Mom’s Rye and Whole Wheat Bread (Video)
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I’ve had several requests for my Mom’s rye whole wheat bread recipe. Mom bakes it all the time and it’s the same bread I showed you on Instagram (@natashaskitchen). The rye whole wheat flour make it a healthier bread and I feel so good about giving a warm buttered slice to my 3-yr old son (he’s in line just as soon as it comes out of the oven!). As an added bonus and because I really want you to succeed in making this bread, I’ve also included a complete photo tutorial for this recipe. So read on!
Quick breads like the no-knead artisan bread are gorgeous and are a great choice for dinner parties but they are best eaten the same day they are baked. My mom’s bread is one that keeps well in the fridge or freezer without becoming crumbly (if that makes any sense to you).
This recipe makes 2 loaves of bread. Eat one and freeze the other. My mom usually bakes 6 loaves and if all five of her girls (I have 4 sisters) stop by, she’s usually left with one loaf at the end of the day.
Watch How to Make Whole Wheat Bread:
This recipe is an all-day project (lots of effortless rising time) so it’s worth-while to double or even triple the recipe and freeze the extras for weeks of enjoyment. You do not need a bread-maker for this recipe. P.S. If you don’t have rye flour, you can substitute with more wheat flour.
Ingredients for Rye and Whole Wheat Bread:
2 1/4 cups luke warm water
1/2 Tbsp salt
1 1/2 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp active dry yeast
3/4 cup whole wheat flour *measured correctly
3/4 cup rye flour *measured correctly
3/4 cup better for bread flour *measured correctly
plus 2 1/2 cups better for bread flour *measured correctly
2 Tbsp canola oil plus more to grease counter and pan
*Watch our easy video tutorial on how to measure correctly
How to Make Rye and Whole Wheat Bread:
1. In a large kitchen aid mixer bowl, combine 2 1/4 cups warm water (about 100˚F), 1 1/2 Tbsp sugar and 1/2 Tbsp salt; stir to dissolve.
2. Sift the 3/4 cup wheat flour, 3/4 cup rye flour and 3/4 cup better for bread flour with 2 tsp yeast into the salted water. Do not discard anything left in the sifter (it’s the good stuff!); toss it into the batter. Whisk together until well blended. Let it rise on the counter uncovered for 3 hours, stirring the batter about once every hour. It will be bubbly.
3. Using the dough hook attachment add 1/2 cup Better for Bread flour until well blended, scraping down the bowl if needed. Blend in the rest of your Bread flour (2 cups) a heaping Tbsp at a time, letting the dough dissolve the flour in between each spoon (this takes about 20 min).
4. Once all the flour is incorporated, add 2 Tbsp canola oil. Let mix for an additional 20 more minutes on speed 2 with the dough hook or until dough is no longer sticking to your bowl. Note: after you add the oil it will look like it’s coming off the walls and then it will appear to get stickier, then towards the end of your 20 minutes, it will actually stop sticking to the walls as it mixes. Just let it do it’s thing and everything will work out ;). Remove dough hook and Let it rise in the bowl, uncovered, until double in volume.
5. Grease your bread pans, counter and fingers a little with the canola oil. Punch down the dough and transfer it onto the oiled counter
6. Pinch the dough in the center to form two sections with your hands. Grease your pan lightly with oil. Place dough into each prepared bread pan and mold the dough to the base of the pan (no gaps in the corners). Let it rise on the counter until 2 1/2 to 3 times in volume (about 1 1/2 hours). Bake at 360˚F for 55 minutes.
7. When done, brush the tops with butter as soon as bread comes out of the oven. Remove bread immediately from the pans and cool on a wire rack. If you leave bread in the pans, it will get moist from the steam in the pan. Once bread is just warm, butter up a slice of soft and delicous bread and enjoy. You deserve it!
Mom's Rye and Whole Wheat Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups luke warm water
- 1/2 Tbsp salt
- 1 1/2 Tbsp sugar
- 2 tsp active dry yeast
- 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
- 3/4 cup rye flour
- 3/4 cup better for bread flour
- plus 2 1/2 cups better for bread flour
- 2 Tbsp canola oil plus more to grease counter and pan
Instructions
- In a large kitchen aid mixer bowl, combine 2 1/4 cups warm water (about 100˚F), 1 1/2 Tbsp sugar and 1/2 Tbsp salt; stir to dissolve.
- Sift the 3/4 cup wheat flour, 3/4 cup rye flour, and 3/4 cup better for bread flour with 2 tsp yeast into the salted water. Do not discard anything left in the sifter; toss it into the batter. Whisk together until well blended. Let it rise on the counter uncovered for 3 hours, stirring the batter about once every hour. It will be bubbly.
- Using the dough hook attachment add 1/2 cup better for bread flour until well blended, scraping down the bowl if needed. Blend in the rest of your bread flour (2 cups) a heaping Tbsp at a time, letting the dough dissolve the flour in between each spoon (this takes about 20 min).
