Easy Slow Cooker Danish Sourdough Rye Bread (Rugbrød)

This Easy Slow Cooker Danish Sourdough Rye Bread (Rugbrød) is the easiest recipe for authentic Danish rye bread you’ll find! Packed full of nutrients and dietary fibre, this seeded Danish rugbrød is perfect for a healthy breakfast or lunch!

Background

I’m half Danish, so I grew up eating Danish open sandwiches (smørrebrød).  

I’ve been making do with German rye bread from the supermarket over the years, but it’s not the same as malty,  dense, chewy traditional Danish rye bread. 

The only way to get my fix of the real stuff was to drive many miles to Ole & Steen, which was neither practical nor affordable!

Hence, I wanted to create an everyday foolproof, budget-friendly Danish Rye Bread recipe using sourdough (not commercial yeast) and my slow cooker. 

After months of development, I knew I’d cracked it when my Danish mother gave my rugbrød 10/10 for flavour and texture!

What Makes This Danish Rye Sourdough Bread Recipe Easy?

This is the easiest sourdough rye bread recipe you’ll find. It’s very forgiving, and you literally can’t go wrong!

I researched every method and tip, and over five months, streamlined the process to the bare minimum necessary.

• As with my existing slow cooker sourdough sandwich bread recipe, you only need to perform the initial fermentation in the loaf tin, and no final proof is required.  I experimented with bulk fermentation in a bowl and further proofing in a loaf tin, but it wasn’t necessary.
• Mixing the rye sourdough in a stand mixer for 10 minutes makes no difference. Hence, I mix the dough by hand using a rubber spatula.
• There is no need to pre-soak the mixed seeds (hemp, golden linseed, pumpkin and sunflower seeds).
• Rye kernels, which would need soaking, aren’t necessary as the mixed seeds provide enough texture and flavour.
• Making the rye bread darker in colour by using gravy browning, cocoa, or molasses is not necessary. 
• The malt flavour comes from the malted flour, so there’s no need to add barley malt syrup.

Why You Should Make Easy Slow Cooker Danish Rye Bread

• Quick & Easy to Prepare: The ingredients are mixed to form a dough, which is then transferred to a loaf tin, left to ferment in a single proof for several hours, and then baked in the slow cooker.
• No Mess: Your hands and counter stay mess-free.
• Health Benefits:  A great source of dietary fibre and various nutrients. Improved digestion, gut health and better blood sugar control are just some of the benefits of eating sourdough rye bread. In a recent Instagram reel, even Tim Spector recommended wholegrain and rye sourdough bread. 
• Healthier Sandwiches: Open-faced sandwiches contain more toppings and less bread, resulting in fewer carbohydrates and more protein. This can also aid weight loss.
• Budget Friendly: Baking your own artisan sourdough rye bread is far cheaper than buying from a bakery, where loaves cost around £6.50 for a smaller loaf. I priced mine up at £2 excluding energy cost. 
• Energy Efficient:  Baking in a slow cooker, which acts like a Dutch oven, saves you money compared to baking in an oven.
• Cooler in Summer: No one likes switching on a hot oven on a hot day, so this slow cooker rye bread will keep your kitchen much cooler.
• Holiday Friendly:  There’s no need to miss out when you’re away in a holiday home, caravan or RV. This recipe is perfect for a tiny kitchen. 

How To Make Slow Cooker Sourdough Danish Rye Bread

Full instructions in recipe card below.

Ingredients

• Sourdough Starter: Fed with strong white bread flour on the day of baking. It should double in size. If you don’t have a starter, then follow this guide on how to make a starter.
• Tepid Water: Cold water will also work, but don’t use warm water. I like to use cooled boiled water, or add cold water to hot water from the kettle.
• Dark Rye Flour: I use Dove’s Organic Rye Flour; avoid light rye flour.
• Strong Malted Bread Flour: I recommend Matthew’s Cotswold Crunch, a combination of strong bread flour, malted wheat flakes, malted barley and rye flour. It gives a beautiful nutty, malty flavour. 
• Mixed Seeds: I use a combination of hemp, golden linseed, sesame and pumpkin seeds.
• Salt: I use sea salt flakes, but you can use any free-flowing salt, eg ground Himalayan salt.

Equipment

The 2 most important pieces of equipment are:

• 900 g/2 lb loaf tin – I avoid non-stick tins and prefer the Mermaid Hard Anodised Loaf Tin made by Samual Groves.
• A large 6.5 L (6.8 Q) Slow Cooker (Crockpot), as a standard-sized one, will be too small.

Substitutions

Get creative and mix things up a little!

• Top the rye dough with rolled oats instead of mixed seeds.
• Add caraway, flaxseed, chia, fennel, coriander, cumin or sesame seeds to change the flavour of the rye bread.
• Substitute some of the seeds for chopped nuts, eg walnuts.

Storage

Danish Rye Bread should be stored in a sealed plastic bag (I use recycled cereal bags) or a large beeswax wrap to prevent the loaf from drying out. It should keep for up to 5 days.

Freezing

Since this loaf yields about 28 thin slices of rye bread, I keep half wrapped at room temperature and slice and freeze the rest in a sealed plastic bag. 

Use frozen rye bread within 3 months of freezing.

Rye bread is extra tasty and chewy when toasted straight from the freezer.

Danish Open Sandwich (Smørrebrød) Suggestions

There are so many wonderful toppings you can use on Danish rye bread. Here are a few:

• Leverpostej (Danish Liver Pate) – served warm is a total dream!
• Pickled Herring
• Egg & Prawn
• Cheese & Ham
• Egg & Ham
• Sliced Roast Beef (or other cold cuts)
• Tinned Mackerel in Tomato Sauce mixed with lemon juice and mayonnaise.
• Fried Breaded White Fish with Remoulade
• Smashed Avocado with a Poached Egg on toasted rye bread (not Danish, but incredibly delicious)!

