Roggenbrot (Rye Bread)

Roggenbrot is German for “rye bread," and this recipe makes two hearty round loaves with a dark, molasses-tinted crumb and a soft, tender crust. The dough combines rye flour and bread flour with milk, butter, sugar, and a generous pour of molasses that gives the loaf its characteristic color and bittersweet depth.

Rye flour behaves differently than wheat. It’s stickier, less elastic, and produces a denser crumb, which is exactly what you want from a traditional Roggenbrot. The bread flour mixed in provides enough gluten structure to give the loaf rise and hold its round shape on the baking sheet.

Two long rises, about 1 ½ hours each, develop the flavor and give the yeast time to work through the heavy rye dough. Don’t rush these. Under-proofed rye bread is dense and gummy inside.

Kitchen Tips

• Keep adding bread flour during kneading until the dough stops sticking to your hands. Rye dough is naturally tacky, so it needs more flour than you’d expect.
• Knead for a full 5 to 10 minutes. Rye gluten is weaker than wheat, and thorough kneading develops what little structure it has.
• Shape into tight, round loaves and place them far apart on the baking sheet. They spread more than wheat loaves during the second rise.
• The bread is done when the bottom sounds hollow when tapped.

Variations

• Add a tablespoon of caraway seeds to the dough for a classic German flavor.
• Brush the tops with an egg wash before baking for a glossy, darker crust.
• Replace the molasses with dark honey for a milder, lighter-colored loaf.