I’m fully invested in making you a super hero in the kitchen. Between the birthday cake and the absolute best chocolate chip cookies, I want the people in your life to feel like that apron you put on is actually a cape. Today’s power move is easy (I mean it!), no-knead (believe the hype), crusty and tender rye bread, at home from your very own oven!
Every super hero needs a secret weapon and mine is French and made of cast iron – the new Le Creuset Bread Oven, taking home baking to the next level of delicious and beautiful!
This is one of the easiest bread recipes you’ll find. An overnight rest (that means we get our quality beauty rest), a short knead and shape before it rests again and bakes in Le Creuset’s domed cast iron. What emerges is an artisan bread at home! It’s a real thrill (and the kitchen will smell AMAZING).
This post in partnership with my friends at Le Creuset. Find out more about the new Le Creuset Bread Oven and get your own here! Step-by-step instructions follow or scroll all the way down for the recipe.
Here are the ingredients you’ll need for this rye bread recipe:
• bread flour – you’ll want a high gluten content for this bread. Here’s a bit about the different flours we use for baking.
• medium rye flour – a light colored, but super flavorful rye flour made from the center endosperm of the rye berry. I used King Arthur’s Organic Medium Rye Flour.
• instant yeast (This is different from active dry yeast so be sure to get the instant.)
• kosher or sea salt
• dry milk powder – this helps make the bread tender and deep golden brown.
• warm water and a splash of olive oil (though you can substitute dill pickle juice for some of the water with delicious results!)
• everything bagel seasoning (add a few teaspoons of caraway seed for extra credit and extra flavor!)
• Le Creuset Bread Oven – crafted from their legendary cast iron for superior heat distribution. The purpose-built domed lid traps and circulates steam to create stunning bakery-quality results. And I can’t deny it looks great on my kitchen shelf, too!
For a dark rye bread look to this recipe using pumpernickel flour, cocoa (and I like to add a few tablespoons of molasses!)
To start, in a large bowl stir together all of the ingredients except for the everything seasoning.
Pour in warm water and a splash of olive oil. Use a spatula or a wooden spoon to stir the wet ingredients into the dry mixture. Simple enough, right? No need for a stand mixer for this rye bread.
It might seem truly wild, but this bread is absolutely delicious substituting a cup of pickle juice for a cup of water. The brine flavor of the pickle juice compliments the rye flavor so well. If you have a mostly empty jar of pickles in the fridge I say – go for it!
While the dough is still shaggy, pour in a tablespoon or two of everything bagel seasoning. The nuttiness from the poppy seeds and bite from the dried onions really add to the depth of flavor in this rye bread!
Stir the mixture into a shaggy and sticky dough. Nothing glamorous here. The dough will feel rough and sticky but time (and Le Creuset’s cast iron) will turn this mixture into beautiful bread.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow to rest, at room temperature, for 8 to 12 hours. That’s it! No kneading or fussing. Just let the dough sit while you sleep.
After its 8 or 12 hour rest, the dough will have doubled in size (if not a bit more). The dough will be aerated, fluffy, and rather wet. You’ve done it!
Generously flour a clean countertop. Use a plastic bench scraper or spatula to scoop the dough onto the counter. This will deflate the dough and that’s just fine.
Flour the top of the dough before folding and kneading the dough into a tight ball for a simple round loaf.
Use the heel and sides of your hands to knead and shape the dough into a round, for about 20 turns or 30-45 seconds. Here’s a clever video to show you how to shape the dough.
Grab a clean flour sack towel (mine happens to be ice-dyed) and sprinkle a few tablespoons of everything seasoning in the center.
Place the dough round, top side down, atop the seasoning to coat. Shake out the towel (or funnel the seasoning back in the bowl for another loaf).
Place the flour sack towel in a small bowl. I think a six cup Pyrex bowl is perfect. Flour the towel generously so the bread doesn’t stick to the towel. (This is a quickie at-home version of a banneton basket!)
Place the dough into the bowl to rise, seasoning side down. Drape the towel gently over the dough and allow the loaf to rise for 1 – 1 1/2 hours. The dough will puff and fluff and reach the top of the bowl.
Transfer the dough directly into the Le Creuset Bread Oven. No need to preheat the oven or use any parchment paper. The bread won’t stick to the matte black interior enamel (and it’s super easy to clean). The low-profile base makes transferring the dough super simple (without deflating that precious rise!) and promotes even browning and a golden, crispy crust.
Gently invert the dough, towel, and bowl onto the base of the bread oven.
Set the base of the Le Creuset Bread Oven on the counter, gently set aside the bowl and peel back the flour sack towel. Use a sharp knife to cut slashes into the top of the dough, giving the bread room to grow in the oven.
