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Danish Rye Bread (Rugbrød)

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This authentic Danish rye bread is highly highly nutritious, easy to make and tastes absolutely incredible!

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I love breads of all kinds, but there are two kinds that I especially love:  Ones that are perfectly crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside (eg, baguettes) and whole grain breads that are very dense and hearty like the kind I grew up with in Germany (eg, Vollkornbrot, Roggenbrot, Schwarzbrot, etc).

In Germany and throughout Scandinavia dense whole grain breads are particularly popular.  You’ll see them served cut up in squares for a variety of hors d’oeuvres (for example, topped with gravlax/smoked salmon, a dollop of crème fraîche or hard-boiled eggs and a sprig of dill), served for breakfast with a tray of sliced cheeses and cold cuts, enjoyed for open-faced sandwiches or simply slathered down with good butter and jam.  In Denmark this rye bread (Rugbrød) serves as the basis for their smørrebrød (ie, smorgasbord) wherein it is served buffet style with any number of fine toppings and is also a common accompaniment for many meals.

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I’ve known many people who have visited Denmark or Germany, fell in love with this type of bread and returned home to their countries unable to find it there. I haven’t been able to find it anywhere here in the U.S. except for German specialty stores and World Market stocks a very small selection of dense German breads.  Though specifically Danish sourdough rye bread I haven’t found anywhere here for purchase.

The good news is you can make it yourself and I’m going to be posting several recipes for this wonderful style of dense, hearty European bread.

We’re going to start with a favorite among many, Danish Rye Bread.  And while this bread is also popular in Germany, it claims particular importance in Denmark, indeed it’s practically one of its national foods, so we’re going to go ahead and ascribe this bread to the Danes.  (Plus it will make the maternal side of my husband’s family happy, they’re fiercely proud of their Danish ancestry.  And I have some Danish ancestry myself, so we’re all happy.)

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Danish rye bread is a sourdough bread that traditionally takes 2-3 days to make.  Here is a super simple version that cuts the fermentation time down to as a little as 24 hours without the need to tend and feed it.  This version calls for a yeasty beer.  Beer and bread are cousins, both traditionally made from the same two ingredients, water and grains.   The alcohol in this bread is burned off during the long baking process while the beer contributes to a fabulous texture and consistency (and flavor, depending on which beer you use).

The bread dough is allowed to ferment for 24 hours at room temperature (or 48 hours depending on how sour you like the bread).  This fermentation process neutralizes the phytic acid in the grains, a naturally occurring substance that binds nutrients so that the body cannot properly absorb them.  Not only does phytic acid acid bind the nutrients of the grains themselves, it binds the nutrients of anything else you eat with the grains.  Fermenting the bread dough increases its nutrients and makes the bread easier to digest.  And even after sourdough is baked it continues to sour and only gets better in flavor over time.

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This wonderfully nourishing bread is packed full of whole grains, seeds and nuts.  The whole grains are included in the form of flour (rye and whole wheat), cracked rye berries and whole rye berries.  Tons of similar styled breads incorporate these various forms of whole, cracked, coarsely ground and finely ground grains (eg, spelt, einkorn, wheat, kamut, etc) into the same loaf for a wonderful balance of textures, and that’s where a good grain mill really comes in handy.  Not only can you grind your own fresh flour on demand with all the nutrients still intact (as opposed to flour that’s been sitting on grocery store shelves for ages), you can get exactly the kind of grind you need.

I buy my grains all in bulk, take out what I need to last me for a few weeks at a time and store the rest in a dark, cool place.  I don’t even buy flour anymore, I grind all of my own flours, cornmeal and make my own baking mixes.

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For today’s Easy Danish Rye Bread I’m using my German-made KoMo Classic Grain Mill, another stellar example of German engineering and the pride and joy of my kitchen.

With a 12-year warranty, the quality and construction of the KoMo is amazing, plus it’s gorgeous and something you’d want to display on your counter.  You can grind your grains as fine or coarse as you like.  I use it nearly every day to make my own flours, cornmeal and mixes and cannot recommend it highly enough.

KoMo Classic Grain Mill

Check out my video below where I talk about some of the KoMo Classic Grain Mill’s features and show it in action in making today’s Danish Rye Bread!

Ready to bake some bread?

Let’s get started!

If you’re grinding your own rye and wheat flour and cracking your own rye berries you’re in great shape!  If you don’t have a grain mill you can easily find rye flour in grocery stores and you can buy cracked rye berries here.

Combine all of the dry ingredients in a stand mixer bowl.  Stir the yeast and sugar into the warm water and let sit for 10 minutes.  Add all the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.

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Give everything a stir manually to combine, then attach the dough hook on the stand mixer, set it to the bread setting (#2), and knead for 10 minutes.  The dough will be very sticky and not remotely malleable.

Scoop the dough into a very large non-metallic bowl.  The dough will bubble up so use a very large, deep bowl with plenty of head room.  Cover the dough loosely with plastic wrap and set it in a warm place (ie, room temperature) for 24-48 hours, depending on how sour you want the bread.  I’ve done both with great results.

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After 24 hours the dough will be nice and bubbly with a very gooey texture.

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For sourdough it’s recommended that you line your loaf pans so the acid in the dough can’t react with the metal.  I use and love the Parrish Magic Line bread pan made of heavy gauge aluminum with straight edges (made in the USA).  It’s a 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan.

Scoop all of the dough into the loaf pan, patting it down.  It’s a lot of dough but it’ll fit in there, just pat it down (be sure you’re using a 9x5x3 loaf pan). Brush the top with some water and sprinkle some oats evenly over it.

Rye Bread Collage 2

Bake at 350 degrees F for 100-120 minutes or until the center is done.  For best and most accurate results use an instant read thermometer and aim for an internal temperature of about 205 degrees F.

Let it sit for 5 minutes before removing it from the pan.  Let the bread cool completely before slicing it.  Your rugbrod is ready!