- Once all the flour is incorporated, add 2 Tbsp canola oil. Let mix for an additional 20 more minutes with the dough hook on speed 2 or until dough is no longer sticking to your bowl. Note: after you add the oil it will look like it's coming off the walls and then it will appear to get stickier, then towards the end of your 20 minutes, it will actually stop sticking to the walls as it mixes. Just let it do it's thing and everything will work out ;). Remove dough hook and let it rise in the bowl, uncovered, until double in volume (45 min).
- Grease your bread pans, counter and fingers a little with the canola oil. Punch down the dough and transfer it onto the oiled counter.
- Pinch the dough in the center to form two sections with your hands. Grease your pan lightly with oil. Place dough into each prepared bread pan and mold the dough to the base of the pan (no gaps in the corners). Let it rise on the counter until 2 1/2 to 3 times in volume (about 1 1/2 hours). Bake at 360˚F for 55 minutes.
- When done, brush the tops with butter as soon as the bread comes out of the oven. Remove bread immediately from the pans and cool on a wire rack. If you leave bread in the pans, it will get moist from the steam in the pan.
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
What is ‘better for bread’ flour? Is that a brand? Can I use all purpose flour instead?
Hi Dawn, it is a bread flour. There is no all-purpose flour in this recipe. I recommend using bread flour in this recipe.
Hey Natasha can I bake it in a 7 quart cast iron instead of a loaf pan?
Hi Ani! I have not tested that to advise. One of my readers said, “I bake it as a single artisan loaf in a preheated Dutch oven and it comes out with a fabulous crust.” I hope that helps. Let us know if you experiment with it.
Hi,
Any advice for kneading this recipe by hand?
Thanks,
David
Hi David, Yes you can do it by hand, you just need to incorporate the flour with a spatula at step 3 and then knead the dough by hand, until it’s smooth and elastic and just barely sticking to the walls of the bowl.
Thanks, Natasha. I’ll try it.
I’ve been making a whole wheat/rye bread for quite a while that includes a cup of milk (along with another cup of water), so I’m curious about this recipe.
And, one more question: do you use 1 1/2 tbsp. white or brown sugar for this bread?
Many thanks, Natasha,
David
It’s white sugar and the pics of the ingredients used are also added in the recipe. Hope that helps!
Hi Natasha, I have been following you for sometime now and have tried out several of your recipes, they all have been big hits with my family. I recently made your Mom’s Best Rye Bread and it turned out perfectly. I was wondering do you ever provide the nutritional information for the recipes you make? I do like knowing what the percentages are.
I wish I could say I have a favourite recipe of yours that I have tried, but honestly they are all great.
Yes, it is great to find someone who is as talented as yourself that wants to share their love for food and cooking and having recipes that work! I love watching you, you’re always making me laugh. That in itself is gift enough for me to always check in to see what you’re going to do next. Love it.
I’m a self taught cook and I have done quite well for myself and for my family of 5 over the years. Finding you has added such important element in providing good tasting and healthy meals for my family. Thank you for all you do from a Canadian follower.
I’m so happy you enjoyed this rye bread, Teresa! Thank you so much for sharing that with me. We are slowly working through all of our recipes to add nutritional info, but it is time-consuming as they have to be added one at a time. Most recipes have it added to the printable recipe card, though! Thank you for being patient!
I have made this recipe 3 times now and I cannot get the crust to turn very dark. This last time, I brushed the loaves with butter and let it bake the last 10 minutes that way. I also baked it at 400 convection – still pale crusts. How do I get a darker crust?
Hi Roger, make sure your oven is fully preheated. An oven thermometer helps to double-check. Another thing is to put the bread a little higher up on the next rack level. Lastly, I haven’t tested this in a conventional oven and not convection.
I made this bread for the first time today when y wife said “go make some bread” . Your website is my go-to for any new recipe. I live in Canada so our flour is a bit different but my baker’s flour (milled by ADM here) worked out nicely. My dough after the 20-minute mix was not as firm as in the video but when I turned it out onto the floured counter, it worked nicely. The divided dough filled each pan 1/3 full. I proofed it in the oven with the light on and covered with a tea towel. It rose to a nice height in in about 30 minutes. I baked it on convection 375F. I inserted an instant-read probe thermometer after 40 minutes and it read 205F – done! I wish I could show you how it looked when I cut the end cap off – it was beautiful. With butter and honey on the fresh end cap, there is nothing better.
There’s nothing like homemade bread! I’m so glad you loved it, Roger! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
I followed the recipe exactly, and have made many breads before, but after an hour of beating-the dough was still sticking to the pan. I even added extra flour. I let it sit and it doubled in bulk and I was able to get it into the pans so we will see if it bakes well after the final rise. I also felt that using the dough hook to mix in flour was too much trouble. Had to constantly scrap the bowl after each tablespoon addition. Maybe starting with a regular beater and then switching to the dough hook would have worked better.
Hi Marie, something to keep in mind is if you are using a different type of flour, it can have a different protein content which affects how much flour is needed. Maybe it just needed a little more flour.
Is “better for bread flour” just all purpose flour?
Hi Lina, it is a bread flour. There is no all-purpose flour in this recipe.
how can I make this bread by hand rather than with kitchen aid mixer? I really enjoy kneading dough.
