My Gluten Free Rye Bread Recipe is so authentic in both taste and texture that you'll never believe it's made without rye.
UPDATE: Gluten Free Mock Rye Bread was originally posted on March 18, 2020 and has been updated with new pictures, new tips and information, and an in-depth video.
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You know what one of my top favorite sandwiches of all time is? A Reuben. You know, the sandwich piled high with corned beef, swiss cheese, and a healthy dose of sauerkraut? And of course we can't forget the bread. Rye bread is the traditional bread used to make a Reuben sandwich. But, as we know, rye is also filled with gluten. So how do we make a bread taste like rye with the texture of rye without rye? I've got the answer to that question, so read on!
How to Get the Flavor of Rye Without Rye
Since we can't have rye flour, we need something that will make the bread at least taste like rye bread. Caraway seeds are in seeded rye bread and the taste of caraway, although not the true taste of rye, is something we all probably associate with rye bread.
But seeds sprinkled throughout the dough would only give it a slight flavor, so we need to amp up that caraway flavor. By putting some of the caraway seeds in a coffee/spice grinder and creating a caraway "powder" we can really concentrate the caraway flavor into the bread.
Here's What You'll Need to Make Gluten Free Rye Bread
- Kim's gluten free bread flour blend - there really is no substitute for my bread flour blend.
- Caraway seeds - these are to make the caraway "powder" but you can also add the whole seeds into the dough if you like seeded rye bread.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder - sounds strange in a bread, but for a darker rye bread that's what gives it the color. You won't taste it and it doesn't make the bread sweet or chocolatey.
- Milk - helps create a very soft dough.
- Butter - also helps with the softness of the dough. For substitutes, see below.
How to Make Rye Bread
Add all ingredients for rye bread into the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on medium high for 5 minutes. Cover and allow to proof until doubled in size, approximately 2-3 hours. Refrigerate overnight.
After dough has been properly chilled, knead it on a well-floured surface until smooth. Shape into a torpedo shape (also called batard) on a sheet of parchment paper and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to proof until nearly doubled in size.
Once dough has fully risen, remove the plastic wrap and slash it three times with a bread lame or serrated knife. Slide it into a preheated 450 degree F oven onto a baking steel or stone and cover with an oven-safe dome (such as an overturned large stainless steel bowl here). For more options to produce steam, see below. After 15 minutes, remove the bowl and continue baking for another 35-40 minutes, or until the bread sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom or registers at least 200 degrees on a thermometer.
Rye Bread FAQs
No, normal rye bread is not gluten free. Rye is one of the grains that contain gluten. However, my "no rye" or "mock" rye bread uses caraway "powder" to flavor the bread so it will taste like rye without any of the gluten.
It is best to eat gf rye bread the day it is made. However, it will last at room temperature, well wrapped, for up to 5 days. It may be toasted after that, or it can be frozen for a longer time frame (up to 3 months).
Yes, you will need to reduce the temperature to 400 degrees F after the first 15 minutes at 450. Continue to bake for an additional 35-40 minutes or until a thermometer registers 200 degrees F.
More Gluten Free Bread Recipes to Try
- Gluten free potato cheddar bread
- Soft and buttery gluten free brioche
- Perfect gluten free marble rye
- Gluten free crusty French rolls
- Gluten free Mexican conchas
- Gluten free spicy cheese bread
- Fabulous gluten free Italian bread
- Gluten free sandwich bread recipe
What are you waiting for? Bake a loaf (or two) of gluten free mock rye bread and make a sandwich! Reuben perhaps?
