Danish Rye Bread (Rugbrød) is dense, hearty, and packed with rye flour, whole grains, and a variety of nutritious seeds. A true staple of Nordic cuisine, this richly flavored, slightly tangy bread is the foundation of smørrebrød (Danish open-faced sandwiches) and a key part of the Scandinavian diet.
If you've ever tried to find authentic rugbrød in the U.S., you know it can be a challenge. Most store-bought rye bread here is closer to deli rye or pumpernickel, lacking the depth and texture of traditional Danish rye. But the good news? You can make it at home-easily!
If you keep a sourdough starter around, you might also want to consider trying my recipe for Sourdough Danish Rye Bread (Rugbrød) which is also really delicious!
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Ingredients
For the Soaker:
- 7 grain cereal - provides the hearty backdrop of the bread. Traditional rugbrød recipes call for rye chops which are just coarsely chopped pieces of rye grains. Because rye chops can be hard to find in the U.S., this recipe calls for a 7 grain cereal mix instead (feel free to use rye chops if you have access to them! They work just as well here). 7 grain cereal mix is simply a combination of several different coarsely chopped grains including wheat, rye, triticale, oats, oat bran, barley and/or brown rice. I often use the Bob's Red Mill brand, but have also had good luck with this mix from Nuts.com.
- Sunflower, pumpkin and flax seeds - bring texture, flavor and nutrients to this hearty, substantial loaf.
For the Dough:
- A combination of bread flour and rye flour - is key to providing the gluten structure this bread needs to keep its shape.
- Instant yeast - serves as the leavener. Please note that instant or rapid rise yeast and active dry yeast are two different things. The essential difference between the two is that instant yeast can be mixed right in with the dry ingredients whereas active dry yeast is designed to be proofed in warm liquid prior to adding it to the recipe. Instant yeast is also more reliable, effective and fast-acting.
- Molasses - not only sweetens and flavors the dough, it also helps deepen the dark brown color of the final loaf.
- Water
- Salt
- Butter - for greasing the pan.
The Equipment
- a sturdy stand mixer
- a 13 x 4 inch pullman pan with lid
How To Make Danish Rye Bread (Rugbrød)
The Night Before:
- 8-12 hours before you plan to make the bread, combine the rye flour, bread flour, instant yeast and cold water together in a large bowl (I just use the bowl that goes with my stand mixer since that is where it will eventually go....one less bowl to wash). Hold back on the molasses and salt for now. Stir to combine as best you can (mixture will be thick), and then knead briefly with your hands until you have a cohesive mixture. The dough will be very thick and clay-like in texture. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature.
- At the same time, mix the soaker together: Combine all the ingredients for the soaker together in a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature.
The Morning of Baking:
- 8-12 hours later, finish mixing the dough: Grease a 13 x 4 inch pullman loaf pan with butter and dust with rye flour, including the lid. Set aside. Combine the dough, molasses, salt and the soaker (do not drain the soaker. Go ahead and put in the water and the soaked seeds) in the work bowl of a stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment, mix on low for 2-3 minutes, scraping down the sides occasionally. Increase the speed to medium and continue to mix for another 2-3 minutes. The dough will be very sticky at this point.
- Scrape or spoon the dough into the prepared pan and smooth out the top. Damp fingers or a moistened spatula can help with this if you are having a hard time getting the top smooth.
- Dust the top of the loaf with a thin, even layer of rye flour and place the pullman lid cover on top of the pan. Let the dough rise for 1½ -3 hours at room temperature or until it is about ½ inch from the top of the pan. The time that it takes for your dough to rise will largely depend on the temperature of the dough and your kitchen.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Bake the loaf with the lid on for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 400 degrees and continue to bake, covered, for an additional 15 minutes. Remove the pan from oven and carefully slide the lid off. Reduce the temperature to 325 degrees and bake, uncovered, for an additional 45 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and immediately turn the loaf out onto a metal cooling rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet. Return the bread to the oven for an additional 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the bread to cool completely before slicing, at least 3 hours or overnight if you can wait! Rye bread is even better a day after baking.