To prolong its shelf life I recommend storing it in the refrigerator or freeze part of it if you know it will take you a while to go through it.

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In order to get nice thin, clean slices that look like something you bought at a professional bakery, I recommend a slicer.  Chef’s Choice Slicers are consistently ranked at the top and they get excellent reviews.  I also use a slicer for meats and cheeses. Whenever I find chunks of cooked ham, turkey or cheese on sale I get those and slice them myself – it’s cheaper than buying them at the deli.  At the very least you’ll need an excellent bread knife and for that my favorite knife, hands down, is the Cutco 9 3/4″ Slicer.  It glides smoothly through bread and meat like no other.

Enjoy!

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Print Recipe
4.7 from 10 votes

Easy Danish Rye Bread (Rugbrød)

This robust bread has a terrific texture and flavor!
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time1 hr 30 mins
Total Time1 hr 45 mins
Course: bread
Cuisine: danish, German
Servings: 20 slices
Calories: 277kcal
Author: Kimberly Killebrew

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Stir the yeast and sugar into the lukewarm water and let sit for 10 minutes until the yeast is frothy.
  • Combine all the dry ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the yeast mixture, beer and buttermilk. Stir to combine.
  • Fit the stand mixer with a dough hook and knead on the bread setting ("2") for 10 minutes. The dough will be very sticky and not remotely malleable.
  • Scoop the dough into a very large non-metallic bowl with plenty of head space (the dough will bubble up). Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let it rest in a warm place (room temperature) for 24-48 hours, depending on how sour you want the bread to be (be sure to ferment it for at least 24 hours to ensure enough of the liquid is absorbed).
  • Line a 9x5x3 inch bread loaf pan with parchment paper (SEE NOTE). Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Scoop all of the dough into the lined bread pan, pressing down as needed. (It's a lot of dough but it will fit.) Brush the top with water and sprinkle over evenly with the rolled oats.
  • Bake on the middle rack for 100-120 minutes or until the center is done. For best and most accurate results use an instant read thermometerand aim for an internal temperature of about 205 degrees F.
  • Let the loaf cool for 5 minutes before removing it from the pan. Let the loaf cool completely before slicing. Keep stored in an airtight container. To prolong its shelf life I recommend storing it in the refrigerator or freeze part of it if you know it will take you a while to go through it.

Notes

* A couple of our readers have mentioned having difficulty peeling the parchment paper from the baked bread. I have never had to do this, but you can lightly spray the paper with some oil.
* You can substitute water or more buttermilk for the beer
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 277kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 366mg | Potassium: 225mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 0.5% | Vitamin C: 0.2% | Calcium: 6.3% | Iron: 15%


167 Responses

    • Thanks, Adina, we absolutely love it! I especially love how straightforward and simple it is. Happy baking! :)

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  3. When we lived in California we had a fantastic Danish restaurant that served the best sandwiches. This bread reminds me of them. I have to try this at home.

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    • It truly is satisfying, Fabiola. And what’s so awesome is when my kids eat it, knowing all the good stuff that is going into them (and all the bad stuff that isn’t!).

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  6. OMGOMGOMG! Kimberly, you just made me the happiest person alive. My Danish grandma passed her immense love for her native Rugbrod to the rest of the family. Sadly, none of us has been able to fully replicate our beloved Danish bread outside of smuggling a few loaves home after visits to Denmark. I’m so excited to try your recipe because it looks absolutely perfect!

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    • Yayyy, that’s awesome, Kirsten, I’m excited for you to try it! Let us know what you think! :)

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    • We just got 2 loaf brought to us from my parents who live in dk. We lived there for 13 years and are now mortified that we have to eat American wheat bread. Looking forward to trying this recipe! #missingmyrugbrød!

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    • It’s so hard, Megan! If I allowed myself, I could gain 40 pounds a year just off bread alone ;)

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  10. Love how hearty this bread is! :) It sort of reminds me of the homemade bread a high school friend’s mom used to make. Her parents moved here from Czechoslovakia, so it was a very old world European type bread too- dense & hearty. I loved it!

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    • Exactly, Carrie. Europe has so many wonderful breads and it’s one of the biggest things I missed when I moved to the U.S.. Since I couldn’t live without them I just had to learn to make my own!

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  11. Um, hello! KoMo Grain Mill?! You got one! Don’t you just love it?!

    And I’m confused. I thought Germans hate Scandinavian bread. ;) I was an exchange student there and all the Germans I knew complained every chance they could about the syrup in the Swedish bread. Oh, Germans, and their bread. :D

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    • Ha, that’s a new one to me, Erin! :) No, I’ve never heard that before. This Danish rye bread is the same thing as German Roggenbrot (there are several varieties in Germany). Rugbrod doesn’t have syrup in it but other breads, like pumpernickel, do. And even the Germans add syrup to their pumpernickel :)

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  13. I seriously LOVE Rugbrød. My mom always ate it when I was growing up, so it’s very nostalgic for me. I’ve made my own a couple of times, but yours looks about a billion times better – I really want to try your recipe! I’ve been wanting a grain mill for ages, so I’m going to go over and enter that awesome giveaway!

    Reply

    • Food that’s connected to fond memories is always the best kind, isn’t it, Heather? Yes, I hope you try it and when you do please let us know what you think!

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  14. I really loved the Danish rye bread I had in Copenhagen! European bread is so much more flavorful than American bread!

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  15. This bread is gorgeous!! I love homemade bread :)
    Actually, just before my grandmother died, she gave me a whole book where she wrote all of her recipes throughout the years. She was a cook in my dad’s school, and my dad said she made the best rye bread! The thing is, my grandmother was Danish, so all her recipes are in Danish! So I can’t read it :(
    Maybe I should try this recipe instead!

    Reply

    • I currently have a Danish exchange student living with us, and I am sure she would translate your recipes for you. Email us!

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    • Awesome, Christina, thanks for passing this on! :) I think your mother will really love this, especially how easy it is to throw together!

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    • Annie, it is SO worth the effort and the best part is that there’s really very little effort involved!

