This rye bread recipe contains a mixture of rye flour and bread flour. The bread is firm, but also soft and moist. Delicious!!

Last Updated on March 2, 2025 – Originally posted on July 9, 2017

This bread recipe was tested with a Zojirushi BB-PAC20, the Home Bakery Virtuoso (learn more about  the bread machines I own and recommend) at sea level.  In my experience, bread recipes will work without adjustments until at least 3,700 feet.   Here’s more about baking bread at high altitudes. 

We really enjoy rye bread.  This recipe makes bread that’s firm, but it’s also soft and moist.

Rye is a cereal grain that contains a good amount of fiber.  The Man of The House doesn’t like whole wheat bread.  However, rye bread is okay, more than okay, in his book. So rye bread is a good choice for us in terms of nutrition. 

Vital Wheat Gluten

Note that this recipe calls for vital wheat gluten.

Gluten is a type of protein found in flour.  It adds strength to the flour and allows the bread to rise.

While vital wheat gluten looks like flour, it’s not.  Instead, it’s basically powdered gluten. It helps the bread rise.

In the past, I found vital wheat gluten in the Bob’s Red Mill area of my grocery store.  Now it’s more difficult to find.  Recently I’ve ordered vital wheat gluten online from Amazon.

Rye Bread Instructions

This is for a two-pound loaf using the basic/white or wheat cycle with medium crust.

Follow the instructions that came with your bread machine in terms of which ingredients to put in the bread machine first.  With most machines, you add the liquids first.

Make sure you check on the dough after five or ten minutes of kneading.  It should be a smooth, round ball.  If it’s too dry add liquid a teaspoon at a time until it looks OK.  If it looks too wet,  add flour a tablespoon at a time until it looks OK.

Rye Bread Recipe for the Bread Machine

Again, this recipe is for a two-pound loaf of bread.  You can use either the basic/white or the wheat cycle with medium crust.

1 1/3 Cups water
3 Tablespoons olive oil
2 2/3 Cups bread flour
1 1/3 Cups dark rye flour
3 Tablespoons vital wheat gluten
3 Tablespoons brown sugar, packed
2 teaspoons caraway seeds
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast

This makes a two pound loaf.  Follow the instructions that came with your bread machine in terms of which ingredients to put in the bread machine first.  (With my Zo I add the liquids first.)

I used the basic setting for this, however you could also use the wheat setting if you’d like.