Gluten Free Rye Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 600 grams whole milk (a dairy-free milk may be substituted, but hasn't been tested)
- 56 grams butter, melted (a dairy-free butter may be substituted, but hasn't been tested)
- 5 grams whole psyllium husks* (3 grams of psyllium husk powder may be used instead) (SEE BELOW for how to make the bread without psyllium husks)
- 6 grams instant yeast
- 29 grams granulated sugar
- 14 grams unsweetened cocoa powder
- 14 grams caraway powder (caraway seeds ground fine in coffee/spice grinder)
- 7 grams caraway seeds, if desired
- 453 grams Kim's gluten free bread flour blend
- 12 grams kosher salt
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add all the ingredients for the dough in the order in which they are listed above. Mix on low to combine and then increase speed to medium and continue to knead for 5 minutes. Remove from the mixer, scrape into the center of the bowl (or scrape into another bowl), and cover; proof until doubled in size. Proofing times will vary depending on your ambient temperature. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight. (Dough will fall slightly while refrigerated. This is normal).
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator and scoop into onto a well-floured surface (use extra bread flour blend as bench flour). Knead until smooth, adding more flour as necessary to keep from sticking.
- Shape the dough into a batard (torpedo) shape or boule and place it on a parchment-lined baking sheet or pizza peel (paddle). Cover with plastic wrap and place it in a warm, draft-free area to rise until nearly doubled in size. While the dough is rising, place a baking steel or stone on the middle rack of your oven. If using the shallow pan steam method (see below for steam methods), place the shallow pan on the bottom rack at this time). Preheat the oven to 450°F.
- When dough has fully risen, slash the dough in three places across the top of the dough and use the pizza peel (paddle) to slide the dough onto the baking steel (or stone), parchment and all. FOR THE BOWL STEAM METHOD, immediately cover the bread with a large oven-safe bowl. FOR THE HOT WATER STEAM METHOD, pour one cup of very hot tap water into the shallow pan and close oven door. Bake bread for 15 minutes. Remove the bowl (or shallow pan) and continue baking for 30-35 minutes, or until the bread sounds hollow when tapped and is nicely risen. If the top is getting too dark before bread is done baking, cover lightly with aluminum foil.
- Remove the bread from the oven and place on a wire rack. Allow to cool completely before slicing.
Stephanie says
I just made this today…it’s fantastic! I haven’t had luck with any bread I have tried making, but this worked perfectly for me. Thank you so much, I will be making this a lot!!
Kim says
Awe, so glad you liked it! It's one of our favorites, too!!
Stephanie says
It’s me again…the true test was freezing it and then thawing it, it’s still soft and pliable and tastes just like it came out of the oven. I’m so happy I found this recipe. It is my absolute favorite!!!
Kim says
Awe, yay!! I'm absolutely thrilled you're so happy with this bread!!
Maia says
I just made this bread--and it is AMAZING. My husband, who is not GF, is so impressed. It's absolutely delicious! Rye is my favorite bread and being able to make this--Holy Cow! Thank you SO much! I am beyond ecstatic!
Kim says
Yay!!!! So glad you liked it! It's one of my favorites, too 🙂
CLAYTON LEONIDAS DUVALL says
hello, may i substitute the sugar out? what will be a good replacement?
Kim says
I don't recommend it as the sugar is there for tenderness. Unfortunately, I am not familiar with subbing sugar.
Gillie says
Hi! I am having trouble with all of your recipes that have the liquid in grams. Do you use the fluid grams measurement on the scale, or the same scale as one does for dry ingredients ? Thank you!
Kim says
HI, Gillie! I use the same scale I use for dry ingredients. It has 4 different measurements: grams, milliliters, ounces, and pounds. I set my bowl or whatever measuring vessel I'm using to weight out my ingredients on the scale, tare it out to zero, and then pour my liquid in. I always leave it on grams when measuring either dry or wet.
Hope this helps!
Bonnie says
I don’t want to rate this, because this is the first recipe I’ve tried that didn’t turn out right. I’m wondering why. Mine was so wet it would not form any kind of cohesive mass. I have no idea what went wrong.
Kim says
Oh no! I wish I knew what went wrong, too. Did you use my flour blend, with superfine or ultrafine white rice flour? Or substitute anything within it? That's usually where the problem is.
Chelsea says
Kim, I have been using your recipes for several years and flour blend. This is the first recipe that turned into a wet mass as well. It almost seems like maybe the wet and dry amounts were reversed in the recipe? I added probably three cups of flour when kneading and it was still too wet.