Place the dome lid over the bread dough and gently place on the middle rack in a preheated oven.
Bake the dough for 20 minutes, allowing the heat to swirl through the dough and steam to develop before removing the lid. The bread will be rather pale when the lid is removed (look at all that precious steam), but a bit more quality time in the oven will bake the bread to golden in no time!
There’s a lot I LOVE about the Le Creuset Bread Oven. It’s a perfect weight to be sturdy and reliable. The shallow pan makes transferring the loaf in and out of the pan easy. The bread oven heats and bakes evenly, and holds its heat to bake a crusty golden loaf. But my favorite thing? The bottom of each loaf comes marked with Le Creuset’s hallmark three rings!
Allow the bread to cool on a wire rack for at least an hour. This is absolutely the hardest part of this recipe – the wait. That wait is important to allow to bread to finish baking. As you know from working with the dough, bread is rather gummy when it hits the oven and allowing the baked bread to cool before it’s sliced allows the steam to release and the crumb to set. It’s really important. Slicing into a hot loaf will feel rather sticky.
Slice your glorious homemade rye bread and serve with salted butter.
I promise, once you start experimenting with this no-knead recipe you’ll make a loaf nearly every day! The Le Creuset Bread Oven makes the bakery-quality bread easy as can be!
Leave any questions below and share your bread bakes with me on Instagram!
Easy No-Knead Everything Rye Bread
Ingredients
- 3 cups (381 grams) bread flour
- 1 cup (108 grams) medium rye flour
- ¼ cup (20 grams) nonfat dry milk powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt
- ¾ teaspoons instant yeast
- 1 ½ cups (340 grams) lukewarm water*
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons everything bagel seasoning, plus more for topping
- *For an extra flavorful loaf, substitute 1 cup of dill pickle juice for 1 cup of lukewarm water. Microwave for 20 seconds to bring to lukewarm temperature.
Instructions
- In a large bowl whisk together bread flour, rye flour, milk powder, salt, and instant yeast. Add the water and olive oil. Use a wooden spoon or stiff plastic spatula to mix the dough together. Stir in the everything seasoning until thoroughly combined. The dough will be very sticky – that’s right! Mix for 2-3 minutes longer.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 8-12 hours.
- To bake the bread, use a plastic bench scraper to gently turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter. Lightly flour the top of the dough and knead and fold the dough over itself for 12-16 turns, into a bouncy, firm, slightly tacky dough ball.
- To top the loaf with everything seasoning, sprinkle a clean flour sack towel with everything bagel seasoning and place the dough round, top side into the seasoning on the towel to pick up the seasoning. Remove from the towel and place top side down on the lightly floured counter.
- Shake out the flour sack towel and generously sprinkle flour over the towel. Shake off excess and place the towel into a small bowl (a six cup Pyrex bowl is the perfect size) to line. Lightly sprinkle the towel with more flour. Place the dough ball in the bowl, seam side up, seasoning side down. Cover gently with the edges of the towel and allow to rest at room temperature for 1 – 1 1/2 hours.
- About 20 minutes before baking, place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 450 degrees F. The dough will be puffed and risen and have almost doubled in size. Place the the base of the Le Creuset Bread Oven upside down over the bowl and gently invert the bread into the pan. Gently lift the bowl and towel. Dust off any large patchces of flour, if any. Slash a few lines into the dough using a lame or sharp knife. Gently cover dough with the domed lid. Place Bread Oven in the preheated oven. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove the dome lid and bake for another 10-15 minutes to a deep golden brown.
- .
- Remove bread from the oven and transfer the loaf to a wire rack to cool for 1 hour before cutting into. Bread, well wrapped at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Fran
I made this as a treat after dinner last night. It was incredible. I am going to add some toasted walnuts next time. But all-in-all it was a huge success for something that usually needs many hours to complete with all the usual rose time.
★★★★★
CrystalC
Been baking no-knead breads lately and this one knocked it out of the park. I used one cup of pickle juice and thought that was a little strong and will cut back to 1/2 c. next time. That said, all my guests and family loved it as-is. Just a perfect recipe and perfect result. Tasty — a go-to keeper.
★★★★★
Naomi Duval
This recipe is not working for me. I think the amount of yeast must be incorrect and also the total liquid should be 1 1/2 cups — so 1 cup of pickle juice plus 1/2 cup water — both lukewarm. My dough did not rise last night and it was crumbly. I threw it away and started over at 8 this morning. At 2 this afternoon, it hadn’t risen. In the meantime, I followed the Le Creuset recipe for bread to check on my instant yeast’s viability. That loaf is gorgeous and is about to head into the oven. We’ve made a slurry of additional yeast and water and put batch 2 aside to hopefully rise. I watched your entire video, followed directions and am unhappy
Joy the Baker
I’m sorry this didn’t work for you! Yes – the amount of yeast is correct. And yes, the amount of liquid is 1 1/2 cups lukewarm.