Hi Marianne, Yes you can do it by hand, you just need to incorporate the flour with a spatula at step 3 and then knead the dough by hand, until it’s smooth and elastic and just barely sticking to the walls of the bowl.
Do you have any advice on how much Fresh Yeast you would use or does Fresh Yeast change any of the time you would let the bread rise.
Hi Kieran, I have only tried this with active dry yeast. If you happen to experiment with that and find the perfect balance, I would love to know how you like that.
How do I correctly defrost this loaf if I freeze it after baking?
Hi Julia, once you unpack the bread let it thaw in the fridge until it is no longer frozen (overnight for a loaf, and 2 to 3 hours for individual slices).
Would it be possible to reheat it so that it is warm and a little crispy?
Hi Julia, I bet that could work!
Yes, I imagine that will work.
Something must be wrong in the ingredient quantities.
Using the King Arthur weight chart (which you endorse), and using the “spoon & sweep” measuring method (which you also endorse), the totals are:
77g rye flour
85g whole wheat flour
390g bread flour
Giving a total flour weight of 552g
2¼ c water equals 533g
That results in a hydration of 96.6%, which is basically pancake batter…
Granted rye flour has a water absorption roughly ten times that of wheat flour, and I’m using regular bread flour, not whatever “better for bread” flour is, but still, normal sandwich bread is usually around 58% hydration.
Can you confirm those weights?
If not, can you explain the discrepancy?
Hi Neil, I would suggest using the spoon and sweep method for measuring since those flours will have varying weights. This is one of our older recipes and we are still working on adding gram weight measurements to the older ones.
I had trouble making this recipe due to the very high hydration rate and the very long mixing times. The end result was good, but not great and certainly not worth the time compared to other easier and shorter bread recipes I have made. After the 30 minutes of kneading the dough was still not pulling off the sides so I gave up and started to slowly add flour until it pulled off clean in the sides. That unfortunately took another 15 minutes. 45 minutes if kneading in the mixer is excessive. Interesting experiment but not an efficient use of time for the result.
How long do you let it cool? Just finished with 2 loves and not sure how long to wait till I can try it.
Great questions Jennifer! Sometimes we can’t wait to dig in and try it while it’s warm. Once it is cool to the touch you can cut into it. It also helps to place it on a cooling rack.
Hi, Natasha! I love this recipe! I make it almost every week!
I love it when it’s still warm and crispy.
I was wondering if it’s possible to freeze the dough before baking it, so I can bake it any time and have it fresh from the oven…
Thank you!!!
Hi Beatriz, I have not tested freezing the dough but you can freeze the finished product. My mom does that sometimes if the kids don’t come over and take all the bread home.
The first time I made this recipe the bread had excellent flavor but came out a little dry. The second time i checked the temperature and the breads were brown and 201 degrees My bread at 40 minutes at 360 degrees. This is a really good recipe.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the bread recipe!
This looks interesting and I would like to try it out. Can I use bread maker for this recipe by just throw everything in and let the machine do all the work?
Hi Eugene, I haven’t tried in a bread machine. It depends on the size of your bread maker, whether or not you will have to adjust the recipe proportions – if your bread maker is large enough, it might possibly work to do the full batch as one large loaf. With a bread maker, you will probably want to addd the yeast with the initial water and sugar and let it proof for 5-7 minutes before adding in all of the flour and switching it on. I just haven’t tested it myself.
I have made this bread a few times now with great success I will keep this recipe for ever,as I will enter my bread in our local show see how I go
Great to hear that, John! Love it. Thank you for your great review.
Would glass pans work as well as the one’s that you use? My husband has been begging me to make bread. Can’t wait to try out your recipe. Thanks so much!
Hi Tammy! I haven’t tried that is a glass pan, I imagine it should work! If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe
Hi, regarding using glass – I tried this recipe over the weekend and because I only have one proper bread pan, I had to use glass for one of the loaves. It worked perfectly! Both loaves were amazing. Also, I used sprouted rye flour. My family couldn’t get enough! I don’t have a Kitchen-aid, so kneaded it for 20 minutes…. very therapeutic. 🙃Easily the best bread I’ve ever made. Thank you for this recipe.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Laura! I’m so happy you enjoyed that!!
Hi, I can’t wait to try this recipe but i have a question. In the photos you show punching the dough down before removing from bowl and pinching to two pieces but the instructions don’t mention that.
Hi Sharon, you are right! I missed the punching the dough section – I added that to the photo and print-friendly instructions. Thank you so much for pointing that out!
Thank you very much for this recipe, I’ve added 1/2 cup of ground flax seeds instead of 1/2 cup of white flour & the bread turned out great!
You’re welcome Halyna! I’m glad you enjoy the recipe. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Natasha,
I would like to try this recipe but I don’t have rye flour and bread flour.
Can I use wheat flour instead?
Please advise what would be the quantity I need to use?
Hi Sneha, that is correct. We have that note in the recipe. If you don’t have rye you are definitely welcome to use wheat.
Natasha, thank you for the recipe! The bread turned out amazing! Did you try to bake it in a bread maker? If yes, how shall I adjust the recipe?