      Reply

  23. You can also get s version of this bread at Ikia in the food section its in s box. You just add water. Pour into pan and bake it is also very good

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    • That’s good to know, Sharron, thanks! For flavor and nutrition nothing beats homemade, but store-bought’s nice for convenience.

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  24. I’m living in Denmark and know these breads very well and also bake them myself. Yours is definitely at the point. Congrats, chapeau and well done.

    As native German I’ll warn you that you risk critical remarks from Germany that your recipe is like the humble bee unable to fly as Germans viciously will claim that this kind of bread cannot be produced without sourdough. You proved otherwise, so don’t let them disturb you. In the nordic countries, i.e. Denmark, Sweden and Norway you’ll find both versions – with and without sourdough.

    That said, sourdough adds an extra dimension to aroma, but dried, inactive sourdough combined with yeast does the job perfectly if you want to try it out.

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    • Thanks for the compliment and the heads up, Susanne :) I’m from Germany (moved to the U.S. eleven years ago) and the fact is there are many dense, hearty German breads like Vollkornbrot, Schwarzbrot, Roggenbrot, etc that aren’t sourdough-based and yield the same great dense and chewy texture. Yes, the purpose of the sourdough is the flavor – and it keeps longer – and the great thing about this recipe is that, with the 24-48 fermentation time, you still get something of a sourdough product with a heightened sour flavor the longer you let it ferment.

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      • Well, I’m native German as well – Munich +/- 100 km. But as time passed by, I consider myself halv German and halv Danish ;-)

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        • Meine Mutter kommt auch aus Bayern – in der Nähe von der Österreichischen Grenze. I’m half German/half American though I spent all of my life in Germany and England until moving to the U.S. 11 years ago. So I can relate to the shared loyalties :) Liebe Grüsse an Dänemark!

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    • Exactly, Brandon! Wasn’t it the best? I love fluffy breads but boy do I miss all the other kinds in Europe!

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  28. Help!This made an enormous amount of dough…how will I ever fit this into ONE loaf pan?Are the ingredients listed in quantities for two loaves? 9 cups of dry ingredients and 4 cups of liquid doesn’t look right on paper or in my BOWL!

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    • Hi Carole! Yes, I know it seems like a lot – it IS alot! :) But yes, it fits into a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan and you pack it down as you spoon in the batter. It’s a dense loaf so it doesn’t rise a lot.

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    • Hi Victoria! This bread is very dense and in the absence a sourdough starter and long fermentation process the fizz and yeast in the beer help give the bread some lift.

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  30. Hi. I mixed up this bread yesterday. Before I bake, just want to check on your loaf pan dimensions. There is a lot of dough which is more like muffin batter. Also should it be almost pourable or should I add more flour. I bake a lot of bread, but this is my first attempt at this type. Thanks for your any advice you can add to your post.

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    • Hi Nancy, yes, the pan dimensions are correct, you’ll need to pack the dough down into the. The dough isn’t firm but it definitely shouldn’t be runny or pourable. It should require the use of a spoon to scoop it out and place it in the loaf pan. If it’s pourable then it sounds like an ingredient or property quantity was overlooked.

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    • Hi Stephanie! Yes, get ready for an intense arm workout :) The batter is too soft to knead on the counter and too thick for a hand mixer, so you’ll need to use a wooden spoon and stir at a moderate pace for a long time (the stand mixer kneads it for 10 minutes so you’ll need to do it longer by hand). I’d recommend taking turns with somebody else – that’s what I always used to do when making my Spätzle dough before I got a stand mixer. It was quite the workout :)

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  33. Hello, this bread looked so good so I baked it yesterday, – with sourdough.. so I finished baking it in one day. Instead of the whole rye berries I used Barley berries/ grains, it’s very high in nutrision and not so hard to chew on, – compared to uncooked rye berries, barley grains looks good in bread too.. And when baking rye breads I always packing or “tucks in” the bread when still warm out of oven in a couple of glass towels and place it in a plastic bag until complete cold, to keep the bread moist, and it shouln’t be cut in before 24 hours :-) the Rye Bread has many rules to follow…
    An idea is also to scald some of the rye or wholegrain flour when baking rye breads, then you get the consistency of sourdough bread…and I like to soak both berries and wholegrain flour to gain most of the nutrision.
    Thank you for the recipe – this is really a good recipe for all of us bread lovers, it’s just take a little time and patience.
    Best wishes for Easter from Norway ~ mayK

    Reply

    • Thanks for the feedback and the tips, mayK! Barley is wonderful, I agree, and I regularly experiment with a wide variety of grains in bread baking, including barley. Thanks again and Easter greetings to Norway! :)

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    • HI, May! May I asked how you converted it to sourdough? Would love to utilize my starter but am not too familiar with converting recipes.

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  34. My husband is from Denmark, I love love love this bread. So I decided to bake one. Found couple of recipes from youtube and even made sourdough from scratch just to follow old fashion way. Failed! Then I found your easy recipe a few days ago. So excited to try, it looks perfect, smells perfect, but tastes really really really weird. Like gluestick. Texture was bit wet. Then I noticed I used 1 bottle of beer instead of 1 cup. Duh.. And also I used 13x4x4 pan since that’s the one I already have. However it makes me think even though I pour 1 cup beer instead of 1 bottle, it would still taste funny. I am so confused and sad. What do you think went wrong? shoud bake longer time?

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    • Hi Keun, that is strange! If it smelled great I’m not sure why it would have tasted weird. Without actually tasting it I’m afraid I can’t troubleshoot it and try and guess what may be wrong. I’m assuming that you didn’t use any expired or stale/rancid grains or nuts and that you used a decent tasting beer (all of those factors will make a huge difference). No, the baking time wouldn’t change the flavor. How long did you let the bread sit at room temp?

