceed with the recipe as usual.
Variations
Dill Rye Bread: Add 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh dill along with the caraway seeds for a subtle, herbaceous twist.
Seeded Rye Bread: Mix in 2 tablespoons each of sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds for extra crunch and nuttiness.
Honey Oat Rye Bread: Replace the molasses with 3 tablespoons of honey and fold in 1/4 cup of rolled oats for a slightly sweet, wholesome loaf.
If you like this recipe, you will want to check out our no knead rosemary bread and cranberry walnut bread.
Tips for Success
- Use warm water, not hot water. Aim for a temperature between 115°F and 125°F to help the yeast activate without killing it.
- Adjust rise time for your kitchen. Warmer kitchens may need less than 3 hours, while cooler ones may need more time to proof.
- Preheat the Dutch oven. This creates an environment for steam to burst over the loaf right away, giving your bread a lofty rise and crisp crust.
- Score the dough before baking. A quick slash on top allows the bread to expand without cracking in unexpected places.
- Check doneness with a thump test. Tap the bottom of the loaf. If it sounds hollow, you’re good to go. For extra accuracy, aim for an internal temperature of 205°F.
- Serve it with a bread dip like garlic butter sauce or some herbed olive oil.
- Rye flour has lower gluten content than wheat flour, making it denser and more compact. Combining it with bread flour can help give it a lighter loaf.
- Rye flour can go rancid more quickly than other flours. Store it in an airtight container in a cool, dry place or refrigerate for longer shelf life.
Storage
Room Temperature: Wrap the bread in a clean kitchen towel or place it in a bread bag to keep the crust crisp. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Freezing: For longer storage, slice the bread and wrap each slice in plastic wrap. Place the slices in a freezer-safe bag, and freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheating: To enjoy from frozen, thaw slices at room temperature, then reheat in a 350°F oven for 5-7 minutes or in a toaster for a warm, crisp result.
Homemade Rye Boule
With this easy Dutch oven rye bread, you get the best of everything. Minimal effort, maximum flavor, and that bakery-style crust that makes homemade bread so satisfying.
Plus, it’s an easy, hands-off recipe that fills your kitchen with the warm, earthy aroma of fresh bread. So mix up this rustic loaf, and let it work its magic.
More Recipes You Will Love
- Dutch Oven Bread: Make this artisan-style, Quick Dutch Oven Bread in only 2-hours!
- Sprouted Rye Bread: Our sprouted rye bread is soft, fine textured with a distinctive rye flavor and a sprinkling of caraway seeds.
- Sourdough Banana Bread: Banana bread made with sourdough discard is ultra-tender and moist. This foolproof recipe has the best flavor and texture of any banana bread ever.
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No-Knead Rye Bread
If you make this recipe, please leave a star rating and comment.
Ingredients
- 3 cups (360 grams) Bread flour
- ½ cup (60 grams) rye flour
- ½ cup (60 grams) whole-wheat flour
- 1 tablespoon caraway seeds
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon instant yeast
- 3 tablespoons molasses
- 1-¾ cups warm water, 115°F to 125°F
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the bread flour, rye flour, whole-wheat flour, caraway seeds, salt, and the yeast.
- Combine the molasses with the warm water and add to the flour mixture. Stir with a spoon until well combined.
- Scrape the dough into another large bowl that has been coated with oil spray. Cover the bowl with either a damp light cloth or a sheet of plastic wrap and set in a warm, draft-free area for 3 hours.
- Coat a large piece of parchment paper with cooking spray and set it aside.
- Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and using a bench scraper or oiled hands, fold the dough over several times and shape into a large mound.
- Lift the mound of dough and place it on the center of the parchment paper, seam side down. Using the parchment paper as a sling, transfer the dough and set it, and the parchment paper into a large bowl to retain its shape while rising.
- Cover the bowl and return it to the draft-free area and let rise for 30 minutes.
- While the dough is rising, place a 4 to 6-quart Dutch oven into the oven and set the oven temperature at 450°F.
- Remove the heated Dutch oven and remove the lid.
- Using a sharp knife, scissors (or a razor blade or lame), score the bread dough on the top with a slash, (see Notes).
- Lift the dough, together with the parchment paper, and carefully set it into the hot Dutch oven. Cover with the lid and return to the oven.
- Bake the bread for 30 minutes, then remove the lid and continue to bake the bread an additional 8-10 minutes until golden brown.
- Transfer the bread to a wire rack and cool completely before slicing.
Notes
- We use bread flour for this recipe as it has more gluten than all-purpose flour. The higher gluten compensates for the low gluten in the whole wheat and rye flours.
