Last week I mentioned my favorite food in the whole world is a cheddar cheese sandwich with tomatoes, lettuce & onion. Unlike other sandwiches, which I like on any bread, this one has to have a particular kind: either Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Grain Bread or rye bread. We made this sandwich a lot growing up, and we only had Ezekiel bread at home, despite my yearning for white bread. But now Ezekiel is my all-time favorite bread (go figure) and I love this sandwich on it! But I have to say, the flavor of rye goes so nicely with cheddar cheese that I choose it over Ezekiel bread most times.
I got this recipe from my friend, Erin, in 2009 and it’s the only rye bread recipe I’ve ever made because I just love it so much I have no reason to try another. I’ve been making it for several years now so I thought it was about time I shared the recipe!
This loaf was baked in the bread machine and lighter in color, probably because I made my coffee a little too strong in the latest loaf.
A note regarding the molasses: if you use unsulfured/unsulphured blackstrap molasses, it adds a good dose of iron, calcium, and potassium to your bread! (1 tablespoon contains 20% of your daily calcium and iron, and 17% of your potassium.) It has a little bit of a different flavor from regular molasses, but I used it in my most recent loaf and it tastes just as good as ever so you may as well boost your nutrition with the good stuff! I got mine at a health food store but they might even have it at the regular supermarket.
Bread Machine Rye Bread
Printable recipe
Printable recipe with picture
1 1/3 cups strong coffee
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup molasses
1 1/3 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 tablespoons caraway seeds
1 cup rye flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 cups bread flour (I usually use all-purpose)
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons rapid-acting bread machine yeast
Fill 2-lb bread machine pan with ingredients in the order listed, and bake according to bread machine manufacturer’s directions. If you wish to bake your bread in the oven, run the dough cycle. Once complete, dump onto a floured surface and shape into a loaf with floured hands, kneading in a bit more flour if the dough is too soft. Place in a 9×5 loaf pan (or two 8×4 1-lb bread pans for small loaves), covering with a towel and allowing to rise again until doubled in size. Bake at 350F for 30-40 minutes, or until the loaf sounds hollow when removed from the pan and tapped on the bottom. Remove to cooling rack and rub all over with a cold stick of butter. Allow to cool completely before slicing.
Veronica’s note: I’ve always made this bread with the three different flours, but it is probably OK to use another cup of rye in place of the whole wheat.
Recipe source: Erin N.
Veronica's Cornucopia 
That sandwich looks really really really good, and perfect for summer!!
LikeLike
Totes fo sho! :D
LikeLike
you got me on this soft rye bread! lovely and that sandwich looks truly scrumptious!
LikeLike
It did come out really soft this time! The dough was a lot softer than usual – maybe b/c of the humidity, but came out so nice and soft that Dennis enjoyed some warm with butter, and he’s not a rye fan.
LikeLike
I have a couple of favorite rye breads that I bake, but this one is a little different. I don’t have a bread machine, but I’ll give it a try.
Lillian
LikeLike
I’d love to hear your comparison! I probably should venture out and try others but I do really like this one.
LikeLike
Okay, am I the only one that didn’t know that coffee is in rye bread?? That’s one of my favorites too – I am going to try to adapt this using my oven since I got rid of my bread maker years ago. Thanks V!
LikeLike
Pretty sure it’s not usual – there’s a recipe for rye on the bread sack and it doesn’t call for it. But it’s the first recipe I made and I love it so I’m stickin with it. :)
LikeLike
I havent had rye bread that much, but you make it look delicious! =)
( Now…Im hungry ) =D
LikeLike
You sure know how to make a mean sandwich Dearie! I LOVE rye bread and yours looks perfect. Making my mouth water! Thanks for sharing.
LikeLike
I’m with Biz, I had no idea rye bread had coffee in it. No bread maker here, but it sure sounds good. Rye is my favorite bread. You can’t have a good reuben without good rye! Your sandwich looks yummy too!
LikeLike
I don’t think it’s usual, but it works. And girl, you needs a bread maker since you don’t like to bake. It does all the work for you and you get lovely fresh baked bread after only measuring some ingredients!
LikeLike
Hey Veronica! This looks woooonderful! I LOVE rye bread, but have only ever had the store-bought white kind. What is the difference in taste between the two (assuming you’ve had the other :0) ). And, do you alter the ingredients if you’re going to use an oven instead of a bread machine? Thanks!
LikeLike
Hmm, well this one is softer for sure…maybe a little sweeter. I don’t alter the ingredients if I use the oven, and I often do b/c I prefer the look of an oven loaf, rather than the weird square one from the bread machine pan.
LikeLike
My bread machine pooped out a while back but this looks good enough to make without one!
LikeLike
I haven’t had rye bread in soooo long. My grandmother died in 2006, and I haven’t eaten much of it since then. Rye bread, cheese, pickles, and some turkey or ham with a schmear of mayo; now that was a sammich! Thanks for sparking some sweet memories of my grandma! :)
LikeLike
Pickles! Yes! I have to do that next time. You’re welcome and thank you too!
LikeLike
Rye is one bread that I’ve never attempted but it is great with certain sandwiches!
LikeLike
I haven’t been eating as much bread lately and this sandwich looks so freaking good :) I love rye.
LikeLike
This loaf looks perfect…slices up well too! I’ll bet it tastes delicious!
LikeLike
Pingback: Rye bread | Elizabethian Tea
Hi There, I discovered this recipe of yours in June and was thrilled and very please with the results. I took a break from baking this loaf, because I ran out of molasses. I finally remembered to buy some and I’m back in business, but all of a sudden…the loaves are a dud. I’ve baked it twice in two days and both times, flat and yuck! I don’t know what I’m doing wrong. I followed the recipe exactly, except that I used olive oil instead of vegetable oil, I used 2 cups of rye instead of 2 of bread flour. I used quick rise yeast (for bread machines and traditional baking, it says)…Just bought a new jar and couldn’t remember what I had previously. I thought that maybe that was the problem. What are your thoughts?
LikeLike
Oh goodness, I don’t believe rye has enough gluten and you really need the bread flour (or all-purpose) in there with it or it just doesn’t have the gluten necessary for it to rise. Did you make it with all rye before when you had good results?
LikeLike
Very good
LikeLike
Hard crusts bit didn’t use stick of butter. I think I need to add more water? Wasn’t sticky at all but not too hard. Didn’t rise very much using all purpose flour. Also heated rapid rise yeast (used coffee as liquid) at 140 instead of 120-130 as coffee fast to go in and put yeast on last on top of flour. I’ll try 130 degrees next time. Tasted a little sour, maybe old whole wheat flour? Any thoughts? I’m nrw at this!
LikeLike