How to Make an Amazing Eastern European Style Rye Bread

The Belarusian rye bread I posted many moons ago was one of my favourite recipes ever. I grew up eating this kind of bread and if I had to choose only one, then this would be the bread I would happily eat for the rest of my life. It has a soft and bouncy texture. It packs an amazing flavour. It stays soft and fresh longer than other breads. And it compliments any savoury topping. But it is also amazing with just butter and a small pinch of sea salt.

A couple of ingredients and methods make this bread what it is. First is the fermented rye malt. It is widely used in European rye bread making. It is also used for making kvass (an Easter European drink). Without the rye malt this bread will not be the same. This stuff is not easy to source. I have only ever been able to order it off eBay from Belarus, Ukraine or Russia. It always takes weeks to arrive but it’s worth the wait.

The other ingredient (and method) is the addition of potatoes in the dough. Here is an in-depth video on that. And there is the scalding method. Both the potatoes and the scald give this bread its bouncy texture and extend its shelf life. More about scalding here. Finally, the dough is cold fermented for maximum flavour.

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[ChainBaker]

📖 Find the written recipe in the link below the video.
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[geraldsahd]

I made your Jewish Deli Rye Bread and I can't get over the texture of wet rye flour and the natural oils.. It went great with my homemade smoked Pastrimi to make St. Patrick Day Ruebans.

[alexbowman]

Charlie, you should consider getting some rye berries to make your own fermented malt powder. Malting is simple. That could be an awesome project for the channel. One big batch and no more waiting for long distance deliveries.

[nursultantulyakbaycats]

You make awesome bread and recipes. You inspired me to try out rye breads and bake more often at home. Thanks bud!

[mateuszpolkowski]

I love rye bread! My favorite storebought is pimpernickel. When it's about making my own, the best is 1:1 whole wheat and whole rye with caraway seeds. Btw in Poland we call this type of bread the lithuanian bread, one of bakeries in my neighbourhood makes it and it's delicious.

[mariaroquavega]

Love how it expanded when placed on the table there. Looks good.

[Smartway]

Thanks for this one ❤️. All we need is a rye bread. Would be great to see more europe-style rye bread recipes.

[skamolina]

Looks great and remind me lituenian bread I used to get ! 💓

[carolseven]

WOW!!! You continue to delight and inspire me. My husband and I favor the dark breads and rye is one them that doesn’t last long In our kitchen. Thank you for my next recipe!

[mariaroquavega]

This is wonderful! Just what I was looking for!❤
Pumpernickel

[Jeepy-LoveToBake]

Finally baked the bread late last night - it took quite some time for the final proof as my home is rather cool. The house smelled wonderful while baking almost a roasted nutty aroma. The loaves baked very nicely, with just a bit of tearing on one loaf. I then removed from the oven, liberally sprayed the loaves with water and back into the oven for the final five minutes. What a beautiful crust!!!

When I sliced into one loaf earlier this morning, oh - such a beautiful dark brown interior, soft and bouncy texture with just a slight bite in the crust. The depth of flavor is phenomenal and the fermented rye malt powder gives it a unique flavor - perhaps “earthy”? With some unsalted butter and sea salt flakes - WOW!!! Now I just need to find some savory toppings…

As ever, many thanks to Charlie for making his Belarusian Rye Bread recipe even BETTER!! 👍👍🤩🤩😍😍 Photos have been posted on "Charlie's Baking Buddies".

Oh, I wanted to apologize that I had overlooked clicking the "like" button on some of your videos - I went through the past 12 months and "liked" the ones I had overlooked. Sorry about that. 😉

[breynolds]

This is my 3rd or 4th time making rye bread using this recipe - it's easy, delicious, and a satisfying loaf to offer others. Well done, and thanks for offering such delicious recipes.

[waltbales]

Made this yesterday using black barley malt instead of the rye malt powder because it's cheap and available locally. Came out great! Agree 100% on how good this bread is.

[catherineworley]

Thank you so much for this recipe! I can't wait to try it!😊

[JohnBau]

Being limited to bread machine use until it gets cold again, I tried a room-temp bread-maker version of this. Only subbed ingredient was corn meal for the potato. Incredibly sticky in the knead cycle... but it worked. Baking temp is fixed at 335F so I did 65 minutes for 199F inside. Turned out quite good! This is a real winner, amazing taste from the rye malt powder. Look forward to doing the handmade version in a real oven some day.

[mickpeters]

Charlie, you're a treasure. Loving the channel (especially enjoy the World Tour!). Just got back into sourdough and getting "bread serious" again and will be trying many of these. Your videography and editing is amazing and your attention to detail really makes these videos a treat. Thanks!

[suyapajimenez]

🎊🎊🎊 it just came out from the oven and it’s soft, smells delicious, it looks great, 202 F, and of course I’ll let it rest until tomorrow. My success was yours. You made this grandma very happy. ❤

[JayL]

I just made this bread and WOW 🤩 it’s outstanding.

[MusicIsOdd]

The change in quality between the first video and this is insane

[waltbales]

Rewatched the Belarusian rye bread video. Love the music!