Danish Rye Bread (Sourdough)

ByNatalya Syanova
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In the heart of Danish culinary tradition lies a beloved classic: Danish rye bread. Crafted with care and steeped in history, this dense, hearty bread is a testament to the artistry of sourdough baking. Unlike its fluffy counterparts, Danish rye bread boasts a robust flavor profile and a dense, chewy texture that pairs perfectly with a variety of toppings.

The ingredients list for authentic Danish rye bread is refreshingly minimal, typically consisting of rye flour, water, salt, and perhaps a touch of honey or malt syrup for sweetness. Some recipes may also incorporate additional grains or seeds for added texture and nutrition.

I found the original recipe on the True North kitchen website. I’m posting it here after making a few adjustments.

Ingredients 

Night Before:

Levain

Soaker

Main dough 

Directions 

Day 1

Starter

  • 10 pm add starter to the water and whisk together, add flour, mix well, cover loosely, let it sit at room temperature 74-78F until in about 8-10 hours starter reaches its peak (doubles or triples in volume). You can learn how to make starter from scratch here.

Soaker

  • 10 pm add water to the seeds and rye chops ( or cereal mix) and whisk together, cover, leave to soak overnight in the fridge.

Day 2

Main Dough

  • 10 am in a bowl of mixer combine all ingredients for the main dough.
  • Using paddle attachment start mixing on low speed for 2-3 minutes.
  • Increase the speed to medium and continue mixing for 5-7 min. Do stops and scrape the sides of the bowl.
  • Make sure the dough doesn’t get overheated.

  • Prepare the loaf pan by spraying it with cooking oil and generously sprinkling it with rye flour. The amount of the dough is enough to fill 1 Pullman loaf pan 13×4 inch (or I divided all the ingredients by two and filled 2 small cube loaf pans)
  • Scoop the dough from mixing bowl and transfer it to a loaf pan. Use wet spoon to make the top surface is even.
  • Generously sprinkle the top of the dough with rye flour, and close the lid.
  • Proof at 82-86F for 2-3 hours until dough will reach 1/2 inches from the top.
  • Preheat the oven to 500F. Bake the bread for 15 min, lower temperature to 400F, bake covered for 15 min, then open the lid( make sure to use oven mitts). Lower temperature to 325F and continue baking for 45 min.

  • Remove bread from the oven, remove it from the loaf pan, let cool down completely. Wrap it up in plastic wrap or foil, let it rest until next morning ( this will let the crumb to stabilize and improve the flavor)

One of the things that makes Danish rye bread so special is its incredible keeping quality. Thanks to the natural fermentation of the sourdough starter and the high percentage of whole grain rye, the bread stays moist and flavorful for days after baking. In Denmark, it’s commonly sliced thin and topped with everything from butter and cheese to smoked fish, eggs, fresh herbs, and pickled vegetables. Its deep, earthy flavor makes it equally suitable for both savory and slightly sweet pairings. While it may look humble at first glance, this traditional loaf carries generations of baking heritage and delivers a wonderfully satisfying experience with every slice.

Enjoy!

Danish Rye Bread

Danish Rye Bread (Rugbrød)

4659kcal
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Prep 30 minutes
Cook 1 hour 15 minutes
Rise Time 12 hours
Total 13 hours 45 minutes
A dense, deeply flavorful, and incredibly hearty cornerstone of Scandinavian culinary tradition. This authentic sourdough rye is packed with a mix of pumpkin, sunflower, and flax seeds softened via an overnight soaking process. It features a robust, complex crumb structure that serves as the perfect foundation for traditional Danish open-faced sandwiches (Smørrebrød).
Cuisine Scandinavian

Ingredients

Rye Levain (Night Before – 10:00 PM)
  • 300 g Rye Flour
  • 100 g Bread Flour
  • 350 g Water
  • 40 g Ripe sourdough starter (at its peak)
Seed Soaker (Night Before – 10:00 PM)
The Main Dough (Day 2 – 10:00 AM)
  • All of the Rye Levain (from overnight build)
  • All of the Seed Soaker (from overnight build)
  • 200 g Rye Flour
  • 130 g Bread Flour
  • 180 g Water
  • 18 g Salt
  • 2 tbsp Molasses