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      • that’s what was so weird about my bread. it smelled perfect! felt perfect! but when I sliced it, it was little bit sticky wet in the center. I left it in room temp for 24hr before I put it in the oven. it was bubbly as it supposed to be…. I was totally heart broken.
        So went out and bought all new fresh ingredients yesterday. ;-) hope this time will be better. so far, it has been sitting for 12 hr, not risen up much, about 150% of it’s original dough size. worrisome. will see.
        btw any preference of beer? whats your favorite brand?

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        • Hi Keun, the stickiness issue will have been because you used the whole bottle of beer instead of one cup. So that shouldn’t be an issue again. Also, the dough isn’t going to rise a ton, that’s not a problem. I’m afraid I’m far from knowledgeable about the various brands of beer, I don’t drink it I just occasionally cook and bake with it. I just know that some brands have tasted simply awful in the finished product while others have enhanced the final flavor. Let us know how this batch turns out! I’ve made this recipe close to ten times now and we love it. One final thing about the moistness of the bread: While it shouldn’t be remotely sticky wet in the center (again, that was a problem of too much liquid), this isn’t as dry of a bread as typical breads bread, and has a similar texture to dense whole-grain pumpernickel bread.

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          • Hi again! the good news is it turned out PERFECT! my husband thanked me hundreds of times for bringing his childhood memory back. ;-) so Thank You for sharing wonderful recipe. the bad news is now he is going to expect me to bake another perfect one. LOL I will try. He also mentioned that it supposed to be a bit wet inside (but my first and second one were glue-y. yuk!) and I think you are right about beer, funny enough I used non-alcoholic beer I occasionally drink (due to breastfeeding) and it brought much better taste.
            So Thank you again!!!!

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            • YES! Good, I’m so happy to hear it turned out and that your husband was so pleased with the results. The next ones will turn out just as perfectly :) Thanks for the feedback!

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  35. Hi, I just made this bread and it taste like nice rye bread, but soaked in beer :/ I dont know what went wrong. You have any ideas? Best wishes from Sweden

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    • Hi Stina, greetings to Sweden! The strength of the beer flavor will depend on the kind of beer and the brand of beer you use. If you prefer, use a very light, mild-flavored beer and the flavor will be more subdued.

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  36. Hi Kimberly,
    The link in your description for the Parrish Magic Line bread pan is for a 16 x 4 inch pan. Just wondering if Amazon may have changed the product for that link.
    I haven’t tried this recipe yet but have been experimenting with quite a few Danish Rye bread recipes from the web with mixed results. Most of them have used sour dough starter and it seems to be hit or miss with getting the bread to rise properly. All have tasted great but have been a little flat.
    The pans I have been using that I bought while living in Denmark are 13 x 5 x 3
    I’m looking forward to trying this recipe but need to get the proper pan first. Any suggestions?

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    • Hi Valerie, thanks for letting me know. Yes, it looks like it’s not available right now, hopefully that will change. Very honestly, any 9x5x3 pan will do. Aluminum is just often recommended for baking because of the way it conducts heat. You can try 1 1/2 times the recipe and use your 13x5x3 pan. There may be a little dough leftover once you fill the pan. I really like the longer pans and it’s actually what I use the most for these kinds of heartier breads.

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  37. Hi, your bread looks amazing. I tried once in Denmark and want to make it for my family. Could you please clarify what yeasty beer means? Is it any beer? We live in Singapore and I haven’t seen yeasty beer on the market.

    Many thanks!

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    • Hi Irene, most beers are filtered to remove yeast but there are some microbrews and European brews that don’t filter them. It honestly isn’t critical to have a “yeasty beer” for this bread, I’ve made it many times with regular beer and it turns out perfect. IF you have easy access to it then you can go with the yeasty stuff. Happy baking and let us know how it turns out!

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    • Irene, my only recommendation is to get one that has a flavor you like, otherwise, if you get a bad-tasting beer, your bread is going to taste like it :)

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  40. I’ve been looking for an easy rugbrød recipe and this looks delicious! I had brought back a rye bread mix from Denmark when I was there in March, but when I pulled it out of my cupboard…it appears tiny bugs got to it first (packaging was paper – flour bugs? expiration was 2/2017). The packaged mix requires the liquid and yeast, rise for an hour and then bake. If I used your recipe and didn’t let it set for 24-48 hours (because I’m impatient), would it still work if I baked it after a short rise time? Thanks for your help! :)

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    • Hi Annelise! That’s a shame about your bread mix, I’m sorry to hear that. Yes, a shorter rise should still work, you just want to let it sit long enough to ensure that the whole and cracked grain berries become saturated and softened. I would still recommend let the dough sit for a least the full day (morning and then bake in the evening). The other factor is that it won’t rise as much if you don’t let it sit as long. So really if you can muster the patience I recommend waiting until about the same time the following day :)

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    • Hi Lauren, do you mean whole oat groats/berries or the flattened oats? You can definitely substitute them for the whole oat groats. Flattened oats “should” work too but I haven’t tried it.

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  44. Thanks Kim. It turned out beautifully. Just a bit moist/dense even after more time in the oven. I went slightly wrong somewhere in the recipe. Once toasted it’s perfect!

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    • Hi Lauren, that’s awesome, thank you! Yes, it may just have to do something with switching out the ingredients and their different capacities to absorb moisture.

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    • Hi Brian, I haven’t measured it – I just pour a half cup or so of rye berries into the grinder at a time, measure the flour as it comes out and keep adding more berries until I have the amount I need.

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      • Thanks. I will try that. I was concerned about measuring by volume since the flour from the mill is so fluffy.
        My wife is dying to try this bread.
        Your photo of the bread is why she approved the Komo mill purchase.

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        • I’m excited that you guys got the KoMo – you’re going to love it! Yes, so what I do with that flour that comes directly out of the mill is push it down so it’s compact before I measure it. I’ll fill it into the measuring cup and press it down with my fingers and keep adding more until it’s full. Happy baking and let us know how it goes!

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          • It came out great. Wow! It is a substantial loaf. >4lbs!
            We will be enjoying it for a while.
            Thanks for posting this recipe and your helpful answers to my questions.