More Rye and Slow Cooker Sourdough Bread Recipes

Here are some more delicious bread recipes for you to try:

• Easy Slow Cooker Sourdough Sandwich Bread
• Slow Cooker Sourdough Bread
• Simple Rye Loaf

Conclusion

You will love this foolproof, Easy Slow Cooker Sourdough Danish Rye Bread recipe. Once you know the fermentation time for your climate and kitchen, you can make this recipe without thinking.

I started making sourdough to improve my gut health around the same time that energy prices rose. This led me to use my slow cooker (Crockpot) as a cost-saving alternative, as it acts like a self-contained Dutch oven!

I don’t have days to spare making bread dough, as I’m sure you don’t. Hence, I created this recipe as an easy way to achieve the perfect loaf without the lengthy, complicated process.

Now you don’t have to waste your time on unnecessary steps, as I’ve done all the trial and error for you.

The main thing is not to stress over making slow cooker rye sourdough bread, make it fit in with you and not the other way round!

So, what are you waiting for? Go and bake some healthy and delicious Danish Rye Bread!

Pin Easy Slow Cooker Sourdough Danish Rye Bread (Rugbrød) for later!

Leave a comment and rating below when you’ve made this recipe; I love getting your feedback! You can also share your pictures by tagging @FabFood4All over on Instagram.

Print Pin Save Saved!

Easy Slow Cooker Danish Sourdough Rye Bread (Rugbrød)

This Easy Slow Cooker Danish Sourdough Rye Bread (Rugbrød) is the easiest recipe for authentic Danish rye bread you’ll find! Packed full of nutrients and dietary fibre this seeded Danish rugbrød is perfect for a healthy breakfast or lunch!

Course Breakfast, Light Lunch, Snack

Cuisine Danish

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 3 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Resting time 16 hours hours

Total Time 19 hours hours 25 minutes minutes

Servings 28 slices

Author Camilla Hawkins

Cost £2

Equipment

• 1 Measuring jug
• 1 Tablespoon
• 1 large glass mixing bowl
• 1 rubber spatula
• 900 g / 2 lb loaf tin (I use a Mermaid Hard Anodised loaf tin)
• 1 large clear food bag (I recycle cereal bags)
• 1 food bag clip
• 6.5 L (6.8 Q) Slow Cooker (Crockpot)
• 1 nonstick spatula

Ingredients

• 75 g sourdough starter see notes
• 420 g tepid water see notes
• 250 g dark rye flour
• 160 g strong malted bread flour see notes
• 10 g sea salt flakes
• 200 g mixed seeds sunflower, pumpkin, hemp, golden linseed

Topping

• 35 g mixed seeds sunflower, pumpkin, hemp, golden linseed

Instructions

• Generously grease a 900g/ 2lb loaf tin with butter (or oil but I find butter works best).
• Place a mixing bowl onto the scales and weigh 420 g tepid water and 75 g of sourdough starter.
• Mix the starter and water with a spatula (don’t worry about being thorough).
• Add the rye flour, strong malted bread flour, mixed seeds and salt in this order.
• Mix well with a spatula until all the flour is incorporated. It should be the consistency of wet concrete.
• Scrape the dough into the loaf tin.
• Level the surface with a wetted rubber spatula or hand to eradicate any air pockets. Aim for the sides being lower than the middle (which should be slightly raised).
• Place the loaf tin into a large clear bag, seal with a clip and leave on your counter to bulk ferment until the dough has risen by 25% and has around 10 pinprick holes. This can take between 5 and 16 hours but will depend on the room temperature and time of year. (See notes).
• Sprinkle 30 g of mixed seeds over the top of the rye sourdough.
• Place the loaf tin into the slow cooker and bake on high for 3 hours and 10 minutes (core temperature should reach 98 – 99°C).
• Once baked, allow the rye bread to cool in the tin for 10 minutes.
• Then loosen with a nonstick spatula if necessary and tip the rye bread onto a wire rack to cool.
• Once cool put the loaf into a bag to soften (it will be hard and crusty at first). Allow 12 to 24 hours to pass before slicing and eating the rye bread.
• Store the loaf in a sealed bag or beeswax wrap to maintain moisture. Alternatively slice up and freeze in a food bag. Frozen Danish rye bread makes great toast.

Video

Notes

• Starter: Feed your starter 40 g of strong white flour and 40 g of tepid water a few hours before you start. Once it has doubled in size it’s ready to use.
• Tepid Water: I use a mixture of boiled water and cold tap water unless I happen to have tepid water left in the kettle.
• Strong Malted Bread Flour: I use Matthew’s Cotswold Crunch Strong Bread Flour. A similar flour is Dove’s Farm Organic Malthouse Bread Flour. They both contain wheat, malted wheat flakes, malted barley, and dark rye. Marriages do an Organic Strong Malted Brown Bread Flour, too, but it doesn’t contain any rye. I have not tested the Dove’s or Marriages’ flours, but I’d expect them to give similar results.
• Bulk Fermentation Time: On a hot day, this has taken me 5 hours, but on a cold day, 16 hours (ie, overnight). You will get to know what timing works in your kitchen. Don’t worry if you leave the dough to ferment for too long and have multiple holes, this rye bread is very forgiving. Your loaf might have a dip in the middle, but it will still be great rye bread. You really can’t go wrong with this recipe. If you need to delay bulk fermentation, put the sourdough in the fridge overnight, then take it out in the morning to continue proving.