Kim says
Hmmm. It should be 600 grams of whole milk and 453 grams of bread flour blend. This is a very easy dough to work with usually, too. Could you have measured something incorrectly?
Ava says
Agreed! Very disappointing. Mine is in the oven proofing and not rising. I am trying to figure out a way to salvage. I had to add more GF flour just to get it to brownie consistency. But so far, no go
Kim says
Did you use my flour blend or substitute anything within the flour blend? If you don't use a superfine or ultrafine white rice flour (or use a store bought gf blend) you will not get the same results.
David says
What I love so much about your blog is how much I feel you’ve taught me. I’ve learnt how to make sour dough starter and achieve some incredible results such as gluten free panettone, hot cross buns and stollen. This rye bread is just the latest. I’ve not been to the US for at least 20 years but this recipe brought back great memories of Rueben sandwiches in Boston. I used my sourdough starter, banneton baskets and the multi seed flour blend (but with white rice flour rather than brown) and I’m really pleased with the results. As other people have said, the taste is spot on and the texture is lovely, soft and springy. Thank you for this great recipe and for teaching me so much about gluten free baking in your blog!
Kim says
Awe, thank YOU so much for such kind words!!!! I am absolutely thrilled that you are having wonderful success with my recipes 🥰🥰🥰
Chantale says
GF kids were so excited to finally have a "rye" bread for their rueben sandwishes. The taste and texture was soo good! I've already had a request to make more. Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe.
Kim says
It's my pleasure, Chantale! I'm so glad your kids liked the bread so much 🥰
Priscilla says
Kim, I am amazed at your incredible skill to create such bread recipes! I have been GF since 2008 (not bc of diagnosed Celiac, just painful eating), and pretty much gave up on any decent bread. More recently I have begun baking again, and came across your Multigrain Seeded bread recipe, and was excited bc of the fiber in it. WOW! What a great recipe! I love this bread, and make two 7" bannetons with the recipe, slice it after cooling, and freeze it until I want to have a piece of toast. AND, I just made your GF Rye Bread recipe--unbelievable! It really is convincingly rye bread! Thank you so much for your passion and willingness to share your love of baking GF! I hope to explore more and more of your recipes!
Teresa Dehmel says
Kim,
I am making this bread for the second time and I am having problems with the dough being very wet when I take it out of the refrigerator. I am adding about 2 cups of flour to get the right consistency before shaping. Despite this it came out good the first time. It is rising now so I will let you know how this one comes out. I guess I wanted to double check the milk amount which came to over 2 cups in grams. Is this correct or is this normal for the dough to be so wet? I am using the psylllium husk as recommended. Let me know; it was absolutely delicious though. Thank you for your yummy recipes.
Kim says
Thank you so much!
Typically I find if someone says their dough is really wet, it's because they used the wrong ingredients within the flour blend, such as a gritty rice flour that's cheaper. Using a gritty rice flour will make your dough super wet as the rice flour is unable to absorb as much liquid as a superfine rice flour.
Teresa says
Can you please share which white rice flour to get. I am just learning there is a difference between them. Thanks for your help and wonderful recipes!
Rowan Terrell says
Hi there! I'm a huge fan of your sourdough recipe and looking to give this one a try... Any chance you've tested baking this with a dutch oven? (With lid on initially to trap steam and removing lid to finish baking?) Wondering if you have any thoughts on that! Thanks in advance 🙂
Kim says
I have not, but there is no reason why it wouldn't work just the same. I would use the same baking instructions as my sourdough or artisan bread recipe for Dutch oven baking.
Chris Johnston says
HI Kim: I just made the Rye bread it is absolutely the best bread we have ever made. Soft interior, wonderful crumb, just the right amount of crust texture.
Absolutely Superior.
Thank you
Chris
Kim says
That is AWESOME Chris!! So glad you liked it, and thank you for your wonderful comment 🥰
Sandy says
I have made so many GF bread recipes trying to find an acceptable bread. I have not been happy with any of them until I tried your recipes.