Hi Inna, I believe my Mom has made it in a bread maker but I’m not able to ask her right now since she is on vacation. It depends on the size of your bread maker, whether or not you will have to adjust the recipe proportions – if your bread maker is large enough, it might possibly work to do the full batch as one large loaf. With a bread maker, you will probably want to addd the yeast with the initial water and sugar and let it proof for 5-7 minutes before adding in all of the flour and switching it on. I just haven’t tested it myself.
Thank you! I will try to bake the whole batch and proof water, sugar, and yeast
You’re welcome Inna! 🙂
My father in law loves rye bread but dislikes sugar in his bread, so I made him these loaves without sugar. Tastes great, and there was no discernable difference in rising times, perfect!! Thank you for sharing this lovely recipe!
You’re welcome Ianna! I’m glad to hear you enjoy the recipe. Thanks for sharing your great review with other readers!
If I don’t have whole wheat flour, should I just replace that with regular flour (ya, I don’t even have bread flour), or should I add more rye flour?
Hi Ada, regular flour will work. You might enjoy some of our other bread recipes that just call for either all-purpose flour or bread flour and in most cases, those two flours can be interchanged in our bread recipes.
Just started this recipe and wondering what speed to use for the 20 minute dough-hook mixing? Usually, I’d just play it by ear, but if it’s running for 20 minutes, the speed will make a big difference!
Hi Jake, with a dough hook, you should not be exceeding speed 2 according to the Kitchenaid manufacturers instructions so I always mix on speed 2 when using a dough hook. I will include that detail in the recipe. Sorry for the late reply. We traveled all day yesterday.
A wonderful recipe – I came across it last Summer and have been making it ever since – it’s a favorite of mine. I especially love adding Carraway and onion to the dough. Thank you for sharing this!!
That’s great to hear Nica! I’m glad you enjoy the recipe so much! Thanks for sharing 😀
I too like adding caraway seeds. Sometimes, I also add fennel seeds. This week I felt like doing something very different. I chopped about 3 handfuls of walnuts and added them to the dough before adding the last half of the wheat flour to make sure that they get mixed in evenly before the dough gets too thick. I brushed the surface of the dough with oil so it wouldn’t dry out while rising. I did not put any oil in the dough, since the chopped nuts have their own oil.
Made this today. Turned out perfect. Crusty outside and fluffy inside. I milled my own rye flour. Very fresh.
Thank you for such nice review, I’m so happy to hear that you liked it 😄.
My husband and i are new to making our own bread. This looks so good and will be making it but how do you keep your bread fresh for a couple days?
Hi Lindsay, usually, I will keep it loosely wrapped in a plastic bag for a couple of days on the counter, and after that I store bread in the refrigerator since it lasts much longer in the fridge. It’s not super fresh after refrigeration though so my favorite way to eat refrigerated bread is sautéed in a small amount of butter. I freeze the second loaf right away if I’m not planning to eat it for awhile. I have found that if you freeze it fresh, it will taste fresh when you thaw it 🙂
I am trying to figure out how to use the recipe for imperial as I find cups very confusing , my attempts to convert have failed miserably, any help would be most helpful.
Eric
I am trying to use metric measurements with my current baking posts but I did not weight the flour for this one. Next time I make it, I will try to remember to include that. You’ve probably seen charts like this online, but for now, I would recommend searching for specific conversions on google.
I came across your bread recipe while searching for a rye bread to practice on for baking class! It was a long process but so worth it. Thank you for sharing. I would make this bread again. Great with some wild honey!
A baking class sounds so fun! I’m so happy you enjoyed the bread and thank you for the awesome review! 🙂
Hi Natasha. I came across your site just today and I immediately made your No Knead Artisan Bread. It was a success though mine is a bit flatter than yours. I will try to do it again. Now I see this Rye Whole Wheat Bread and I can’t can’t wait to try this. Your other recipes are wonderful too. And your Dessert Recipes….Oh my goodness! By the way, my husband and my youngest son loved the bread. God Bless you.
Thank you so much for your wonderful reviews! 🙂
Hi Natasha,
Thank you for this great recipe. Could I use only whole wheat and rye flour for this recipe? I also would like to incorporate whole grain rye to make it healthier. What do you think would be a good proportion for everything?
By the way, Thank you for creating this wonderful website with our Ukrainian cuisine for people to enjoy.
I haven’t tried those substitutions, so it’s really difficult to guess. Baking is such a science that it really needs experimentation in order to give you exact measurements. I think if you leave out the all-purpose flour, the bread probably would not be as soft. I wish I could be more helpful with your question. Thank you for your sweet comment comment 🙂
Thank you, Natasha! I will experiment 🙂
You are too sweet!
Hi Natasha! I want to bake this bread as one whole, just like the other one you have here on website. So what temperature and for how long would i bake it? Thank u!!
I haven’t tried making it as a single loaf outside of the pan so it would have to be an experiment. I imagine it is going to be about the same as the original recipe since it will be more spread out.
Hi Natasha,
I tried your “no knead artisan bread” two days back and it was a hit. Ofcourse that motivated me to try this wholesome bread as well…eventhough it’s a day process but the end result is superb! My son simply loved it. Thank you for sharing such great recipes!
