Easy Marbled Rye Bread Recipe Simple, One Day Rye Bread

This week for the Great British Bake Off Bakealong it was time to bake a rye bread. I have made rye before so this was nothing new to me. We also had to make an open faced sandwich, a Smørrebrød by it’s Danish name. I decided I wanted to try something different so I found a recipe for an easy marbled rye in The Bread Baker’s Apprentice. I played with how to “marble” it and did it two ways; one was a 6 strand braid and the other a classic roll.

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Easy Marbled Rye Bread

Makes 4 loaves

For the Light Rye

1 1/2 cups white rye flour
3 cups bread flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 3/4 tsp instant yeast
1 TBS molasses
2 TBS shortening
1 1/4 cups plus 2 TBS warm water

For the Dark Rye

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1 1/2 cups white rye flour
3 cups bread flour
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 3/4 tsp instant yeast
1 TBS cocoa powder
1 TBS molasses
2 TBS shortening
1 1/4 cups plus 2 TBS warm water

egg wash made with one egg and a splash of water

Make the Light Rye:

Add the flours, salt and yeast to the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attached
Stir to mix
Add the molasses, shortening and 1 1/4 cups of water. Mix on low until the dough forms a ball. Add the additional 2 TBS of water only if needed. The dough should be tacky but not sticky.
Remove the paddle and add the dough hook and knead for 4 minutes.
Form the dough into a ball and place into a greased bowl and cover and let rise for 90 minutes

Make the Dark Rye

Add the flours, salt, yeast and cocoa powder to the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attached.
Mix well
Add the molasses, shortening and 1 1/4 cups of water. Mix on low until the dough forms a ball. Add the additional 2 TBS of water only if needed. The dough should be tacky but not sticky.
Remove the paddle and add the dough hook and knead for 4 minutes.

Form the dough into a ball and place into a greased bowl and cover and let rise for 90 minutes

Shape the Loaves

Turn the dough balls out and cut into 12 pieces each.

To make a classic marbled rye roll out two dark and two light into 8 x 10″ rectangles

Stack them light/dark/light/dark and roll up jelly roll style and seal the edges.
Place into a greased loaf pan. Set aside to rise
To make a braided loaf take three light and three dark pieces and roll into strips.

Line them up one light, one dark, etc. Braid.

Place in greased loaf pan to rise.
Repeat with remaining pieces.
Let rise, covered for 90 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350°
Brush loaves with egg wash and bake in preheated oven for approx. 45 minutes until loaves sound hollow when tapped.
Remove immediately from pan to cool on a wire rack.
Do not cut until completely cooled.

How Was the Marbled Rye Bread?

This is a simple, uncomplicated rye without a starter so it’s not a strong flavored bread. It does have a taste of rye but it’s not like a classic Jewish rye. I also despise caraway so I don’t ever use it. It can be added it you like it.

It does make for a very pretty loaf of bread and for making a rye bread this is a very simple way of getting there.

Open Faced Reuben from Marbled Rye Bread

Part of the challenge this week was to present an open faced sandwich so I figured a Reuben would be perfect. I had a lot of canned homemade sauerkraut so it was a perfect choice.

A slice of the rye, Russian dressing (mayo, ketchup and relish), the sauerkraut topped with corned beef and swiss cheese. I decided to get fancy and made one in a woven style and one in alternating meat and cheese. I topped both with a little more dressing and they were good to go.