Equipment

  • 13×4 inch Pullman Loaf Pan (or two small cube loaf pans)
  • Stand Mixer (with paddle attachment)
  • Kitchen Scale
  • Plastic Wrap or foil
  • Large Mixing Bowl (if mixing by hand)

Method

Day 1 – Night Before Preparation
  1. Levain Build: At 10:00 PM, dissolve your active sourdough starter into the water in a bowl. Whisk in the rye and bread flours. Cover loosely and let sit at room temperature (74–78°F / 23–26°C) for 8–10 hours until it reaches its peak volume.
  2. Seed Soaker: At 10:00 PM, mix the rye chops (or cereal mix), sunflower, pumpkin, and flax seeds with the water in a container. Cover tightly and leave to hydrate overnight in the refrigerator.
Day 2 – Mixing & Pan Proofing
  1. The Mix: At 10:00 AM, transfer all of the overnight levain and the seed soaker into a stand mixer bowl along with the remaining rye flour, bread flour, water, salt, and molasses.
  2. Knead: Fit the mixer with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed for 2–3 minutes to incorporate. Increase to medium speed and continue mixing for 5–7 minutes. Stop occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Ensure the motor doesn’t overheat the sticky dough.
  3. Pan Fill: Spray a 13×4 inch Pullman pan with cooking oil and dust it generously with extra rye flour. Scoop the sticky dough from the bowl into the pan. Dip a large spoon in water and smooth out the top surface until flat.
  4. Final Proof: Dust the top of the flattened dough generously with rye flour and slide the Pullman lid completely closed. Let proof in a warm spot (82–86°F / 28–30°C) for 2–3 hours until the expanding dough climbs to within 1/2 inch of the top rim.
Day 2 – Staged Baking & Curing
  1. Preheat: Preheat your oven to 500°F (260°C).
  2. Bake Phase 1: Slide the closed Pullman pan into the oven and bake at 500°F for exactly 15 minutes.
  3. Bake Phase 2: Drop the oven temperature to 400°F (204°C) and continue baking with the lid on for 15 more minutes.
  4. Bake Phase 3: Wearing thick oven mitts, carefully slide the Pullman lid off the pan. Drop the temperature down to 325°F (163°C) and bake uncovered for a final 45 minutes.
  5. The Curing Rest: Remove the bread from the oven and carefully tip it out of the hot metal pan. Let it cool completely on a wire rack. Once fully cold, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or foil and let it rest untouched until the following morning. Slicing it early will result in a gummy interior.

Nutrition

Calories4659kcalCarbohydrates635gProtein175gFat177gSaturated Fat22gPolyunsaturated Fat85gMonounsaturated Fat53gTrans Fat0.1gCholesterol27mgSodium1379mgPotassium5487mgFiber103gSugar43gVitamin A117IUVitamin C6mgCalcium635mgIron40mg

Notes

  • Missing Rye Chops or 7-Grain Cereal: If rye chops or multigrain hot cereals are unavailable in your local market, you can replace them with an equal weight of rolled oats or quinoa flakes in the overnight seed soaker. They will hydrate beautifully and mimic the intended textural bite.
  • Mixing Without a Stand Mixer: This dense rye dough does not require traditional gluten development through slapping or stretching. If you do not own a stand mixer, you can complete the main mix entirely by hand. Use an extra-large mixing bowl and a sturdy wooden spoon or your hands to thoroughly incorporate the sticky ingredients together.
  • The Essential Overnight Rest: Traditional high-percentage rye breads hold a significant amount of moisture. Slicing into the loaf right after baking will destroy the internal structure and leave you with a sticky, fragile crumb. Wrapping the cooled loaf in plastic wrap and waiting 12 to 24 hours allows the starches to set perfectly, resulting in clean, non-crumbly slices.
  • Sweetener Alternatives: If you find the flavor of dark molasses too intense, you can easily substitute it with an equal amount of pure honey or maple syrup. This will provide the necessary sugar to feed the sourdough culture while introducing a lighter, milder sweetness.
  • Using White Sourdough Starter: If your master sourdough starter is maintained strictly on white bread flour, you can still use it here. The 40g of white starter will easily kickstart the overnight rye levain without throwing off the final, authentic dark rye flavor profile.