The only reason I make corned beef in March is so my husband and I can have Reuben Sandwiches. After trying (and loving) your Italian Bread, I knew I was actually going to enjoy a Reuben Sandwich again. The Rye Bread recipe is amazing. My husband who does not have to be gluten free is very impressed with the Rye Bread and all the other recipes of yours I have tried. This morning we had the cinnamon rolls. OMG, soooo good!! Thank you!! Thank You!!
I have yet to be disappointed! Thank you for all your research and for sharing your recipes with us!!
Sandy in Tuolumne, California
Kim says
It is MY pleasure!!! Thank you so much for your kind words and for following along in my gluten free journey 🥰
Katie says
Hi Kim! I am on a mission to make a gluten free brown bread like Cheesecake Factory. You know the bread with the oats on top? In all of your gluten free goddess wisdom…do you think this recipe could be a good jumping off point for such an endeavor?
Marcella Holtz says
I just made this a few days ago and it was delicious! I added 1 1/2 teaspoons psyllium husk powder and the dough was very easy to work with. I shaped it into a boule and baked it in my Le Creuset bread oven just as I do with your artisan bread. I also made the first Reuben sandwich I’ve ever had in my life, if you can believe that— I didn’t know what I was missing! Thank you so much for all your incredible recipes!
Shelley says
Been craving rye bread for 15 years! You are a gluten free genius ! Made it yesterday for SPD and it came out amazing. It was a very wet dough, almost looked like pudding. Got a great first rise- to the top of the bowl! A little hard to shape but followed your expert advice. My bread even looked like your pic! Everyone enjoyed it at dinner. Thank you Kim💚
Kim says
Yay!!! So glad you liked it😊
Jen says
This bread came out fantastic! The dough was SUPER wet and nearly impossible to work with, but by working on my non-stick rolling mat and using my plastic dough scraper I managed to shape it into something approximating a loaf on the parchment. I did only do half the dough--I'll bake up the rest in a couple days so we'll see how that goes. My loaf looked a little lumpy but puffed up nicely in the oven, and the center was soft and wonderful. The crust was not too thick, just added a nice chew. Truly a delicious treat! Thanks so much for the recipe.
Donna Meistrich says
I think you’re a genius! I haven’t been having trouble getting the mock Ryebread to turn out. I’m using the sourdough starter that your recipe. How much milk do I add? It seems like I’m adding too much.
Kim says
You're too kind, Donna 🥰
Typically, if you're replacing with the sourdough starter, you'd replace the yeast with 140 grams of starter. Then you'd drop the flour amount in the recipe down by 70 grams and the liquid amount also down by 70 grams. That should be 383 grams of flour and 470 grams/milliliters of milk. If that still seems to be too much, you could try by dropping it down another 70 grams.
Patrick Orin says
I don’t see any mention for high altitude does it make a difference in the outcome of the breads in your recipes
Kim says
I live at sea level so my recipes aren't normally developed for high altitude. However, here is an article that shows you how to convert recipes to high altitude baking: https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/learn/resources/high-altitude-baking#:~:text=Changes%20at%20high%20altitude&text=Decrease%20by%205%2D8%20minutes,means%20products%20are%20done%20sooner.&text=Increase%20by%201%20to%202,for%20each%20additional%201%2C000%20feet.
Amelia Moore says
Wondering why you didn’t use eggs in this recipe? Can I add them and if I did, any suggestions? I’m also making this in a bread machine.
Kim says
Because I adapted my Italian bread and it was already perfect without the eggs. I would not suggest adding eggs because it will alter the recipe too much, and without testing it I have no idea how it's going to change. I don't have a bread machine myself, so I can't say with certainty how this will work in a breach machine, but I know others have had success using one with some other breads of mine.
Maureen Jaeckel says
What brings the color to imitate the Rye?
Kim says
Cocoa powder, molasses, and ground caraway seeds 🙂
Lori says
I don't see molasses listed as an ingredient in the recipe. Should it be?
Kim says
I don't put molasses in mine, but do use unsweetened cocoa powder, as well as caraway "powder". If you'd like to add molasses, you could try subbing the sugar with molasses. At that small amount, it shouldn't affect the texture as much (although you may need to use a little less milk (2 tbsp would be a good start).
