Rustic Dutch Oven Rye Bread Recipe With Caraway Seeds
This Dutch oven rye bread recipe bakes up a rustic loaf with caraway seeds woven through every slice. It has a beautifully crusty exterior, and an interior that is light, tender, and full of flavor.
Classic rye flavor with a tender crumb
I have always been a bread lover, and rye bread sits right at the top of my list of favorites. A classic deli rye with it’s signature chewy texture is great. But I love having this loaf in my kitchen too. It has all of the familiar rye flavor, but it eats like a sandwich loaf.
If you enjoy baking hearty loaves at home, try my rosemary and parmesan artisan bread, homemade shaggy dough bread, and easy rustic whole wheat bread next.
Serve any one of these breads alongside a bowl of soup for a complete meal. Homemade pork chop stew, traditional Polish cabbage soup, and celery soup made from scratch are all great choices.
Recipe ingredients
- Rye flour: Rye flour gives this bread it’s signature flavor and hearty texture. Fresh rye flour makes a big difference in the finished loaf, so avoid using a bag that has been sitting in the pantry for too long because the flavor can become flat over time.
- Bread flour: Bread flour helps create the structure this loaf needs while keeping the crumb tender enough for slicing and sandwiches. It balances the heavier texture of the rye flour and helps the loaf rise properly in the Dutch oven.
- Honey: Honey adds a touch of sweetness to the dough while replacing refined sugar in the recipe. A basic clover honey or wildflower honey works perfectly in this loaf.
- Caraway seeds: Caraway seeds give rye bread it’s classic deli-style flavor. Fresh caraway seeds will have a strong aroma when crushed between your fingers, while older seeds tend to smell dull and lose flavor in the baked loaf.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make Dutch oven rye bread
Step 1: Add the active dry yeast and warm water to the bowl of a stand mixer and let it sit for about 5–10 minutes until foamy. The water should be between 105°F and 110°F (40°C to 43°C). If the water is too hot, it can kill the yeast. If it is too cool, the yeast will take much longer to activate.
Step 2: Add the rye flour, bread flour, honey, salt, and caraway seeds to the bowl. Mix on low speed just until the ingredients are fully combined into a sticky dough.
Step 3: Leave the dough in the mixing bowl and let it rest for 30 minutes. This resting period gives the flour time to fully hydrate and helps improve the texture of the finished loaf.
Step 4: Using the dough hook attachment, knead the dough on low speed for 6 minutes.
Step 5: Cover the bowl and let the dough rise for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size. Rising times can vary depending on the temperature of your kitchen, so focus more on the size of the dough than the clock.
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Step 6: Return the dough to the stand mixer and knead on low speed for another 3 minutes. This second kneading helps strengthen the dough and improves the texture of the loaf.
Step 7: Lightly flour your hands and work surface because the dough will still be very sticky. Shape the dough into a smooth round ball by gently tucking the edges underneath as you rotate it. Once shaped, pinch the seam on the bottom closed to help the loaf hold it’s shape during baking.
Step 8: Place the dough seam side down on a sheet of parchment paper and let it rest for 20 minutes. While the dough is resting, place the Dutch oven with the lid on into the oven and preheat it to 400°F (204°C). Heating the Dutch oven ahead of time helps create a better crust on the bread.
Step 9: Whisk the egg white together with the water until smooth. Brush the mixture evenly over the top of the dough to help create a glossy golden crust during baking.
Step 10: Use a sharp knife or bread lame to score the top of the dough. This allows the loaf to expand properly as it bakes. Sprinkle additional caraway seeds over the top for extra rye bread flavor and texture.
Step 11: Carefully remove the hot Dutch oven from the oven. Lift the dough using the parchment paper and lower it into the Dutch oven. Cover with the lid and bake on the middle rack at 400°F (204°C) for 25 minutes. The covered baking time traps steam inside the pot, helping the loaf rise properly and develop it’s crust.
Step 12: Remove the lid and continue baking for another 10 minutes, or until the top of the loaf is deeply golden brown. The uncovered baking time allows the crust to fully develop color and texture.
Step 13: Remove the loaf from the Dutch oven immediately and transfer it to a cooling rack. Let the bread cool before slicing so the crumb has time to fully set inside the loaf.
Top tips
- Keep flour nearby while shaping: Rye dough is naturally stickier than many white bread doughs, so lightly dusting your hands when needed makes shaping much easier without working excess flour into the loaf.
- Cool the loaf completely before slicing: Fresh rye bread continues setting inside as it cools. Slicing too early can make the crumb seem heavier and slightly gummy near the center.
- Use a serrated bread knife: A serrated knife helps cut through the loaf cleanly without compressing the crumb.
- Toast leftover slices: Rye bread develops even deeper flavor after the first day, and light toasting brings out the natural flavor of the caraway seeds.
- Store the loaf in a bread bag: This keeps the bread from drying out too quickly without softening the crust the way plastic storage can.
Other recipes you’ll love
If you loved this from scratch bread recipe, give these other great bread recipes a try too!
Homemade Slider Rolls (Sturdy Mini Kaiser Rolls)
Pumpkin Bagel Recipe
Savory Pumpkin Spice Cornbread Recipe
Quick Tortilla Recipe
New York Style Bagels || An Easy At Home Recipe
Dutch Oven Rye Bread
Ingredients
- 2 cups warm water 105°F to 110°F (40°C to 43°C)
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 3 1/4 cups bread flour plus more for dusting
- 1 cup rye flour
- 2 tablespoons caraway seeds plus more for topping
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 egg white
- 1 teaspoon water
Instructions
- Add the warm water and active dry yeast to the bowl of a stand mixer. Let sit 5–10 minutes until foamy.
- Add the rye flour, bread flour, honey, salt, and caraway seeds. Mix on low speed until a sticky dough forms.
- Let the dough rest in the bowl for 30 minutes.
- Knead the dough with the dough hook on low speed for 6 minutes.
- Cover the bowl and let the dough rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
- Knead the dough on low speed for another 3 minutes.
- Lightly flour your hands and shape the dough into a smooth round loaf by tucking the edges underneath. Pinch the bottom seam closed.
- Place the dough seam side down on parchment paper and let rest 20 minutes. While the dough rests, preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C) with the Dutch oven inside.
- Whisk the egg white with water and brush over the dough.
- Score the top of the loaf and sprinkle with additional caraway seeds.
- Carefully place the dough and parchment paper into the hot Dutch oven. Cover and bake for 25 minutes.
- Remove the lid and bake another 10 minutes, or until browned.
- Transfer the bread to a cooling rack and cool completely before slicing.
Notes
- Shape: Lightly flour your hands while shaping since rye dough stays much stickier than traditional white bread dough.
- Scoring: Use a sharp knife or bread lame to score the loaf so it can expand properly while baking.
- Cooling: Let the bread cool completely before slicing so the crumb has time to fully set.
- Storage: Store cooled bread in a bread bag to help keep the loaf from drying out too quickly.
- Serving: Toast leftover slices to bring out more of the rye and caraway flavor.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