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24 Comments

  1. Buen dia Natalia soy un señor jubilado de argentina , y tengo como pasatiempo realizar los panes que comemos con mi esposa en casa y realmente el centeno me cuesta bastante que quede bien , voy a probar con tu receta , muchas gracias por ayudarnos a todos los que te seguimos a poder mejorar en nuestro intento de manejar los panes y sus tecnicas .
    un saludo y gracias

    Reply

    1. Querido Ricardo, gracias por tus amables palabras.
      Este pan de centeno es muy fácil de hacer. Por favor, déjame saber si tienes alguna pregunta.

      Reply

  2. I like the fact that this recipe has less wheat flour than the one I have been using for years.
    I will be trying this out and thank you from one who grew up eating this bread – exclusively.
    Inga

    Reply

    1. Thank you, Inga! We’re so glad to hear that you’re excited to try out this recipe. We hope it brings back all the nostalgic flavors of the bread you grew up eating. Enjoy baking!

      Reply

  3. Hi natasha! The recipe looks delicious! I don’t have rye chops or 7 grain hot cereal available to me where I live.. what can I replace in their place instead?

    Reply

    1. Hi there! Thank you for your comment. If you don’t have rye chops or 7 grain hot cereal available, you can try substituting them with rolled oats or quinoa flakes. These alternatives should work well in the recipe and still provide a similar texture and flavor. Happy cooking!

      Reply

    1. Thank you for your kind words! We’re glad you like the recipe. Let us know how it turns out when you make it. Happy baking!

      Reply

  5. Hi Natasha. This bread looks amazing and easy to make. I love rye bread. Can you please write measurements in cups, not in grams? Thank you for your recipe!

    Reply

  7. Hello Natalya!
    Can I use instant yeast for this recipe! If yes whats the replacement, how many grams and the fermentation duration

    Reply

    1. Hi!
      It will be completely different recipe with yeast. But you can try 1% of instant yeast from total amount of flour in the recipe, and then watch out for fermentation. It will go faster.

      Reply

  10. Hi Natasha,
    I don’t have a stand mixer, can I mix the main dough by hand?
    Also, just wanted to confirm – the total baking time is 1hr and 15min?
    Thank you! Looking forward to making this recipe!

    Reply

  12. Hi Natasha , I baked this bread, and I love the flavour 😍 the dough raised well and rich to the top of the pan but I didn’t get the little holes which shows in your bread,, and the slices of bread are so breakable, is it normal?

    Reply

  13. Hiii
    Looks great, i want to try it but i dont jave standing mixer, can i do it without the mixer?

    Reply

    1. I did it without a stand mixer and it turned out great! just use a really really big bowl and don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty 🙂

      Reply

    1. I did it by hand and used a really big bowl and mixed everything with a large spoon, it worked well and the bread turned out perfect!

      Reply

      1. Tnak you, I love your work, it’s beautifull.
        I have one more question, i have been tought to do bread with a sourdough ratio of 1.2.2, yours is different, it’s sometimes 25 grams of sourdough and 100 grams of flour and same for water, and rye flour. Why? what is the difference in the resulting bread?

      2. I’m not the owner of this blog, just another home baker 🙂 but from my own personal experience, the sourdough starter ratio is really not that important, as long as you are using enough flour/water to feed the starter, that’s all that matters. I made this recipe not following the exact measurements of the starter listed here, and the bread still baked beautifully. But I’m not a professional baker, so not sure what difference it would achieve.

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