Thank you Seema for the great review, I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe :).
Hi Natasha,
Have you tried the same recipe with milk? I was going to try it out but thought of checking with you if it worked well?!
I haven’t tried it yet, but if you do test it out, do let me know how it goes :). I’ve made bread with whey from making cheese but haven’t tried milk.
Hi Natasha,
I tried this recipe replacing water with milk and results were really good. I would say that taste wise it was a notch higher. But during the 40mins of kneading, the dough appeared dry compared to the original version. So I added extra milk during the kneading process…say 1/8-1/4 cup more. Next time I will note the amt I increase n let u know.
Natasha, no way will my husband eat wheat bread. I was wondering if I can omit the wheat and rye flour and increase the white flour. I have been looking for a light bread recipe so I am anxious to try this on.
This doesn’t taste like a traditional wheat bread. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised :). I haven’t tried any other combination with this bread. If you want a really easy white bread that is super soft and quick to put together, you might check out my no-knead bread: https://natashaskitchen.com/2012/02/26/no-knead-artisan-bread-recipe/
Have been making your Artesian Bread for several months and it is easy to make, has a wonderful texture and taste. Makes me look good every time I make it.
I love that! Thanks for sharing your great review!
Hi, can i substitute regular white flour for better for bread flour?
Thanks
Ina
Bread flour is typically better for breads since it has a higher level of gluten which creates a stronger rise, but it would work if aren’t able to get the bread flour.
I think my husband makes a similar bread. It took him some time to develop his own process and proportions. Usually it’s overnight. Great additions: dried cranberries and walnuts or pecans. Another option: chopped olives.
Regarding the freezing for those who asked: let the bread cool down on wire rack. Then slice it as thin as you like, put in zipper bag and freeze. This way it’s so easy to take out just as many slices as you need.
Thank you so much for sharing! 🙂
I used this recipe to make bread last night and I must say, it was quite good if I may say so myself. I did tweak a few things to my tastes, though. I replaced one whole cup of the bread flour with flaxseed meal, and I used olive instead of canola oil (I don’t mind its flavor at all). The resulting dough was probably a little wetter than usual, which prompted me to add about 1/4 cup of extra bread flour. The dough still stuck to the sides of the bowl after several incremental additions, so I stopped and continued. The bread turned out soft and fluffy, and roasted, it has a great crunchiness. I’m definitely bookmarking this recipe. Thank you!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it and thank you for sharing your modifications. I’ll have to try your version! 🙂
i will want to try this recipe but i never used the “better for bread flour” do you use specific brand..?
Alana, I use “Gold Medal” brand. Let me know if you have any additional questions :).
Hi Natasha. I wanna know what’s in better for bread flour? Wheat or white flour, or a combo? Also, I don’t have bread pans…. do I need to invest in one or can I use something else? Thanks so much!
The baking time will be different for different sized pans. A bread pan will help the bread rise as it should. I’m not exactly sure what the differences are with the better for bread flour. I think that the big thing is a difference in the amount of gluten in the flour?
I would love to make this bread but don’t have a kitchen aid mixer. Is it possible to do it by hand? What would I have to do different if I were to do it by hand? Can’t wait to try this bread. Thanks.
Yes you can do it by hand, you just need to incorporate the flour with a spatula at step 3 and then knead the dough by hand, until it’s smooth and elastic and just barely sticking to the walls of the bowl.
Hey Natasha! I absolutely love your website and all your amazing recipes…I have a question about the mixer you’re using to make the bread dough. Can you tell me what brand you use and where did you get it from? Thanks in advance:)
We use the KitchenAid professional 6 Qt capacity. It’s the workhorse of my kitchen and makes baking so much easier! 🙂 We purchased ours online
Love your website great recipe
Can I use a hand mixer i have the kitchen aid 9 speed which is very strong
I don’t own a stand mixer
It’s best to do it by hand unless you have a mixer with a dough hook or it will break your mixer.
Hi Natasha,
Love you’re recipes!
In the ingredients list you mention two amounts of bread flour but in the directions you mention all purpose flour. Which is the correct type of flour to be used.
Thank you
Hi Tiffany, I’m more than happy to troubleshoot. We have whole wheat and rye flour posted in this recipe, no all-purpose flour. Was this comment possibly intended for another recipe?
While you do not have all-purpose flour incl. in your list of ingredients, in Step 3 of the actual instructions you do refer to all-purpose flour. I take it from your previous response that this should read better for bread flour?
Just want to clarify before investing a whole day in making this recipe.
BTW, love your other recipes I have tried so far.
Hi Rea, I apologize I didn’t realize I had written that. It should read Better for bread flour – that step is where I am incorporating the Bread flour. There is no all-purpose flour in this recipe. Thank you so much for asking. I have updated the recipe.
Dear Natasha,
I am so glad that I found your website.
Let you know that everything I have been making turns sooooooo delicious.
Yesterday I made the Easter bread, but I already make whole wheat bread, the white one also. OMG my house smells sooooo wonderful!
Thank you so much to share w us your talent for cooking.
Keep doing, you do an amazing job!