- Remove from the oven and allow the bread to cool completely before slicing, at least 3 hours or overnight if you can wait! Rye bread is even better a day after baking.
Expert Tip
- Wait a day before enjoying your bread! Unlike wheat breads which are best eaten shortly after cooling, both the texture and flavor of rye bread improves after a rest of 12-24 hours. Once the bread has cooled completely, wrap it loosely in foil and cut into it the following day.
Recipe FAQs
Rugbrød simply means "rye bread" in Danish. It is a sturdy, dense loaf that is comprised of rye flour, chopped rye grains and is often studded with sunflower, pumpkin and/or flax seeds. It is often baked in a 13 x 4 inch pullman pan with a lid. This helps the rye bread bake properly and gives it its characteristic square shape.
It can be stored loosely wrapped in foil at room temperature for about 5 days.
Yes! Rugbrød freezes very well. Tightly wrap the bread (either a whole or partial loaf or slices) in plastic wrap and then either tightly wrap it in foil or place it inside of a freezer bag. It will keep for a couple of months.
I have had many readers tell me they have split the dough into two 9 x 5 loaf pans instead of using the pullman pan with excellent results. Use a heavy baking sheet as a "lid" for the covered portion of the baking and keep the baking times and temperatures the same.
If you have a smaller mixer, it may be difficult to get all of the dough in the bowl at one time. If that is the case, simply mix half of the overnight dough, molasses, salt and the soaker and then mix the second half. Combine all of the dough together in the loaf pan for baking.
Rye breads, particularly those baked here in America, often have a variety of ingredients added to them to enhance their color (making them darker in appearance) and flavor. Common additions include caramel coloring (no thank you), stout beer, cocoa powder, espresso powder and molasses. Rugbrød, in contrast, has very little additional flavoring, perhaps just a little molasses for sweetening. It is meant to be a very straightforward bread so that it can serve as a neutral base for a variety of different sandwich toppings.
Sometimes I will come across a rugbrød recipe that calls for flavor enhancers such as caraway, fennel or anise seed in the dough, but this seems to be more of an exception than the rule.
How and What to serve with Rugbrød
When it is served, Rugbrød is typically sliced thin (a little less than a quarter of an inch) and buttered liberally with salted butter. There is actually a word in Danish, tandsmør, which means "tooth butter". It refers to buttering your bread generously enough so that when you bite into it you can see your teeth marks in it.
It may be enjoyed as is, simply slathered with butter, or it can be piled with additional ingredients to form the base of smørrebrød , the famous Danish open-faced sandwiches. Check out this post about How to Make Smørrebrød at Home for everything you need to know about making these deliciously beautiful open-faced sandwiches with your rugbrød!
Related Recipes
Looking for more Scandinavian rye bread recipes? Give these a try:
If you tried this Danish Rye Bread (Rugbrød) recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
Recipe
Easy Overnight Danish Rye Bread (Rugbrød)
Ingredients
For the Soaker:
- 2 ½ cups 7 grain hot cereal mix such as Bob's Red Mill brand or rye chops see note below
- 1 cup raw sunflower seeds
- 1 cup raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
- ½ cup flax seeds
- 2 ⅔ cups cold water
For the Dough:
- 2 cups dark rye flour I use the Bob's Red Mill brand, plus more for dusting the pan and loaf
- 2 cups bread flour
- 1 teaspoon instant dried yeast
- 1 ½ cups cold water
- 4 teaspoons salt
- ¼ cup molasses
- Butter for greasing the pan
Special Equipment Needed:
- Stand mixer
- Pullman pan with lid (13 x 4 inches in size)
Instructions
- For the Soaker: Combine all the ingredients for the soaker in a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature overnight, approximately 8-12 hours.
