Ray Bauer's Swedish Rye Bread

This Swedish rye bread packs more flavor into one loaf than most bakery versions. Three different seeds (fennel, caraway, and cumin), dark molasses, orange zest, and cracked wheat all work together to create a dense, aromatic bread with layers of sweetness, spice, and citrus.

It’s a bread machine recipe, so the effort is minimal: load the ingredients, press start, and let the machine do the kneading and rising. The vital wheat gluten added to the flour helps the heavy whole wheat and cracked wheat dough rise properly without going dense.

The orange zest is the ingredient that makes this distinctly Swedish. It’s a traditional addition to Scandinavian rye breads that adds a subtle brightness you can’t quite identify but would miss if it weren’t there.

Chef Tips

• Add the ingredients in the order your bread machine manual recommends. Most machines want liquids first, then dry ingredients, then yeast on top.
• The cracked wheat adds a chewy, grainy texture. If you prefer a smoother loaf, soak it in warm water for 30 minutes and drain before adding.
• Buttermilk powder gives the bread a slight tang and tenderizes the crumb without adding liquid that throws off the bread machine ratios.

Variations

• Toast the seeds in a dry skillet before adding for a more intense, nuttier aroma.
• Replace the molasses with dark honey for a lighter, more floral sweetness.
• Add a tablespoon of cocoa powder for a darker color and deeper flavor, common in Scandinavian pumpernickel styles.