This authentic Danish rye bread recipe (rugbrod) is easier to make than you may think. It’s packed with nutrients, has a fantastic texture and old-fashioned flavor and is just plain delicious! Whether you prefer a bolder or milder flavor, you’re completely in charge of that in determining how long you allow the batter to ferment.
Be sure to also try our German Bread (Vollkornbrot) recipe!
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) and this Danish rye bread.
Smorrebrod
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. Traditional options include herring, pickled vegetables, liver pate, smoked salmon, and sliced hard-boiled eggs. This Danish Rye Bread recipe is just what you need to create your smorrebrod!
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.)
Fermenting Danish Rye Bread
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.
This wonderfully nourishing bread is packed full of whole grains, seeds and nuts. The grains are included in the form of flour (rye and 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.
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.
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!
Danish Rye Bread Recipe
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 “crack” the rye berries yourself by very briefly pulsing them in a good/powerful blender or food processor or smashing them in a bag with a meat mallet or other heavy object.
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.
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, loose and not remotely malleable (ie, incapable of being shaped).
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. If you’re only letting it ferment for 24 hours we recommend first soaking the whole rye berries overnight before using them (drain thoroughly).
After 24 hours the dough will be nice and bubbly with a very gooey texture.
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.
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 at least 210 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.
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!
For more delicious breads from around the world be sure to try our:
- German Bread (Vollkornbrot)
- Lavash
- Injera
- Dosa
- Naan Bread
- Crumpets
- Olive Rosemary Focaccia
- Skillet Cornbread
Danish Rye Bread (Rugbrød)
Ingredients
- 2 cups lukewarm water
- 2 teaspoons dry active yeast
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 1/2 cups dark rye flour
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 3/4 cup cracked rye berries (very briefly pulse whole rye berries in a strong blender or food processor until they're broken up into coarse pieces OR smash them in a heavy duty bag with a meat mallet or other heavy object)
- 1/2 cup whole rye berries
- 1 1/4 cup whole flaxseeds
- 1 1/3 cup sunflower seeds or combination of sunflower seeds ,pumpkin seeds and/or chopped almonds
- 3 teaspoons salt
- 1 cup dark beer (see note)
- 1 cup buttermilk or kefir (vegan: 1 cup almond milk mixed with 2 tablespoons cider vinegar) (I often use homemade kefir in place of buttermilk)
- Traditional rolled oats for sprinkling
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, loose and not remotely malleable (ie, incapable of being shaped).
- 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). If you're only letting it ferment for 24 hours we recommend first soaking the whole rye berries overnight before using them (drain thoroughly).
- 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 and aim for an internal temperature of 210 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
* You can substitute water or more buttermilk for the beer
Nutrition
Originally published on The Daring Gourmet January 28, 2016
Cathleen @ A Taste Of Madness says
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!
Lynne says
I currently have a Danish exchange student living with us, and I am sure she would translate your recipes for you. Email us!
cynthia | What A Girl Eats says
I really loved the Danish rye bread I had in Copenhagen! European bread is so much more flavorful than American bread!
Heather | All Roads Lead to the Kitchen says
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!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
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!
Kim Beaulieu says
I’ve never been to Europe, but my son has. He raved about the food, particularly the bread. I love rye bread so I need to try this asap.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Oh, there’s just nothing like the bread in Europe, Kim – I miss it so much!
Erin @ Texanerin Baking says
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
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
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 :)
Carrie @Frugal Foodie Mama says
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!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
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!
Nutmeg Nanny says
This bread looks awesome! I had something similar when I was in Amsterdam. It came with a big bowl of split pea soup and it was perfect!
Megan Keno says
Wow, this looks so amazing! Who could resist fresh baked bread?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
It’s so hard, Megan! If I allowed myself, I could gain 40 pounds a year just off bread alone ;)
Becky Hardin | The Cookie Rookie says
Delicious!!!
Kirsten / Comfortably Domestic says
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!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Yayyy, that’s awesome, Kirsten, I’m excited for you to try it! Let us know what you think! :)
Jennifer says
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!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Awesome, Jennifer, please let us know what you think when you’ve tried it!
fabiola@notjustbaked says
Such a beautiful bread, and that grinder is gorgeous!!! Making bread is so satisfying and lovely.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
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!).
Manila Spoon says
Wow! I love Rye bread but have never attempted to make one so I am totally happy to see your perfectly baked bread! Pinning for trying later!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks for the pin! My whole family loves this bread, even our picky 3 and 5 year olds :)
Christie says
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.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
This bread will take you right back to that restaurant, Christie! :)
Marye says
I absolutely love rye bread! This sounds wonderful!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks, Marye! The varying textures in this and the flavor really is wonderful.
Adina says
The bread looks perfect! Just like those you can buy around here. I will definitely make it!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks, Adina, we absolutely love it! I especially love how straightforward and simple it is. Happy baking! :)