Crusty Rustic Old World Onion Rye Bread with Dill

This Onion Rye Bread with Dill is one of the easiest homemade yeast bread recipes I’ve ever made. Since the loaves are rustic, there is no need for any fussy shaping.

I made this onion rye bread to bring to my mom’s house this past weekend because we were cooking a German feast of pork, sauerkraut, knoldes (German boiled dumplings), and my great-grandmother’s quick and easy Fence Cake.

I love a good hearty rye bread that has a lot of body and flavor. This rustic onion rye bread with dill ticks all those boxes, and then some. If you’re a novice at making homemade yeast bread, this recipe is a good one to cut your teeth on (no pun intended). LOL

The ingredient list for making homemade onion rye bread is short and sweet. You’ll need 2 packages of active dry yeast, warm water, molasses,  bread flour, rye flour, salt, olive oil, cocoa powder, caraway seeds, dehydrated minced onion and dill weed. Please find the complete printable recipe below.

Rustic Onion Rye Bread with Dill is an excellent slicing bread which makes it perfect for sandwiches since the crumb is fairly dense and tight. The crust is crisp and chewy, and the interior isn’t at all dry which may be a surprise when you think of a hearty rye bread. Toast this bread in the morning served along with a poached egg and you’ll have a healthy breakfast that will sustain you all through your busy morning.

Another thing you’ll love about this recipe for Rustic Old World Onion Rye Bread with Dill is that it makes two good size loaves of bread. This way you can either feed a crowd, make a whole bunch of sandwiches, or have one loaf now and freeze another loaf for later. Whatever you decide to do, just make sure to try this recipe at home. If you like rye bread, you’ll be glad you did!

From start to finish this bread will take approximately 4 hours to make but will only take roughly 30 minutes of hands-on time. The rest of the work will be done by the yeast and a warm, draft-free place. I also used a stand mixer to knead my dough. However, if you don’t have a stand mixer, you needn’t worry. You can still make this recipe by using good old-fashioned manual kneading power, and you’ll also get the benefits of a good cardio workout.

If you’re ready to start, let’s begin making Crusty Rustic Old World Onion Rye Bread with Dill;

Dissolve the active dry yeast in the warm water (to the touch, not hot), and molasses. Allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes to get foamy. *Note – if your mixture does not get foamy, the yeast is dead and your bread won’t rise. 

Transfer the yeast mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer, or a large bowl. Add the caraway seeds, cocoa powder…

…salt, and olive oil. Whisk together.

Add the rye flour to the mixture and stir with a wooden spoon to incorporate. Add the bowl to the stand mixer and add the bread flour, in 1 cup increments, using the dough hook to knead after each addition. *Note – If not using a stand mixer, stir in as much flour as you can with the wooden spoon and then switch to using hands to completely incorporate the bread flour.

Knead the dough for 7-10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place the kneaded dough in an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rise until doubled (approximately 90 minutes) in a warm, draft-free place.

Turn the risen dough out onto a counter and divide evenly in half. Sprinkle a light dusting of cornmeal on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (optional). Shape each loaf into an oval and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Return the dough to a warm, draft-free place to rise again to doubled (approximately 60 minutes).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake the bread for 50 – 60 minutes, or until the loaves sound hollow when tapped. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

If freezing, wrap the unsliced bread well in plastic wrap, and aluminum foil, and freeze for up to 2 months. If storing, wrap the loaves loosely in plastic wrap or foil and store at room temperature for 3 days. The onion rye bread with dill is the perfect bread for making Rueben sandwiches, or it will take your ham and cheese to a whole new level! Oh boy! Now I’m hungry for a sandwich!  🙂

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Crusty Rustic Old World Onion Rye Bread with Dill

Prep Time

4 hrs

Cook Time

1 hr

Total Time

5 hrs

 

This Onion Rye Bread with Dill is one of the easiest homemade yeast bread recipes I've ever made. Since the loaves are rustic, there is no need for any fussy shaping.

Course: Yeast Bread

Cuisine: European

Servings: 2 loaves

Author: Renée - Kudos Kitchen

Ingredients

• 2 packages active dry yeast
• 2½ cup warm water warm to the touch, not hot
• 2/3 cup molasses
• 2 tablespoons caraway seed
• 2 tablespoons dried minced onion
• 1½ teaspoons dried dill weed
• 2 teaspoons cocoa powder
• 1½ tablespoon kosher salt
• ¼ cup olive oil plus additional for oiling the bowl
• 2 cups rye flour
• 5 cups bread flour
• cornmeal for baking sheet

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water and molasses.
2. Allow the yeast mixture to sit for 5 minutes to get foamy.
3. Transfer the yeast mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer and add the caraway, minced onion, dill weed, cocoa powder, and salt. Whisk to combine.
4. Use a wooden spoon to stir in the rye flour.
5. Add the bowl to the stand mixer and use the dough hook to add the bread flour, one cup at a time, until all is fully incorporated into the dough. Knead for 5-7 minutes. *Note - if kneading by hand, switch from the wooden spoon to hand kneading once the dough gets too stiff for the spoon.
6. Continue kneading until the dough is smooth and elastic.
7. Add the dough to an oiled bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rise until doubled in a warm, draft-free place for 90 minutes.
8. Turn the doubled dough out onto the counter and divide evenly in half.
9. Shape the halves into ovals and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper that has been lightly sprinkled with cornmeal.
10. Allow the loaves to rise again until doubled, in a warm draft-free place for 60 minutes.
11. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
12. Bake the loaves in a preheated oven for 50 - 60 minutes, or until the loaves sound hollow when tapped.
13. Allow the bread to cool completely on a baking rack until sliced.

Recipe Notes

Tools and equipment:

small bowl
large bowl
stand mixer (optional) with dough hook
wooden spoons
whisk
parchment paper (optional)
baking sheet
measuring cups
measuring spoons
plastic wrap

Do you like baking homemade yeast bread? I don’t do it nearly as often as I used to, but I do love it. There is nothing in the world that smells better than homemade bread baking in the oven. It’s magical!!

For other homemade bread recipes I’ve shared in the past, please click on the following titles to be taken directly to these delicious loaves:

Homemade Honey Ricotta Yeast Bread

Avocado Yeast Bread with Cilantro

Oatmeal Honey Bread with Sunflower Seeds

Whole Wheat Dijon Pretzel Bread

I hope you’ve enjoyed this recipe for Crusty Rustic Old World Onion Rye Bread with Dill as much as I’ve enjoyed bringing it to you. Should you have any questions for me regarding this recipe, or anything else you see on my site, please don’t hesitate to contact me directly or leave me a comment in the comment section. It is always my great pleasure to reply to any and all questions and comments as soon as I possibly can.

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Kudos Kitchen by Renée ~ Where food, art, and fun collide each and every day!

Until we eat again, I hope you have a delicious day!