Hope this helps 🙂
Lori says
It does, thank you! I wasn't sure since you mentioned molasses in the comments, but that makes sense. I am excited to try your recipe today for my 79-year-old mother who was recently diagnosed with Celiac disease. Rye bread has been a staple for her all these years.
Deborah Feick says
I’d love to try this recipe, but I don’t have a baking steel or pizza stone. Are there any other options?? Love your recipes!!!!
Kim says
Thanks, Deborah! You can use an overturned cookie sheet (or flat cookie sheet) to bake your bread on. Or you could also bake it in a Dutch oven with a lid. If you go the Dutch oven route, read my post on sourdough bread for how to use it: https://www.letthemeatgfcake.com/gluten-free-artisan-sourdough-bread/
Pat says
This was my first time making your rye bread. I made it with sourdough. I replaced the yeast with sourdough starter as in you sourdough recipe. I decreased the water only a little bit as my starter is pretty dry. I added 1 tbsp psyllium husk because I think it gives some stretch to the dough. It is amazing.
Kim says
Awesome, Pat! I haven't gotten around to redoing this recipe with psyllium husk, but I'm glad to know it works great! Once I discovered it, I think I'll end using it in most of my breads as I also really like the stretch it gives.
Sindall Adams says
I am vegan. Do you think it would work to substitute soy milk for the milk?
Kim says
I think so, Sindall 🙂
Brittany says
I have made this twice now, and it proofs wonderfully until I put it in the fridge. I lose all rise that it had and it is back to the original size. I kneed it and shape it and it barely rises even after a long time. The first time was only about half an inch. This time it's about 2 inches. Is the fridge step necessary?
Kim says
My dough always deflates at least 1-2 inches in the bowl when I put it in the fridge. It's so hard to work with if it hasn't been refrigerated. You can try, but I wouldn't suggest it. Knead it, shape it, and let it rise until slightly larger and puffy (as the instructions say, it won't even come close to doubling in size). Where it's going to get most of its rise is in the oven. Make sure to add the hot water to the pan. That step is VERY crucial to getting it to rise in the oven (oven spring).
Michele Spencer says
What can be substituted for the powder milk and whey isolate protein powders.
Kim says
Hi, Michelle! I've heard from several readers who said they substituted pea protein for the whey protein isolate and had great results! As for the dry milk powder, try coconut milk powder. Here is a link: https://amzn.to/2KDChUQ
Hope this helps 😊
Susan M says
I made this bread yesterday and am pleased with the texture and sturdiness of it. It is not crumbly and I believe would hold up to a sandwich very nicely. I baked the whole batch in a 9" x 5" ceramic pan at 400 degrees for about 50 min. (internal temp. was 197). It didn't raise as much as I would have liked but still was acceptable. I have a few questions about the written recipe. Should the milk be warmed? Also, I'm assuming that you add the spices with the dry ingredients? Thanks.
Kim says
Hi, Susan! I'm so glad you were able to make the bread. I don't know what it is, but I just can't seem to get gf bread to rise very high when in a pan, so I choose to just make a freeform loaf, which rises up pretty nice and tall and is perfect for sandwiches. I'm so glad you caught that about the spices. I never added them into the instructions, so I just changed that and I do add them with the dry ingredients. And I personally don't warm the milk. I used to always warm my milk, but found if I use fast acting (bread machine yeast), warming the liquid isn't necessary.
Thanks, Susan 🙂
J'Marinde says
Hello;
Thank yo for this recipe. I've been making mock rye bread for years now. To take it over the top, along with the caraway (or fennel) and cocoa, try adding a tsp of dried orange peel. One can buy ground caraway or fennel online. It is easier to work with. Hope this is helpful.
Kim says
Great idea! Thanks!!
Susan M says
Thanks for the recipe!:) I'm excited to try this variation. I'll report back when I have baked a loaf.
Kim says
I hope you like it, Susan! I loved it and have already made several Reubens 🙂