- All-purpose flour may be substituted for the bread flour, but the water should be reduced by 2 to 4 tablespoons.
- 1-1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast can be subbed for the instant yeast. If you use active dry yeast, dissolve it in water first.
- Caraway seeds are optional but they add great flavor that compliments the rye.
- For extra flavor, grind an additional tablespoon of the caraway seeds in a spice mill and incorporate with the flours.
- Scoring the bread dough on the top is not mandatory but doing so will allow the bread to expand and give it more height. It also adds a nice decorative touch to the finished loaf.
- Bread baked in a Dutch oven works because it holds the steam in and helps the bread rise better. This produces a lofty loaf with a crackling crust. Don’t leave the lid on for the entire bake time. Remove the lid after the first 35 minutes so the crust does not get too thick.
- To determine that the bread is cooked completely, tilt the bread on its side and thump the bottom. It should sound hollow. You can further check the temperature with an instant-read thermometer when done it will register 205°F when inserted into the bread.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
So easy and an instant family favorite! I’ve made it three times in the last four weeks. The loaves were all gone within 36 hours.
Delicious!! 10/10. Texture, flavor, crust… and a beautiful appearance . So easy, and directions were clear and concise. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Thank you so much for the amazing feedback! I’m thrilled that you enjoyed the recipe.
Tried this recipe a couple of times now, just to prove it wasn’t a fluke. Turned out brilliant each time.
The method and instructions are clear and easy to follow. I will be using this recipe many times in the future.
Thank you.
Hi, Paul..Thank you for your feedback on this recipe! I am so pleased that you are enjoying this easy no-knead rye bread!
Hi, Pat! This the best Ryebread I have ever baked! Thanks for the great recipe.
I didn’t have molasses, so used treacle brown sugar.
This is going to become one of my regular bakes, for sure!
Kind regards,
Jen.
Hi, Jen…thank you for this great review! I am so pleased that this recipe works for you.
Thank you, Pat, for posting this recipe! I’ve had it on my list to make since January. Well, I made it yesterday and ate it toasted with breakfast this morning. So delicious!!! I used an artisan bread flour. If you like rye bread, this is one to make and add to your personal recipe collection! Enjoy!
Thank you, Karen….I am so pleased that you enjoyed this bread! I must try that artisan bread flour, thanks for the tip!
Hi Pat, Can I use whole wheat pastry flour in place of the whole wheat? It’s the only whole wheat I have on hand. I do have vital wheat gluten flour if adding some would help. Thanks!
Whole wheat pastry flour is milled from a different type of wheat than whole wheat flour. It is finer, has less protein, and a different gluten composition. You CAN use it but I don’t know what the results will be. I have never tried it myself.
Vital wheat gluten just might do the trick to balance things out for you. I would not use more than 4 teaspoons of vital wheat gluten in this recipe. Too much will make the dough difficult to work with and give you a tough loaf of bread.
Such a beautiful, easy recipe! The dough is easy to work with! Tasted amazing! Great for sandwiches!
Cindy, I am so happy to hear that this recipe worked for you! I love this bread and it is my go-to recipe when I want a nice, homemade bread! Thanks for your comments and feedback.
This is our favorite bread recipe! So easy and delicious! Slices well, has great texture, and I often freeze it.
I’m tickled to hear that this recipe has become a favorite in your home! Thanks for sharing your experience, and I’m so glad you’re enjoying the recipe.
I love this bread but can I do it bread machine or there should be little bit different recipe?
Thank you
Yes, this will work in the bread machine. There is enough gluten in the bread flour in this recipe that it works fine with the kneading from a bread machine. Thanks for the question.
I followed directions and my dough was dry, i was nervous to add more water. Right now it is on second rise so we will see how it turns out. It rose decent just dry feeling.
Hi, Laura, thanks for reaching out to us on this recipe. The dough should be soft and a little shaggy. I can think of a couple reasons that it would be on the dry side. #1.. too much flour in the dough initially or when folding after the first rise. #2…If bread flour is used rather than all-purpose flour it would need an additional measure of water. We recommend using a kitchen scale and weighing the flour measurements as it will be more accurate than the scoop and level method. I am encouraged that you indicate that the dough had a good rise. I would love to hear back from you as to how it bakes up. Thanks again for your questions.
@Pat Nyswonger, it turned out fine maybe next time use more water but overall it was still delicious
Oh, that is good to hear, Laura….I’m happy you are happy! Thanks so much for your response and feedback.😊