You are on a roll!! It sounds like I need to post more breads just for you! Make sure you try the baked piroshki with cabbage or apples. I think you’d LOVE them too! 🙂
Great recipe!
I’ve made it a few times now and it’ll probably be the main bread I bake from now on. Since I don’t know where my stand mixer is, I just do it all by hand which is a little more of a pain but I still get good results.
I have changed it a little to suit my process, with the main thing being the sponge. So the night before I bake:
1) I mix the 3 flours with the same amount of water, sugar, only 1/4 teaspoon of yeast, and don’t add the salt and leave it to ferment til I wake up.
2) The next morning, I add the salt, 2 tsp of yeast, 1 tbs of oil and mix.
3) I get 2 cups of bread flour and mix in 1 tablespoon of vital wheat gluten then add it to the sponge. When it pulls away from the bowl, I dump it onto the counter and knead it for 10 mins or so, slowly incorporating the last 1/2 cup of flour. When the last of the flour is incorporated and it starts to become tacky again, I add 1/2 tbs of the oil and keep kneading and continue adding the oil until it’s used up.
4) Oil the bowl, let rise for 1 hour, deflate and shape into loaves in bread pan, let rise for 1 hour and 30 mins then bake for 35-40 mins (in my oven) at 360F.
The wheat gluten makes the bread light and super soft, so I definitely recommend people trying it with that addition.
Definitely a keeper 😀 Now I’ll have to go around and try some of your other recipes~
I’m do glad you love the bread 🙂 I love that you turned it into an overnight method! Thanks for sharing your process with me.
I made these two loaves of bread today and I can truly say that they came out perfect following the recipe exactly…..and delicious. This will be my go-to recipe for home baked bread. I have yet to be disappointed by any of your recipes. Many thanks!
Thank you Zina for such a great review! I’m so happy you’ve had success with all the recipes you have tried. I hope to continue to WOW you 😉
Спасибо огромное, Наташа, за рецепт хлеба. Я много перепробовала рецептов, но ваш самый лучший. Очень вкусный и нежный хлебушек. Вашей маме благодарность за такой рецепт.
Olga
You are very welcome Olga, I will let my mom know and thank you for a good report :).
This recipe is great with a couple teaspoons of caraway seed to give it that “rye-ish” taste during step 3. Thanks for posting up this recipe!
I’ll have to try that next time I make the bread, thank you for the tip :).
Hi Natasha!
I stumbled upon your blog a few days ago, completely by accident, and am I glad I did! I just love what I have seen so far, and there are a few recipes I really want to try (already). Also, you take the time to answer every comment, that is so nice of you.
I started whit this bread, and my dough was very wet. I don’t know if it’s supposed to be like that, so I resisted the urge to add more flour. Should I have? The only thing I did different was using unrefined sugar and olive oil. The texture of the bread is kind of like an english muffin bread. But it is really tasty, so I plan on making it again.
Thank you
Funny coincidence, my husband just got back from Kiev. He was there for two weeks.
The change in ingredients might have made a small difference. It should be much softer and fluffier than english muffins. Add a few more Tbsp of flour next time. If it’s still really sticking to the bowl, you should add 2-3 Tbsp more flour and that should do the trick! 🙂
Hi Natasha,
I was wondering if you had a black bread recipe. I am looking for a bread that looks like the black bread that is normally done in the village in Ukraine.
Thank you!
I’m actually looking for a great one myself. I’m always on the lookout for something and really need to get back into experimenting! If you find one first, please let me know! 😉
Thank you for the recipe. I never baked bread myself but I really want to give it a try.
How do you film the recipe and take the pics at the same time? Do you only do recipes you plan on posting while someone is home to take pictures for you or what? I find this part to be very difficult for me since I do recipes during the day when my husband is at work so I’m left with taking the pictures myself:( It’s really hard because my hands are dirty while cooking and I constantly have to wash them to take pictures. How do you do this?
I wash them to take pictures. lol. It takes forever. For video filming, my husband is always there to help, but I do most of the step-by-step photography myself. With a really complicated recipe, I do recruit my hubby to help 🙂 I usually don’t video and photograph the whole recipe. This was an exception.
Oh, OK. Thank you for sharing.
Hey Natasha, it love this recipe but I was wondering if I can use the leftover whey from tv org instead of water and if it will turn out the same? Thanks in advance 🙂
I haven’t tested it myself, but my mom uses whey from time to time and it turns out great if not better :).
Hi Natasha,
I’m trying out this recipe right now. The dough is rising in the pan as I type. However it’s been in there for over an hour now but the surface of the dough is still very bumpy. Will they smooth out after baking like the ones on your picture? I did do this with a hand mixer(with the dough hooks) and beat 20 minutes after adding the oil. But I guess my arms were weaker than the stand mixer and couldn’t maintain a perfect circular motion while fighting the gluten. So my dough didn’t quite reach the unstick to the walls stage. Could that have been the reason?
It can be a little lumpy and that’s ok. Let me know how it turns out.
Would it work with no oil I can’t use any oil because of health reason.
Would I need to add something instead of the oil?
Can you use any kind of oil or all all oils off limits?
