Marble Rye Bread
Homemade Marble Rye Bread has a beautiful swirl of light and dark bread. This loaf has great flavor and a moist crumb. You can start the night before to have fresh bread for lunch.
Table of contents
Marble Rye Bread combines a swirl of light Rye Bread with a swirl of Pumpernickel Bread. I’m a huge fan of rye bread in just about any form and I’m especially smitten with this recipe for Marble Rye Bread.
If you want fresh bread for lunchtime, start the night before and your bread is half way done when you get out of bed.
And that overnight rest is not only good for you, it’s also really good for the taste and texture of your bread.
If you keep a Sourdough Starter you might want to try the recipe for Sourdough Marble Rye Bread.
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
- Rye Flour does not have the gluten forming properties of wheat flour. Use any type of rye flour in this recipe, light, medium or whole grain. Stone ground rye flour has an especially nice flavor and texture.
- Bread Flour is a wheat flour with a high protein content. Higher protein means better gluten development.
- Instant Yeast I prefer instant yeast to rapid rise yeast for a slightly slower rise.
- Barley Malt Syrup adds a bitter-sweet note which works very well with the flavor of rye flour. You can substitute honey or a combination or honey and molasses for the barley malt syrup.
- Caraway Seeds add the characteristic “rye bread” flavor, but they are optional.
How to make Marble Rye Bread
See the recipe card for detailed measurements and instructions.
- Mix the light sponge in one bowl and the dark sponge in a separate bowl Set them aside for 30-60 minutes.
- Finish mixing both doughs then set them aside to rise until doubled in size, about 1-1 1/2 hours.
- Turn both doughs out onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly.
- Roll each dough to a 10″ x 8″ oval.
- Place the dark dough on top of the light dough.
- Roll the dough along the long side, tucking in the sides as you go.
- Pinch the bottom seam and flip the loaf seam side down.
- Place the loaf on a peel or sheet pan generously sprinkled with corn meal.
- Cover with plastic wrap and set aside until the loaf has almost doubled in size and the dough springs back slowly when pressed, about 1-1 1/2 hours.
- Make 5 slashes across the top of the loaf. Brush the loaf with egg white and sprinkle with caraway seeds. Bake until the interior temperature is 200F.
Storage
Marble Rye Bread keeps extremely well at room temperature for 2-3 days. For longer storage slice the loaf, store the slices in a freezer bag and freeze for up to a month. Defrost or toast the bread as needed.
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Marble Rye Bread Recipe
Homemade Marble Rye Bread has a beautiful swirl of light and dark bread. This loaf has great flavor and a moist crumb. You can start the night before to have fresh bread for lunch. This recipe makes 1 large loaf. The exact number of servings will vary based on how the loaf is sliced.
servings
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Ingredients
Light Dough
- 8 oz warm water (1 cup)
- 1 teaspoon dry yeast
- 2 ½ oz rye flour (½ cup)
- 7 ½ oz bread flour (1½ cups)
- ½ oz barley malt syrup (2 teaspoons (see note))
- 1 teaspoon table salt
Dark Dough
- 8 oz brewed coffee (1 cup)
- 1 teaspoon dry yeast
- 2 ½ oz rye flour (½ cup)
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 7 ½ oz bread flour (1 ½ cups, see note)
- ½ oz barley malt syrup (2 teaspoons )
- 1 teaspoon table salt
Assembly
- 1 egg white
- 1 tablespoon caraway seeds
Instructions
Make the light dough
- Combine 8 oz warm water, 1 teaspoon dry yeast, 2 ½ oz rye flour and ½ cup of the bread flour in a mixer bowl. Mix until a thick batter is formed. Cover the bowl and set the sponge aside for 30 minutes. (Start the sponge for the dark dough at the same time.)
- If you're using a stand mixer, switch to the dough hook. Add ½ oz barley malt syrup, 1 teaspoon table salt and and remaining bread flour. If the dough is extremely sticky sprinkle in a few more tablespoons of bread flour.
- Knead the dough on medium speed for 5 minutes until the dough begins to clear the sides of the bowl and forms a ball around the hook. Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. If working by hand, stir in as much of the flour as you can then turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 4-5 minutes.
- The dough may be a little sticky so keep your hands well floured. Place the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat the dough. Cover the bowl and set aside to rise for 1 to 1 ½ hours or until doubled in size.
Make the dark dough
- Combine 8 oz brewed coffee, 1 teaspoon dry yeast, 2 ½ oz rye flour, 1 tablespoon cocoa powder and ½ cup of the bread flour in a mixer bowl. Mix until a thick batter is formed. Cover the bowl and set the sponge aside for 30 minutes.
- If you're using a stand mixer, switch to the dough hook. Add ½ oz barley malt syrup, 1 teaspoon table salt and remaining bread flour. If the dough is extremely sticky sprinkle in a few more tablespoons of bread flour.
- Knead the dough on medium speed for 5 minutes until it begins to clear the sides of the bowl and forms a ball around the hook. Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. If working by hand, stir in as much of the flour as you can then turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 4-5 minutes.
- The dough may be a little sticky so keep your hands well floured. Place the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat the dough. Cover the bowl and set aside to rise for 1 to 1 ½ hours or until doubled in size.
Assemble and bake
- Turn the light dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead briefly then roll the dough into a 8"x10" oval. Do the same with the dark dough.
- Lay the dark dough on top of the light dough then roll the dough to form a tight log. Place the loaf on a wooden peel (if you're using a baking stone or steel) or sheet pan sprinkled liberally with corn meal.
- Cover the loaf with plastic wrap and leave in a warm place until doubled in size, and the dough springs back slowly when poked, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 °F. If you have a baking stone place it in the oven to preheat.
- Make 5 diagonal slashes in the dough with a single edge razor or very sharp knife. Brush the dough with egg white and sprinkle with caraway seeds, if desired. Slide the dough onto the preheated stone or slide the sheet pan into the oven.
- The bread is ready when the internal temperature of the loaf is 200 °F. Baking time is approximately 30 minutes.
- Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.
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Notes
If measuring the flour by volume use the “dip & sweep” method. That is, dip the measuring cup into the flour bin, overfill it, then sweep away the excess.
In place of barley malt syrup you can use honey or half honey and half molasses.
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @eileen.bakingsense or tag #bakingsense!