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            • That’s terrific, Brian, I’m so glad to hear it – thank you! To prolong its shelf life I recommend storing it in the fridge. You can also freeze it.

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  46. Thanks for a nice article. Two things Danes would never put almonds or any nuts in a traditional rye bread! Please don’t disgrace our bread. When we use grains and seeds we usually use sunflower seeds, flax seeds and sesame seeds or a combination.

    We also do not line our baking pans for rye bread. Actually what we do and most pro bakers do is that we never wash our pans with soap. We just rinse it with warm water. The older the pan the easier the bread will release.

    We cover the bread with a lid for most if the baking time.

    Kudos to you for milling your own grains. I have one but never get around to it. I buy rye flour wholesale and out family go through 50 lb of flour every 3 months.

    Rye bread tastes best when it is stored outside the fridge as it tends to get harder in the fridge and looses some of the nice rye flavor in fridge. I usually bake 2 big breads at a time,one we keep out and eat in a few days. The other i slice up the day after baking and freeze. The bread is easiest sliced when it has settled itself. We just take out the slices we need and toast them.

    Since you are such an excellent baker I would give the sour dough a try. It really pays off. I have for years baked the “fast” recipes when in a pinch but they just do not taste the same, and my family immediately knows when I try to cheat them with a shortcut recipe oven if the bread looks the same. Sourdough is a lot easier than people think. Keeping it alive is a routine just like taking your pills in the morning. Best sourdough is old as possible so if you are lucky you may find one from a danish family.

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    • Dkmom, I appreciate your insights but let’s clarify some things: This bread does call for sunflower seeds – it offers the option of chopped almonds and/or pumpkin seeds should anyone not have the former on hand. And to categorically make the sweeping statement that Danes “never” use nuts and “never” line their baking pans is simply incorrect. And I’m speaking from firsthand knowledge. I regularly bake with sourdough from my own homemade starter culture. But this particular recipe is for an “easy” Danish rye bread, meaning a shortcut has been taken; this bread still has some fermented/sourdough properties but the process is shorter. And for this particular recipe we’re using a regular loaf pan and lining it but that’s what works best for this quantity and consistency. To see the Pullman loaf pan in action (the pan with the lid on it) you can see my German Vollkornbrot which is a similar recipe and process. This Danish rye bread is excellent – give it a try and I’m sure you’ll agree.

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  47. Lauren, we do oftenuse rolled oats and rolled rye in Danish rue bread, in order to get a more moist bread. It depends what you will use the bread for whether you want it more moist or not. If it is too wet inside you probably do not keep the lid on your bread long enough while baking if you need to bake it longer. I usually bake my breads for 60-90 minutes with the lid on and then 30 minutes without lid, depending on my ingredients and how wet dough feels before going into the oven. Also bear in mind different batches of rye flour are dryer than others so there is no golden rule on the baking time.

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    • Dkmom, using rolled oats is not traditional, though as with anything people make adaptations over the years or have their own family version of it. Using rye exclusively is still by far the most common. In the case of this recipe, with this particular ratio of ingredients, I would not recommend making it any moister than it is.

      Reply

      • Kimberly I am sorry you feel my comments was an attack on you. A Traditional Gentofte ryebread contains rolled oats and so does several rye breads you buy in the stores. You are absolutely correct that rye bread should be with rye flour but as for the grains and oats and seeds there are 8 different types we use regularly, depending on family traditions, region etc

        Reply

        • No offense taken, Dkmom. And yes, that was my point: Differences will vary from region to region, from family to family, and to vary from what may be your particular version is hardly a “disgrace.”

          Reply

  48. Absolutely amazing! I just buttered up my first slice and enjoyed it with some jam, my husband had his with cheese and salami – we both LOVE it! Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe! A++!

    Reply

    • Hi Gina, really any beer will do the job, the bigger emphasis here is to choose one that isn’t overpowering in flavor and has a pleasant flavor. A cheap beer is going to have an unpleasant, powerful flavor that will take over the bread. It’s all really subjective, I know. And I personally don’t drink beer, I just occasionally cook and bake with it, so that’s where asking for recommendations from people in the know about good craft beers comes in :)

      Reply

  50. Thanks for the (super-quick!) clarification. We have a lot of good craft beers around here (Atlantic Canada) and the nice thing is I like beer, especially good dark beer, so finishing the bottle isn’t going to be a problem!

    Reply

  51. Oops! My new question has disappeared. It was about internal temperature. How do you know if your bread is ready if you don’t use a thermometer? I made a batch yesterday and it took an additional half hour or more to reach 200 degrees F (the temperature I usually use for my multigrain breads) and I cut the loaf in two and it was barely done in the center. Also, my bread rose hardly at all in the oven. Next time I will let it rest and rise a bit before putting it in the oven. Do you think that’s a good idea?

    Reply

    • Hi Gina, I don’t generally recommend internal temperatures as the best guideline for determining doneness (check out this article from Cook’s Illustrated). Really the best way is based on the bread’s appearance and its sound when you tap it. Regarding rising, this is a very heavy, dense bread so it’s not going to rise a ton, however it should rise at least an inch or so above the loaf pan during baking. If it didn’t, there a number of things that could have gone wrong, but first and foremost I’m assuming your yeast was fresh and that you used the right sized loaf pan? Did you bake it on the middle rack? Does your oven have a forced air fan? The last 3 factors will also impact if the center of the bread is done.

      Reply

  52. Given the fact that all ovens are not the same — and no, my current one doesn’t have the convection function — when creating a recipe, as I used to when I owned a bakery, or trying someone else’s, especially a kind of bread that is so extremely different from what I’ve made in the last 40 years, then I need to apply all the clues at my disposal. The Cook’s Illustrated example is a bread totally different from yours and of course in that case I would rely on the colour as well as the temperature, as I do when baking all my breads.