- For the Dough: Combine both flours, yeast and water in a separate bowl. Stir to combine as best you can (mixture will be thick), and then knead briefly with your hands until you have a cohesive mixture. Dough will be very thick and clay-like in texture. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature overnight, about 8-12 hours.
- Grease a 13 x 4 inch pullman pan with lid with butter and dust with rye flour, including the lid. Set aside. Combine the soaker, flour mixture, salt and molasses in the bowl of a stand mixer. Fit mixer with paddle attachment and mix on low speed for 2-3 minutes until everything is thoroughly combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl from time to time. Increase speed to medium and mix for an additional 2-3 minutes, stopping to occasionally scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mixture will be quite sticky.
- Transfer the dough to the prepared pan. Smooth out the top and sift a thin layer of rye flour over the surface of the dough. Place lid on pan and let the dough rise for 1½ -3 hours at room temperature or until it is about ½ inch from the top of the pan. The time that it takes for your dough to rise will largely depend on the temperature of the dough and your kitchen.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Bake the loaf with the lid on for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 400 degrees and continue to bake, covered, for an additional 15 minutes. Remove the pan from oven and carefully slide the lid off. Reduce the temperature to 325 degrees and bake, uncovered, for an additional 45 minutes. (The loaf should have an internal temperature of 205-210 degrees F on an instant read thermometer at this point). Remove from the oven and immediately turn the loaf out onto a metal cooling rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet. Return the bread to the oven for an additional 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the bread to cool completely before slicing, at least 3 hours. Rye bread is even better a day after baking. If you can wait until the following day, let the completely cooled bread sit at room temperature loosely wrapped in foil overnight before slicing. The bread will keep at room temperature for 3-5 days loosely wrapped in foil. Freeze for longer storage.
Cath says
Very good recipe! I appreciate a well-written recipe with good instructions. The bread was very good - just a little sweet for me but that is personal taste and not a reflection of the recipe at all. I made two loaves; we cut into one same-day once cooled and let the other sit overnight. I didn't notice much improvement - or really any difference - between the loaf we ate the day of baking and the one we ate the next day. Very tasty and nutritious bread.
I would note that I think the calorie calculation for this recipe is incorrect - I ran it through two calorie calculators and based on 16 servings, it comes in at 317 calories / slice not 238. Wanted to note this as it does make a difference for those on calories restricted diets.
I'm looking forward to trying some more of your recipes!
Julie says
This bread really is perfect! So easy to make, it is delicious, and it keeps very well. I froze 1/3, gave 1/3 away to my Danish parents, and ate 1/3 over a couple days. The frozen piece was just as good as the piece we ate fresh. For others unable to acquire Bob's Red Mill 7 Grain cereal, I used Rogers Porridge Oats and Ancient Grains (available at my local Superstore in Ontario), and it turned out great. Worth the purchase of a pullman loaf pan! I will make regularly. Thanks for the recipe!!
Kristi says
Hi Julie,
Thanks for your comment! I'm so glad you enjoyed the bread, and THANK YOU for the tip on the cereal. The Bob's Red Mill brand has been difficult to track down recently. Happy baking!
Kristi
Kristina says
Hi Kristi,
I inherited my father’s rugbrød pan of proper dimensions, but it doesn’t have a lid. He made bread in it all the time, but I didn’t pay attention to the baking details. The one on Amazon is backordered until 25 December, which is too late to make a loaf in time for jul bord. Any idea whether a baking sheet or aluminum as a lid would work, in a pinch?
Many thanks,
Kristina
Kristi says
Hi Kristina,
A baking sheet works just fine. How cool that you can use your dad’s pan! Let me know how it goes.
Kristi
Travis Andersen says
Hello, would you have any suggestions on adjusted baking times if I were to bake these in 3x6 mini loaf pans?