Hi! I was wondering if I could substitute the sugar with honey?
I haven’t tried that, but I think it’s a good idea and it could work 🙂
Honey’s big house at our house so I incorporate it everywhere- I’ll let you know how it comes out!
Our goal for this year is to try to transition to honey more. How else have you been able to use honey in your cooking successfully?
I made the bread yesterday using 1/4 cup of honey instead of sugar and it came out amazing! Absolutely delicious!
I’ll admit that I’m a bit of a health nut. One of the things that scares me the most is reading an ingredient list and not being able to pronounce words. If I can’t pronounce it and don’t know where it came from, then no way am I buying it for my family!
So about honey- I use it everywhere. Literally. When a recipe calls for sugar–use honey instead. It’s simple. Sugar is a sweetener, not an active agent in the baking process. Meaning, if you forget to add it to cake batter the cake will still rise beautifully and look great, but will taste bland. In some of my favorite dessert recipes, like carrot cake and cinnamon buns, I use honey and apple sauce to add sweetness and softness to the dough. I have great recipes if you want to try them 🙂 One of my weaknesses is coffee, although full of antioxidants and other goodness, it’s healthy in moderation which most people, like me of course, lack because it’s just so good 😉 Anyways, the only time I will use sugar, that is “Stevia sugar”, is in my coffee. Stevia is a plant known for its sweet leaves that produce a highly concentrated type of sugar. Therefore, you only use a little bit and don’t feel as bad. Another note about honey–if you’re going to switch over completely to honey, do it right away. It’s so much healthier, especially for kids! Also, use local honey. I’ve read so much about the positive effects of using honey from bees that pollinate locally. Your body will be more receptive to it since its already breathing and absorbing from you area. Depending on the time of year the honey can be light or dark in color but always thick in texture. If it’s too runny, your seller might have diluted the honey with water… watch out for that! Talking about the benefits of organic and healthy options is my passion- feel free to ask about anything anytime 🙂
Please please please send me recipes. I love to try out tried-and-true recipes from my readers. I was actually saying to my hubby that I want to switch over to honey as much as possible. It’s been around forever and it’s a much healthier option. We are going to buy two large jugs of honey locally this week and will start working with it more. Any other healthy/organic recipes you’d like to share with me, I’d love to try them. My email: Natashaskitchen@yahoo.com
I am wanting to try this recipe. I dont have rye flour and you mentioned wheat can be used instead. Do I use the same amount of wheat as I would have the rye to substitute.
Yes, substitute the same amount 🙂
Hi Natasha,
Just wanted to let you know this recipe is in constant rotation at our house. I bake it as a single artisan loaf in a preheated Dutch oven and it comes out with a fabulous crust. Today I’m going to try it as batard loaves on a perforated pan. Excellent bread! What culinary school did your mom go to?
🙂
Thanks for sharing that with me 🙂 I haven’t tried it in a dutch oven but now I really want to! I’m not sure which school she went to. I know it was in the Seattle area. I’ll have to ask her.
Hi Natasha!
I want to tell you how much I enjoy your blog. I am an American who married a Ukrainian. I try to get recipes from my mother-in-law and other Russians to make my husband dishes he grew up with but they don’t always want to share their recipes. I have found so many recipes on your blog that make my husband so happy! Thank you!
I was wondering what you put the bread in to freeze it: ziploc, plastic container, plastic wrap, etc.?
You can freeze it. My mom does that sometimes if the kids don’t come over and take all the bread home 🙂
Hi Natasha,
I’ve tried this recipe twice, step by step, and all goes good until I make out the loaves into the bread pans. The dough doesn’t rise there! It rises very well during the 3 hours and after I add all the flour so I know my yeast is still active and good. Then in the bread pans it rises maybe 1/2 times and thats all. And it doesn’t rise on the oven either. What can this be??
How long are you letting them rise in the bread pans? Try putting them in a warm place, but no more than 100°F. I hope that helps :).
Hey, I used King Arthur’s Whole Wheat, King Arthur’s Bread flour and some other brand for rye. Could the brands be the reason why the dough is wet even after 40 mins. of mixing?
It could be but the difference should minimal; try adding a few extra tbsp flour.
Natasha, I’ve made this bread twice and it is delicious. However, for some unknown reason my dough never “unsticks” from the mixer stand after the second 20 minutes of mixing. I’ve even turned up the speed in hope that it would stop sticking but it didn’t. I surely followed all of the steps correctly and wondering why does my bread still stick after 25 minutes of mixing? Did this ever happen to you when you made this bread?
Are you using the same kind of flour? You might add an extra 1 or 2 Tbsp of flour.
Last question – if I double the recipe at once, would I need to mix the dough longer? For example, originally you would mix 20 minutes then another 20. Would I mix 40 then another 40? Or doubling the recipe doesn’t have an impact on the time it takes the mix the bread?
It should take the same amount of time to mix if you double it. You do need a pretty large mixing bowl or you might have to do it in 2 batches.
I wonder if I could double the recipe at once and get 4 loaves? (My husband is the bread eater in the family – can easily go through 1/2 loaf in 1 day lol). I only have two bread pans and wonder how I could shape the rest two loaves so they would turn out nice like the other bread? Would I also bake the 4 loaves at the same time? Thanks in advance!