    Reply

  53. Hi,
    Just found this recipe and would love to bake it. I have an active sourdough starter. Can you tell me how I would convert this recipe to all sourdough? Thank you

    Reply

    • Hi Joyce, I haven’t used sourdough starter for this particular version – perhaps some of our readers have and can tell us what other alterations they made.

      Reply

  54. Hello! Im making this bread tonight!!!

    Is there a particular reason it has to sit in a plastic container? or could i use a metallic one?

    Thank you!

    Reply

    • Hi Ana, I don’t mention or recommend plastic at all, I used a white porcelain bowl in the pictures. The main thing is just to avoid a metallic bowl to prevent the sourdough from reacting with it. Happy baking!

      Reply

      • the parchment paper is stuck on the bread, i cant seem to remobe it without tearing the paper.
        Your loaf looks so perfect. Did i do something wrong?

        Reply

        • Hi Ana, that’s the first I’ve heard of that happening and I’m not sure why it would have other than maybe somehow there was too much liquid? We’ll see if anyone else chimes in with the same experience.

          Reply

  55. Hi, I have a question. I just bought a bread maker Zojirushi. Is there a way to make Danishrugbroed with the machine?
    Many thanks, Nino

    Reply

    • Hi Nino, I haven’t tried this in a bread machine so I’m afraid I can’t comment on how well it would work.

      Reply

  56. Take it from a native Dane (expat in the US on the 6th year), this is some serious gourmet rye bread. Absolutely fantastic! Tastes like home!

    Couldn’t find rye berries close by; whole barley is a good substitute. Adds a bit of “spongyness” :-)

    Reply

  57. Help! I followed your recipe exactly . Only replaced rye berries with croaked outs. It’s been 24 hours and the dough hasn’t bubbled at all! If anything it’s getting solid and dry. Have I wasted all of those lovely ingredients ?

    Reply

    • Hi Amelle, I haven’t tried it with cracked oats so I’m not sure how that would impact the bread. It may be that they soaked up too much of the liquid, preventing it from bubbling and causing it to dry out. At this point it won’t hurt to try – just pop it in the oven and see what happens.

      Reply

  58. Hi Kimberly, I made a loaf yesterday and it is divine! I fermented it for 24 hours. I like that I can use yeast because I let my sourdough starter go. I used millet in place of the cracked rye; and did not have any beer in the house so I used extra water instead. The dough was very stiff yesterday putting it in the loaf pan and I wondered if it would be good. I thought it may have needed more moisture? I put pumpkin seeds on top and into the oven it went. The millet makes it crunchy and we had nice healthy slices with soup for supper last night. Soooo good! Rugbrod is my fav and I will be making this again and again with variations on the basic recipe. I do grind the flour which I think makes it so tasty and fresh. My question is what could I have used in place of the beer? Thank you for the recipe!

    Reply

    • Wonderful, Susan, I’m happy to hear that! The dough is very stiff, yes, but millet also absorbs a lot of water and may have made it even stiffer than normal. The important thing though is that it turned out great and it sounds like it did. There really is no substitute for beer so if you want to omit it I would just recommend what you already did and use water. Thanks so much for the feedback!

      Reply

  59. Kimberly,
    I made your bread and it looks gorgeous, but I had to grind the flax seed because someone in the family has diverticulitis and can’t eat the whole seeds. Can you recommend a substitute for the flax seed? Not sure the ground flax seed is ultimately the best way to go.

    Thanks much for the splendid recipe.

    Reply

    • Hi Bonnie, have you tried the bread? Ground flax has a pretty prominent flavor but if you like the way it tastes in the bread then that’s all that matters. Alternatively you can simply “up” the amount of the rye berries and sunflower seeds and add some additional seeds like pumpkin seeds to compensate for the 1 1/4 cups flax seeds.

      Reply

  60. I made two loaves of bread. They turned out so nice I took a picture of them. I followed the recipe, and let it forment 36 hours. Baked for 90 minutes. Cooled completely before slicing. The knife was sticky after slicing. No crumbs. Never made this type of bread. I was a little concerned that it might of not been done. The inside was moist. Is there an internal temp I should be looking for?

    Reply

    • Hi Kim, I never check the internal temperature but you’ll probably want to aim for around 190 F. Correct, the bread won’t be dry and “crumby”, that’s normal, and it’s also normal for it to be on the moist side.

      Reply

  61. I baked this for an additional 70 minutes and it’s still quite gummy in parts. I converted all of your volume measurements to grams, so perhaps I didn’t have enough dry ingredients? It still tastes great a bit I’m definitely not getting the clean, coherent slices you’ve got in the pictures. Guess I’ll have to try again!

    Reply

    • Yeah, I’m not sure, AG, but it sounds like something must have been off in the conversion to grams. After baking this for 160 minutes – over 2 1/2 hours – there’s no way it should have still been so gummy. How long did you let it ferment? The longer it ferments the more liquid it will absorb.

      Reply

  63. Hi Kimberly, I’m from India..we don’t get good variety of bread here. Your rye bread looks very nutritious and flavourful…I’m so very thankful to you for sharing ur recipe. I’m a beginner and learning to bake..☺️Going to collect all the ingredients, shall post the feedback later on. Many thanks 🙏

    Reply

    • Thank you, Mini, I’m so glad you found my site, welcome! I hope you enjoy this bread and yes, please let us know what you think.

      Reply

  64. I just got back from a trip to Denmark and Northern Germany and fell in love with this bread. I knew I had to make it when I got home. I just pulled it out of the oven and had to immediately try a slice. It’s so delicious and just like what I had in Europe. Thanks so much. I’m going to be making this over and over again for sure.

    The only thing that is slightly different is this is lighter in color than the breads I was eating. It was almost black in color. Any idea what that would be? I can’t imagine they’d add a caramel color to it.

    Reply

    • I’m thrilled to hear that, James – thank you! The color: Rye flours come in dark and light varieties, so that’s one factor that contributes to the final color outcome. Also, some people will commonly add ingredients like molasses or dark malt extract to darken the color. Thanks again for the feedback!