Kristi says
Hi Travis,
I've never baked mini loaves but I think I would start by keeping the first two 15 minute baking periods as is and maybe reduce the time when the loaves bake at 325 degrees to 30 minutes. You can always check the interior temperature of the loaf with a meat thermometer to help determine doneness. The temp should be between 205 and 210 degrees F when it is fully baked. Hope this helps! Happy baking!
Kristi
Carole says
When I made the bread last night , I was sceptical about the result , even though I do not possess a stand mixer , I mixed it by hand , turned out great , thank you for your lovely recipe
Kristi says
Hi Carole,
Thanks for your comment! I agree....the dough does not look promising at first. But I'm so glad you enjoyed the final result! Happy baking!
Kristi
Frank says
Kristi,
I only have a 9" Pullman pan. How much room should I leave at the top of the pan? I don't want to overfill the pan.
Kristi says
Hi Frank, I would say about 2/3 to 3/4 full. Let me know how it turns out!
Frank Jankovsky says
Kristi,
I adjusted the recipe to 5/8 of 100 percent. The loaf nearly touched the top of the pan. Is it supposed to rise against the lid or just close? We like the bread very much but I did have to bake it an additional 20 minutes on the rack to get the internal temp up to 200 degrees. All in all a great success for my first try. Thanks for the recipe. Happy New Year.
Kristi says
Hi Frank,
So glad the bread worked out! Depending on the weather, etc. mine will sometimes touch the top of the pan (which is kind of nice because you get that nice square shape). Happy New Year to you!
Kristi
Yula says
Hi Kristi, I got the mix that you recommended from nuts.com. I just made a second batch yesterday, my family loved it. Even my picky eater teenager complemented the taste and texture. Thank you!!!
Kristi says
That's good to know! I will share that with anyone else who is having trouble finding the mix. Thanks so much for your feedback. It is greatly appreciated!
Kristi
Yulla says
I made bread!!!! It was fantastic! A bit salty for my taste, so next time I will asjust amount of salt and try to add caraway seeds. Thank you, Kristi, I have been looking for easy Danish recipe and finaly found it!
Kristi says
Yay! I'm so happy you enjoyed it! I remember that you had trouble finding the Bob's Red Mill 7 Grain cereal. What did you end up using instead?
Kristi
Chad says
The final product picture looks like a 3" loaf (rather than the 4" wide pan called for in the instructions. How can I find a pan that will give me the dimensions in the final product photos? Do I need to order from Denmark?
Kristi says
Hi Chad,
The pan I used for the loaf in the photos is the USA brand pullman loaf pan (13 x 4). It works great and is available at Amazon.
Thanks,
Kristi
Yulla says
Thank you, Kristi, I will definately try it!
Yulla says
Hi,
I would loooove to make this bread but I cannot find 7 grain hot cereal mix, Bob’s Red Mill. It's not available anywhere, not Amazon or brand itself ! can you PLEASE recommend something that can be used instead? Or if you know where to buy it in the US?
Thank you!!!
Kristi says
Hi Yulla,
You are the second person who has mentioned this to me this week! It looks like they are currently "out of stock" at the company itself so I think it might be hard to find for awhile. There is an alternative available from http://www.nuts.com that is very affordable and appears to be in stock. It's called "7 Grain Mix" and it's almost the same thing as the Bob's Red Mill brand. It will work just fine as a stand-in. I hope you give the bread a try! It's really good.
Kristi
George Sevelle says
Yula/Kristi
I use this Rye Chops that is available on amazon. https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07CXHVC4J/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
G.
Kristi says
Thanks, George! That's super helpful to know!
