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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.
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. 🙂