Icelandic Rye Bread (Rúgbrauð)

Icelandic Rye Bread (Rúgbrauð)

32 servings
This dense, mildly sweet, hearty rye bread is ubiquitous in its native Iceland, where it’s traditionally sliced very thin and served with smoked, cured, or pickled foods. That said, it’s also delicious with a simple smear of salted butter. Since it’s leavened with baking powder and baking soda (not yeast), it’s simple to throw together: no kneading, no rising, just mix, bake, and enjoy.

Ingredients

  • king arthur organic medium rye flour
    4 ½ c
  • table salt
    2 tsp
  • baking powder
    1 tbsp
  • baking soda
    ¾ tsp
  • buttermilk
    2 c
  • honey
    ½ c
  • molasses
    ½ c

Directions

  1. 1

    Preheat the oven to 325°F with a rack in the center position.

  2. 2

    Weigh your flour or measure it by gently spooning into a cup, then sweeping off any excess.

  3. 3

    In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.

  4. 4

    In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, honey, and molasses.

  5. 5

    Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, stirring to combine.

  6. 6

    Transfer the batter to a lightly greased 9" pain de mie (pullman) pan and smooth the top. Lightly grease the lid, and place the lid on the pan.

  7. 7

    Bake the bread for 2 hours. Turn off the oven and remove the lid from the pan. Leave the loaf in the turned-off oven for another 15 minutes, then remove from the oven and turn out of the pan onto a cooling rack.

  8. 8

    Cool completely before slicing thinly and serving with butter or your favorite savory toppings. Pickled herring and smoked salmon are traditional, but cheese (anything from salty aged to soft mild) certainly wouldn’t be amiss, either.

  9. 9

    Store leftover bread tightly wrapped at room temperature for several days. Freeze for longer storage.

Icelandic Rye Bread (Rúgbrauð)

Icelandic Rye Bread (Rúgbrauð)

145 min32 servings90 cal

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About this Recipe

Craving a taste of Iceland without booking a flight? This Icelandic Rye Bread (Rúgbrauð) recipe brings the authentic, hearty flavors of the Nordic island right to your kitchen, with surprisingly little effort.

Unlike traditional yeast breads, this Rúgbrauð uses baking powder and baking soda for leavening, meaning there's no kneading and no rising time required. It's a remarkably simple 'mix and bake' process that still yields a profoundly flavorful, authentic loaf.

You'll discover a bread that is wonderfully dense and deeply satisfying, with a mildly sweet profile thanks to the generous amounts of molasses and honey. The rye flour imparts an earthy, complex flavor that is truly unique. Imagine a bread that's moist and almost cake-like in its richness, yet firm enough to hold up beautifully to toppings. Its dark, inviting crumb is a testament to its rustic character, offering a hearty bite with every thin slice.

While this traditional recipe is perfect as is, the combination of molasses and honey is key to the bread's signature mild sweetness and dark color; you could experiment with varying their proportions slightly to suit your preference. For those without buttermilk, a common substitute is regular milk soured with lemon juice or vinegar.

This versatile Icelandic Rye Bread (Rúgbrauð) shines when sliced very thin and served alongside smoked fish, cured meats, or tangy pickled foods, much like it is in Iceland. It's also utterly delicious with nothing more than a simple smear of good quality salted butter, making it a wonderful addition to a brunch spread or as an elevated snack.

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