Easy No-Knead Everything Rye Bread

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!