You can also form them into loaves and just bake them right on a non-stick baking sheet. My Mom triples the recipe (but she has 6 professional loaf pans!)
Oh sweet! Thanks so much!;)
Would this work in a bread machine? I just don’t have bread pans and would need to go buy some. Lol
I haven’t tried in a bread machine. But the beauty of this recipe is that you do not need bread molds. You can just bake it directly on a nonstick baking sheet. Just make two loaves and form them into logs then let them rise and bake without the molds.
Just had a piece (hmmm, actually 2 pieces) of this bread. Turned out very good. Easy to make (just takes some time and no work) and delicious!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it 🙂 Thanks for reporting back! 🙂
I’m really looking forward to trying out this recipe. Homemade bread is amazing. Great video, as always. I especially admire how relaxed and approachable you are.
Awww thanks Olga, that means alot to me. I’m still finding my “voice” in video, but I think it’s getting a little better each time. 🙂
I love your video presentations. They make me wanna try the recipe every time. Thanks!!!!!!
Thank you; you’re so sweet. I’m still trying to find my “voice” in video, but it’s getting better and easier with each one 🙂
For the person asking about using all whole-wheat… Whenever I use all whole-wheat for bread, I always add a teaspoon or two of gluten to it. I buy it from King Arthur Flour, but I’m sure you can find it elsewhere. It makes it rise up real nice! 🙂
Oh I’ve never thought about doing that before. That’s brilliant! Thank you!
Natasha, do you think I can use instant yeast instead of active dry? And how much of instant yeast should I use?
Honestly I haven’t tested it with instant yeast so I can’t give you an answer for that. I don’t usually work with that ingredient. Sorry that’s not very helpful…
Thanks for sharing!! Would this bread work well for your Kvas recipe or does it need to be a stronger rye flavor?
it needs to be stronger and darker, so this won’t work.
What a lovely presentation! You are definitely a natural and you have a beautiful son! 🙂 Okay, I have a question about flour. I started buying King Arthur bread flour lately in place of Better for Bread Flour. Do you know if I could use those flours interchangeably or not? Do those flours both have high gluten or one out beats the other? Thanks in advance. Will be making some bread soon when my Spring semester will be over! I can’t wait to finally breathe and start cooking/baking! 🙂
Thank you 🙂 I’m all to familiar with hoping for school to end soon so I’m very happy for you! 🙂 I’m not sure how the gluten content compares but the king arthur bread flour should work just fine for this bread.
By the name of the post, I was hoping it would be all whole wheat!! Do you think it would turn out good if I used whole wheat flour for the better for bread flour?
I haven’t tried that so I can’t recommend it without testing it. It would be a darker bread, but I’m not sure if it would be as soft as using the bread flour. I just consulted with my mom and she agreed that the wheat flour is heavier and doesn’t have as much gluten in it so it wouldn’t be as soft, but again, I haven’t tested it.
Whole wheat bread wouldn’t rise as much also. To keep similar consistency you can replace 1/3 of the white flour with whole wheat. I often do that with no knead bread. Also add seeds to it.
Natasha, I am looking for a good Russian bread, something like this. My moms makes bread every week but I want something new so I want to try your recipe.
Can you explain the 3 hours of sitting, is it necessary to mix? I wonder if you leave overnight if the results would be the same? Maybe your mom has tried this?
I just called her to ask and she hasn’t tried it overnight, but she thought it might work. Neither of us have tested it, but it looks like we should! Obviously you won’t be waking up to mix it at night, but I really think it sounds like a good experiment. I might have to try that tonight. 🙂 Thanks for the idea! If you beat me to it, let me know how it worked out .
I was just wondering if there was a specific reason why you would mix it. I like the recipe I use, with overnight process. Its easy to just wake up and finish it up.
I might try this tonight
Let me know how it goes. I’m not sure about the chemistry behind it, but I think it helps the yeast to activate and work better. Maybe someone else could explain this better?
So, I made the bread. It turned out good. I let the dough sit overnight.
Also when I was baking bread, I added baking sheet with water on a lover tray for 20 minutes. It helps the dough rise higher.
So, I made the bread. It turned out good. I let the dough sit overnight.
Also when I was baking bread, I added baking sheet with water on a lower tray for 20 minutes. It helps the dough rise higher.
Thank you for letting me know!! I will definitely try the overnight method! 🙂
When you leave yeasted dough overnight it ferments, yielding a certain aroma that’s produced through fermentation. It is also recommended to put lesser amount of yeast if you leave it overnight, because you do not want the dough to rise so high that it gets deflated on it’s own, because when this happens the yeast deactivates not producing as high of a rise when baking and giving off a ‘sour’ smell when baked.
Good to know! Thanks Marina! 🙂
I’ve been wanting to try another bread. Maybe I’ve found my Saturday project!? Thanks!
let me know how it turns out Amanda :).
Fresh homemade bread is the best. Delish!!!
I can’t agree more Inessa :).
so, can I safely assume that ‘better for bread’ is bread flour??
Yes. 🙂