Marbled Rye Bread

For this rye bread recipe, roll together a dark rye dough and a light rye dough to make a marbled rye bread – perfect for sandwiches like a Reuben! In this tutorial, I will walk you through making both doughs, shaping them together, and baking the loaves.

Overview

• Skill Level: Intermediate
• Technique Used: Straight Dough Method

Let’s talk about rye bread! I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to add a homemade rye bread to my website. Bread made from rye flour has a rich, nutty, and deeply earthy flavor.

It’s a unique alternative to whole wheat bread and makes the most delicious sandwiches. Have you tried a Reuben sandwich? A Reuben is the standard fare for St. Patrick’s Day.

This rye bread recipe is made by rolling together a light rye dough and a dark rye dough to make a beautiful swirled marbled loaf. If you are familiar with making yeast doughs, you’ll find making the doughs quite simple. It’s the shaping of the two doughs together that takes a bit of practice.

I’m here to walk you through it with detailed instruction and photos.

Why you should make this rye bread recipe

• The swirl! The incredible swirl of this marbled rye bread is so impressive and beautiful.
• The flavor is incredibly unique. Bread made with rye flour is earthy, deep, and nutty.
• There’s no better bread for sandwiches. The Reuben sandwich is a classic for a reason!
• In this article, I will show you how to make it with step-by-step instructions and photos.

How to make marbled rye bread

The process of making this rye bread recipe utilizes the straight dough method. In this method, the mixing of ingredients is done in only one step.

Here are the basic steps in making a marbled rye bread:

1. Make the light rye dough
2. Make the dark rye dough
3. Shape and roll the doughs together
4. Bake

Make the light rye dough

An optional step of making a yeast dough is to first activate the dried yeast separately. This step is called “proofing” the yeast. It’s a good way to test your yeast to make sure that it’s active before using. If you do not see any bubbles or activity then either your yeast is dead or your liquid is too hot.

Warm the water to about 110-115°F/43-46°C. Add the yeast and a pinch of sugar to the warmed water and stir to combine. Let sit for 5-10 minutes until you see some bubbles and foaming. 

Meanwhile, combine the rest of the dough ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl. This includes the bread flour, rye flour, salt, sugar, caraway seeds, oil, and molasses.

After the yeast has been activated, pour it into the bowl and combine using a large spatula, wooden spoon, or clean hands. This is a very sticky dough.

Knead the dough

The dough can then be kneaded by hand or in a stand mixer with the dough hook. If kneading by hand, let it sit out at room temperature for about 10 minutes before kneading. This will make it easier to work with. If kneading with a stand mixer, no need to let it sit.

Knead for about 5-7 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. Add more flour as needed while kneading the dough. When the dough is finished being kneaded it will still be slightly sticky to the touch, but should feel smooth and elastic and stand tall when rounded into a ball.

Bulk ferment the dough

Move the kneaded dough to a lightly oiled bowl, turn to coat, and cover with a piece of plastic wrap, a damp cloth, or a shower cap (my preference) to bulk ferment until doubled in size about 45 minutes.

Make the dark rye dough

Repeat the same steps to make the dark rye dough. The only difference from the light rye dough is the addition of cocoa powder in the dark rye dough. The cocoa powder is only used to darken the color. Since it’s such a small amount, it does not give the bread a chocolate-y flavor.

Place the kneaded dough ball into a bowl to bulk ferment for about 45 minutes.

Shape the doughs together

After bulk fermenting both doughs, gently pour them out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide each dough into 4 equal pieces. Pat each piece roughly into a 9 x 5 inch (22 x 12 cm) rectangle. Try not to use too much flour or the dough will not stick to the other pieces, resulting in separated layers of your marbled loaf. You should have 8 total pieces of dough.

For each marbled loaf of bread, you will use 4 pieces of dough (2 light rye and 2 dark rye). Place 1 piece of dark rye down, followed by 1 piece of light rye on top, 1 more piece of dark rye, and followed with 1 more piece of light rye on top.

Starting with shorter side, roll the stacked dough into a log pinching the ends to seal.

Place the dough into a lightly oiled 9 x 5 inch (22 x 12 cm) loaf pan and press down to evenly distribute the dough. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough and place in a 2nd loaf pan.

Proof and bake

Cover the loaves loosely with plastic wrap and let proof at room temperature until puffy and about double in size. This should take about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Bake for 40-45 minutes until golden brown. The center of the loaves should read 190-200°F/88-93°C when fully baked. Let cool on wire racks for at least 1 hour before slicing with a serrated knife.

Storage

Store cooled bread in a plastic bag at room temperature for 4 days. Alternatively, you can slice the loaves and place them in the freezer in a freezer bag. Toast to refresh. Refrigerating bread will cause it to stale more quickly.

FAQ

Is rye flour the same as regular flour?

Rye flour and whole wheat flour (the most common type of flour that you are used to baking with) are different types of grains. Rye flour is milled from rye berries or rye grains while wheat flour is milled from whole wheat. It also contains less gluten than wheat flour. Although it’s more minimal it’s important to note that rye flour does still contain gluten.

While regular white flour is neutral in flavor, rye flour has a very distinctive flavor. It gives off an earthy, deep, and very nutty feel.

Checkout King Arthur’s guide to all the different types of rye flour.

Can I leave out the caraway seeds?

Caraway seeds are a hot topic for some. Most people either love the flavor or despise it. If you’re one of the few who don’t enjoy the licorice flavor of caraway seeds, you can leave them out of this recipe.

What is the best way to eat rye bread?

Sliced rye bread is amazing toasted up with a slather of butter and jam. It also makes the most perfect sandwich bread. The classic sandwich, the Reuben, includes corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, and Russian dressing – all served on sliced marbled rye bread. If you haven’t tried it, please do!

Another great way to use up rye bread is to make homemade croutons. Slice the bread into small cubes and place on a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and salt and bake for about 15 minutes in a 350°F/ 175°C oven.

MORE RECIPES FROM BAKER BETTIE!

If you enjoyed this rye bread recipe, you might like to try these other delicious recipes perfect for St. Patrick’s Day!

• Irish Soda Bread
• Irish Cream Chocolate Cupcakes
• How to Make Scones

You might also like to explore other types of sandwich bread recipes!

• Country White Sandwich Bread
• Soft & Fluffy Seeded Sandwich Bread
• Honey Whole Wheat Bread