Kristi
Salma says
This was so delicious but it was completely gummy and raw inside despite a nice crust 🙁
Kristi says
Hi Salma,
I'm sorry to hear that! This bread is definitely moist, but should not be gummy and raw. A few trouble shooting thoughts for you...did the bread rise normally? If the yeast failed for some reason or you used active dry rather than instant yeast, that could be a reason it didn't bake up properly. Did you cover the loaf during the first half hour of baking and follow all of the changes in temperature? The baking process is critical to the success of the final loaf. Finally, it could be your oven. Some ovens run hotter than others and if yours tends to run cool, it's possible that it needed more time. If you have a meat thermometer at home, you can always take the temperature of your loaf to make sure it is fully baked. The internal temperature of your loaf should be 205-210 degrees F when it is done. Hope this helps!
Kristi
Helle Evans says
Made this yesterday _ turned our exactly like I have grown up with in Denmark, One question and a comment.
The dough (rye flour, bread flour, yeast and water)- what is the reason for the COLD water? Normally with yeast I would use luke warm water, but I followed your recipe and the dough was not like clay, more like brick - I managed to get it somewhat to stick together but I was certain that I would be tossing it in the garbage the next morning.....it was not at all like the video you show where you knead it and my Kitchenaid was pushed to the limit when mixing next morning... I wonder if warm water would work better or maybe a bit more water. Have you ever run into this?
For my comment, I don’t have a Pullman pan but I took a strip of parchment, brushed a tiny bit of olive oil on it, sprinkled a bit of rye flour to cover and put it on the top of the pan with foil on top, very loosely covered and the dough rose and baked with it on without anything sticking..
I will make this many times now as I have never made from scratch....
Kristi says
Hi Helle,
I'm so glad the bread turned out well for you! I start with cold water because I want everything to rise slowly at room temperature over a 12 hour period. Warm water would definitely accelerate the process. Is it possible that you used active dry yeast rather than instant? They look the same and it's easy to get the two mixed up. That might be one reason the consistency didn't seem right. My only other thought would be to double check the amount of water next time. And thanks so much for the parchment paper and foil tip. Genius! Happy baking!
Kristi
Mae says
Hello! This recipe sounds great as I have struggled to find good rye here in my city. As I’m only baking for myself- would it be possible to half this recipe and use a smaller bread pan?
Thank you!!
Kristi says
Hi Mae,
Thanks for your question! I’ve had other people tell me they have halved the recipe and it’s worked out just fine. If you don’t have a Pullman pan with a lid, simply set a baking sheet on top of your standard loaf pan during the part of the baking process where it is supposed to be covered. This bread also freezes nicely so it you make a full loaf or two smaller ones, you could always wrap one and tuck it away in the freezer for another day. Please report back and let me know how it goes! Happy baking!
Kristi
Morten Jorgensen says
Hi Kristi
I finally found courage enough to test your RUGBRØD reciepe. Success in first try, but a few observations.
Raw sunflower seeds were impossible to locate even thoug i tried several stores and a coop. I finally broke down an purchased some lightly roasted, but unsalted sunflower seeds. It works, except for the fact, that the bread tastes too much of sunflower. In fact, it tasts exactly a sunflower bread that I have purchased in Denmark. Do you thing that lightly toasted seeds give out a stronger taste than raw? In planning my next bread, which "milder tasting seeds" do you suggest I try, or should I just use less sunflower seeds and try to adjust the reciepe to that? I have tryed to perfect my rugbrød for a long time (missing my good danish stable) and usually found my bread that was "gummy"in the middle (you still eat it though, as I hate to see food wasted). Your reciebe have eliminated that "gummy" problem and I am eternaly grateful for that.
Kristi says
Hi Morten,
Thanks for your comment! I'm so glad the bread was a success and that you've eliminated the gummy problem. I've had that same problem myself with other recipes and it's so disappointing. Using toasted seeds rather than raw will definitely result in a stronger sunflower taste. The raw are much more subtle. I think I would try using half the sunflower seeds and see how that goes rather than subbing in a different seed altogether. You might add a little less water to the soaker but I'm not sure that it's going to make much of a difference as it is only 1/2 cup of seeds. Let me know how it turns out! Happy baking!
Kristi