      Reply

  65. Hi Kim, great recipe. However, I’m having an issue getting my yeast “frothy.” Should this be “proofed” all the way until it’s bubbling or should there be a thin later if foam on top, my results are the latter. All the proofing videos I’ve seen used far less water. What exactly am I looking for? Thank you.

    Reply

    • Hi Eric, that extent of proofing isn’t necessary for this, a thin layer of froth on top is sufficient. Happy baking!

      Reply

  66. Hi Kim, thanks for replying to my question about the yeast, it helped tremendously. I have just pulled the product from the oven it was not successful :( So, here’s what happened. After the two hour mark my instaread was only at 200 so I let the bread sit.. and sit.. and sit, and 20+ extra minutes had gone by and the internal temp had only gone up 1 degree to 201. At this point the oats on top were beginning to brown and the smell of “burnt” was in the kitchen. So I took the bread out, let it rest, do its thing, and when I sliced in to it the crust was very hard, the parchment paper was completely sealed to the bread, and the inside was very gooey. In the BBQ world when you’re smoking meat there is a “stall” at 160 degrees and there are ways to “push” through it. Is there a technique to get the internal temp up to 205 without going over the 2 hour mark and burning the bread? Thanks

    Reply

    • Hi Eric, thanks for the feedback and I’m sorry to hear your bread didn’t turn out this time. That’s bizarre that the temperature only went up by one degree after over 20 minutes. What kind of loaf pan are you using? I’m not aware of a stalling point when it comes to baking. In any case, next time I would suggest that once your bread reaches the point where it’s light brown on top but the center still isn’t up to temperature, cover it with aluminum foil for the rest of the baking time. That will not only prevent the top from burning before the center is done, it will also help trap in the heat. Also, you can very lightly spray the parchment paper with some oil.

      Reply

      • Thank for getting back to me so quickly! I will do as suggested for tomorrows bake and will let you know how it turned out. My bake pan is a very standard, a Wilton 9x5x3. Should I use something more commercial?

        Reply

        • No, that pan will do the job. Also, if you didn’t already do this, be sure to bake the bread on the middle rack so it’s not too close to the top burners. I hope you have better luck this time, let us know!

          Reply

  67. Hi Susan, that’s a very typical amount for rugbrød but of course personal tastes will always vary.

    Reply

  68. I’m trying to figure out what went wrong in mine. It turned out very bitter—to the point that I had to throw it out! I did look at a couple other recipes that suggested malt syrup so I used a little of that. I also mixed the dark beer with the buttermilk to save space. Could these two additions have ruined it for me? I’ve bought Ikea’s Flerkorn Brödmix before, and it is delicious and I wanted to recreate it. This didn’t come close, but I want to know what went wrong…

    Reply

  69. Being a Dane I grew up with rye bread Rugbrød. Always the whole grain type.
    Now at age 69 I still eat it. I bake at least once a week.
    I love the hard crust, with unfortunately turns softer when you store it.
    The succulent tasty body. Alway add sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds.
    But I don’t use sugar like you do. The natural sweetness is so rich.
    I’m fortunate that the bread mix is readily available in our local supermarket. It evens contains sour dough.
    So baking Rugbrød is the simplest thing in the word.
    A recent survey shows that up to a third of Danish families bake their own bread. Not only is it much cheaper, but because it tastes so much better.
    I just recently starting making the no knead wheat bread in a hot pot in the oven. Again full grain. Just heavenly good. Try it.
    We can it the worlds best bread. Of course not including the Rugbrød. Nothing beats that.

    Reply

    • Absolutely nothing beats homemade bread fresh out of the oven, Henrik! Whole grain breads are my favorite too but a light and crispy French baguette plays a close second :)

      Reply

  70. Hi Kimberly,

    I’m all set, have mixed the dough and just starting the 48 hour rise time. The apartment is cold (I’m in NYC) so I wonder if I should leave it to rise for longer than 48 hours? usually when making wheat breads for which the recipe says 30 mins for a rise time I’ve had to give it a couple of hours before it reached the height indicated in those recipes. I’ve put it inside the oven for now where I believe the pilot light keeps the interior a tiny bit warmer than the rest of the house.. I think! Any ideas?

    I split the dough into two glass bowls for the rise as I didn’t have one that was big enough for all the dough with extra room. I hope that doesn’t do any occult magic physics thing to ruin the rise. Also, I’m concerned all the dough wont fit in a 9x5x3 pan.. which I know you say it will.

    I’m wondering, for future: can I halve the recipe and just make a smaller bread? would be nice to give a smaller version as a gift so it’s not too much to have to take care of. I’d bake it in the same loaf pan. do you think it would work? would i reduce the baking time?

    Excited, but also scared reading all the replies here from folks whose bread didn’t bake fully.

    Thanks so much.. this was the most promising recipe on the internet for this kind of bread without a starter! I know I would never be trying to make it if it weren’t for the active dry yeast version, so thank you again for making it accessible to novices such as me!

    Reply

    • Hi Zahra! I think the dough will be fine in your oven for 48 hours and having divided the batter should be fine as well. I know it seems like a lot of batter for that loaf pan, but this bread doesn’t rise much – it’s very dense. Yes, you can divide the batter and bake two smaller loaves but I would recommend using two smaller loaf pans or you’ll end up with flat bread. The best way to make certain the bread is fully baked is to use an instant read thermometer like I mentioned in the post. That way there’s no risk of under-baked bread. But I realize it can be a hassle for some to get one, especially if you don’t do a lot of bread baking and don’t otherwise have much use for a thermometer. In any case, I hope you’re first attempt at this bread is a success – let us know how it goes!

      Reply

      • hi,

        so my dough stiffened quite a bit during the rise time; i had to break it up and practically coerce the pieces into the loaf pan!
        I did sub the cup of beer and used a cup of buttermilk instead (so two total cups of buttermilk), so maybe that was to blame? I measured everything else out exactly.

