Pasta, noodles & bread · Breads & wraps

Rye bread

Dense, dark, often sourdough bread made with rye flour; tangy and moist, thinly sliced in Northern Europe.

Also called: dark rye bread, rugbrød, pumpernickel-style bread, black bread

Around the world: rugbrød (da) · Roggenbrot (de) · chorny khleb (ru)

A kind of bread

What it is

Rye bread ranges from light rye (mostly wheat) to heavy, almost black wholegrain loaves such as Danish rugbrød and German pumpernickel-style bread, often studded with whole kernels and seeds. Because rye forms little gluten, these breads are dense, moist and usually soured with a starter. Many rye breads still contain wheat flour.

How it’s used

Smørrebrød open sandwiches
With smoked fish, cured meats and cheese
Reuben sandwiches (light rye)
Rye bread crumbs and kvass

Characteristics

Taste: Sour, earthy, malty; sometimes sweet with molasses or caraway.
Texture: Dense, moist, close crumb.
Sold as: fresh
Cooking uses: Usually eaten raw
Common in: Danish, German, Scandinavian, Finnish, Russian, Polish, Lithuanian, Latvian