Penny
Hi, I am a home baker also, and have lived in several altitudes. So, not knowing where the original baker lives, and where ever you live, the altitudes can throw off a recipe A LOT!!! I’m originally from a lowland area, then moved to a much higher altitude for a number of years. It took me a long time to get used to being able to bake in the higher altitude. Then, when I moved back, I had to learn all over again how to bake in the original altitude. It just takes some Tweeks, and trusting your instincts on what to do. Then, the recipes will turn out just right!!! ?
April
I just made this and it’s gorgeous and smells amazing! I had to omit the everything seasoning as I’m having a procedure this week and can’t have seeds or nuts. Can’t wait to try it with it though.
samantha campanini
I love making bread, I’ll definitely try it!
Lexi
Hi Joy,
I just want to say that your No-Knead Everything Rye Bread recipe was a huge success. The dill pickle juice makes this a very fragrant and delicious loaf! The only changes I made were to add the everything-bagel seeds and caraway seeds to the dough itself, instead of on the top. I also used my Lodge cast iron bread baker (recommended by Chad Robertson in Tartine Bread). However, I did preheat it as I always do.
Yesterday, I decided to make one and a half times the recipe to make a larger loaf. It came out looking gorgeous after baking it today.
Thank you, Joy!
★★★★★
Laurel
I have all the ingredients but the dry milk powder. Can I replace it with more flour or corn starch or? Thanks
Daniel H
My quest is over. I tried 3 other recipes and they didn’t have the right consistency, and were much more complex. This was perfect and super simple.
Notes:
• My rye flour was the dark type
• I did the everything bagel thing AND added a couple tbsps of carraway seeds.
• I replaced the water with one cup of whole milk and ½ cup water as I didn’t have milk powder.
• I did not use pickle juice because I just didn’t have any to spare…
• I used my large Le Creuset Dutch oven… No purchase necessary!
• Watch the “tight ball” video… I used that technique and it did make a beautiful loaf.
• In my oven, the browing step was done in 10 minutes…
Wish I could attach a picture… I’m very proud of it :-)
★★★★★
Joy the Baker - Founder
That’s fantastic Daniel! Sounds like you made some great adjustments and I’m so glad the “tight ball” video was helpful!
John
Why the powdered milk? I’m going to substitute potato flakes or eschew it all together. Can’t justify buying those big powdered milk containers for such a limited use. I hope it still comes out tasty and airy.
Heather
I would love to know if it works without the powdered milk. We don’t consume dairy and a sun would be good. I do have potato flakes as someone else mentioned.
Joy the Baker
Yes this can absolutely be made without the milk powder!
Martha
Joy, can this oven be used with a no-knead bread?
Joy the Baker - Founder
Yes absolutely!
Amelia
Ha ha, back in the days when I worked at Starbucks that was a real thing, at closing we’d put our green aprons on backwards, like around our necks, and call them “caprons” bc something a body needs a little boost when mopping the store. I’m sure we weren’t the first or the last.
Cate
Hi Joy! Any possible sub for the milk powder to make it vegan? Or is it possible to omit it?
Joy the Baker - Founder
You can just omit it!
Mab
I’m curious, too, about preheating the bread baker in the oven before putting the dough in. Have you done it both ways and is there any noticeable difference? Love your recipes and will try this one out.
Joy the Baker - Founder
Great question. I’ve actually had one of my Dutch oven pans crack after preheating it empty in the oven several times. I looked into it because Dutch ovens seem pretty indestructible and it’s actually not recommended to heat them empty because they can crack. I’ve found that a preheated dutch oven does yield a slightly more lofty loaf but a room temperature Dutch oven makes just as great a loaf without the danger of cracking an expensive pot. Now… I don’t think a pot will crack the first time it’s preheated empty so if you’d like to try you should! Just offering my experience. Hope this is helpful!
Richard
Can I use my traditional Le Creuset Dutch oven with recipe? How would the bread look and taste by comparison to the new one?
Joy the Baker - Founder
Yes you can use a traditional Dutch oven. You have an equally beautiful loaf!
Bread Baker
I just bought the sourdough whisperer by Elaine Boddy she’s on Instagram where she states that she always bakes bread in a cold oven and never preheats her pot. I am intrigued because I’m in the desert bake year round where we had 100+ days of over 110. I’m looking forward to reading her cookbook and trying her method.
The new bread baker is beautiful- thanks for this recipe I’m going to make this tomorrow.
★★★★★