        I baked it for 100 minutes and then took it out as there was no way for me to measure internal temperature. Even so, the bread was quite hard. It took me almost 2 hours to slice all of the bread, it was really hard on the outside so a lot of muscle to cut through, and I was using my best knife. I guess this is where the slicer comes in handy.

        Every slice would want to fall over and would break off before i had cut all the way down. This happened with all my slices, until I decided to cut the bread in half lengthwise, and cut smaller pieces to avoid the break-offs. even so, i had a hard time getting my slices to stay together! I was cutting a thickness that would offer up 20 slices, so it’s not like my slices were thinner than normal for this kind of bread.

        I wonder what went wrong.. I presume not everyone making this bread has a slicer, and if they suffered the same dismay each time they cut a new slice?

        Other than that, once all of that was done, i was able to freeze the whole thing, and now toast each slice with a lot of care to prevent further breaking. It is still delicious, and i’ve been enjoying it very much. Though, because I still remember the horror of slicing it, I don’t think I’ll dare make it again, sadly… only because it took so much time and also emotional labor to slice.

        Reply

  71. Hi Kimberly:
    Do you soak your rye berries prior to using them? I don’t want to bake only to find out I should have soaked them before using! And in the absence of cracked rye berries, can I run some whole rye berries through the food processor to get “cracked” ones?!
    Thanks,
    Shelley

    Reply

    • Hi Shelley, no there’s no soaking involved. And absolutely, cracking them in the food processor is perfect. Happy baking!

      Reply

  73. Hi Kimberly

    thanks for this wonderful recipe. However mind did not turn out as dark as in the picture, perhaps I can add a bit of molasses next time to get the lovely dark color.

    Recipe mentions that the fermentation process will remove the phytic acid, but i was wondering if i could soak the rye berries before adding in. I noticed some of the rye berries were still a bit hard when I tasted the bread.

    Looking forward to your future posts.

    Reply

    • Hi Elaine, I haven’t tried soaking the berries for this particular recipe and not sure to what extend the additional moisture will impact the final texture. If you give it a try please let us know how it turns out.

      Reply

  74. Hello Kimberly,

    I’m new to your blog and thank you so much for your interesting recipes. My mother comes from Schwobalaendle :-) where all my family still lives (Stuttgart, Tuebbingen, Goeppingen, etc.)
    I just made your Vollkornbrot and love it. I’m planning to try your Roggenbrot next but have a couple of questions. May I trouble you with them?

    1. If I wanted to make this in a large Pullman Loaf Pan (like used for your Vollkornbrot), should I double the recipe to get the right volume to fit the pan? I imagine you have made this also in a Pullman pan?
    2. I have a family member who isn’t crazy about the small, crunchiness of the whole flax seeds. If I grind them, would I need to adjust the measurement? Or, what would be a good substitute/adjustment if I left them out of the recipe entirely?

    I thank you most sincerely for your time and look forward to your reply at your convenience.

    Reply

    • Hi Natalie, I’m so glad you enjoyed the Vollkornbrot, thank you! Oddly enough I haven’t made this in a Pullman pan yet but yes, doubling the recipe should fit the pan. You can substitute the flax seeds with some extra sunflower seeds, cracked rye berrries, and/or pumpkin seeds, chopped almonds, etc. Happy baking! :)

      Reply

  75. I’ve made this twice now and really like the sour taste. The first time I followed the recipe exactly as written and the second time I used my sourdough starter. For anyone who is curious, I used 2 Tbsp (30gm) of starter and left the yeast out. I didn’t change anything else since it is such a small addition of flour and water (1 Tbsp or 15gm of each), but you could cut back on the flour by one tablespoon and the water by one tablespoon if you want to be exact about things. The dough sat at room temp in a bowl for about 18hrs and then I put it in a bread pan lined with parchment paper. It was almost another 8 hours before I got around to baking it. Both methods produced great bread, but I’m partial to the sourdough loaf. Next time, I think I’ll use half the sourdough starter (1 Tbsp or 15gm total) and let the dough sit for 48hrs before baking it. I think this is going to be a staple at my house from now on!

    Reply

    • That’s wonderful, Mike, I’m so glad to hear it, thank you! Thanks also for the tip on the sourdough starter.

      Reply

    • Mike thanks for posting RE using starter.

      I would explicitly call out you still need the 2 cups of lukewarm water or you are making some new kind of super concrete… the hydration for the dough is off otherwise.

      Reply

  76. Just want to clarify for Anonymous, I do not suggest leaving out 2 cups of lukewarm water, I suggest leaving out one tablespoon of water. My sourdough starter is made up of equal parts flour and water, so when I added 2 tablespoons of starter (in addition to the 2 cups of water, 1 cup of beer, and 1 cup of buttermilk) I actually added more water than the recipe called for. Of course, I also added more flour than the recipe called for (2 tablespoons starter = 1 tablespoon flour + 1 tablespoon water). For someone who wanted to strictly adhere to the hydration of the recipe as written, the solution is to use 3/4 cup AP flour minus one tablespoon AP flour (if using a starter made from AP flour) or to use 2 1/2 cups dark rye flour minus one tablespoon dark rye flour (if using a starter made from rye flour). Make the same adjustment for the water: use 2 cups minus one tablespoon of lukewarm water and keep the amounts of beer and buttermilk the same as written. The addition of the starter barely made an impact on the final hydration, so I did not bother to make the adjustment. I was only suggesting a method to be used if, for some reason, other bakers felt the need to strictly adhere to the hydration of the original recipe.

    Reply

  77. Wonderful bread! It’s the first bread I ever baked 😊😂success…
    I’m originally from Germany and live in Brooklyn and love these hearty breads. I did add some pine nuts and rosemary and on top some
    Hemp hearts. Very very tasty.
    I also baked it in my steam oven which was great. Thanks for the awesome recipe

    Reply

    • Fantastic, Felicitas, I’m so glad you enjoyed it and I’m super impressed that this was your first bread-baking experience – well done and thanks for the feedback!

      Reply

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