Nigel Slater's rye bread recipes (2024)

It is not just the sweet nuttiness of arye loaf that appeals but its pinch of acidity. That brightness that exists even, sometimes more so, after toasting. There is often a chewy quality, each mouthful so much more satisfying than a piece of airy ciabatta or even a slice of sourdough. While rye toast has all the comforting qualities of wholemeal, it has abrightness, a little snap, that tastes alive, not dead.

Rye flour produces a loaf that is generally a wee bit heavier than white flour, and bread made purely from rye can occasionally be only astep away from a house brick. Ilighten mine with a quantity, often half, of wholemeal or white. You get the best of both worlds. The flat, round 100%rye loaves are good when sliced only a little thicker than apound coin, toasted and used to carry goat's curd and slivers of gravlax.

The nature of rye bread, tight textured and chewy, means you need less to satisfy a bread craving. Toasted, it works enticingly with sharp jams, gooseberry, plum and redcurrant jelly. Cream or curd cheeses, again with a speck of acidity, and sweet, nutty cheeses such as gruyère partner it as perfectly as ripe brie on a crisp crusted, flour-dusted baguette. A great rye-bread sandwich is one that holds layers of milky caerphilly cheese and peppery, glossy-leaved watercress.

Toasted rye bread is probably the perfect base for small fish and shellfish. Prawns in dill-freckled mayonnaise; pickled rolled herring with paper-thin onion and sliced gherkin; escabèche of mackerel. My own favourite is smoked cod's roe, spread straight from its skin before some spoilsport whips it into taramasalata. The salty pink roe and the tobacco-coloured bread form apretty fine partnership.

I used to think rye flour was difficult to work and had a few failures along the way. But the more you work with it and get to understand its ways, the more you realise that this is flour that doesn't produce a billowing fluffy loaf or a featherlight sponge. It is more complex than that. No, the rise won't be so magnificent, the crumb of your loaf will be tighter and the texture more dense. But you will end up with abread of depth and intrigue whose flavour will be both complex and bright. It will keep well, too – far longer than a white loaf.

I started my rye baking with amixture of flours, but with each batch I make, I notice the ratio of rye flour to white is going up. If I keep headed in this direction, there will be a pure rye bread on my breakfast table by the new year.

A couple of rye loaves

The addition of a little grated cheese to this loaf is unusual. I included it initially on awhim, but then enjoyed the way it seemed to increase both the depth of flavour and moistness of the loaf. Leave it out if you wish. It's no big deal. I used adeep loaf tin, lightly floured. These loaves keep very well for several days – and make cracking toast. If spelt flour remains elusive, then use standard wholemeal. Makes 2 large loaves.

Lightly warm the water with the honey, stirring to dissolve, then pour into the flour and yeast. Mix the ingredients to form a sticky dough, then tip on to afloured board or work surface.

Form the dough into a ball, then knead by hand, pulling and stretching the dough, for agood 4 or 5 minutes.

Lightly oil the bowl then return the dough to it, cover with a tea cloth or clingfilm, then set aside in a warm place for about an hour, until the dough is half as big again.

Remove the dough from the bowl, place on a lightly floured board and knead again, briefly, for just a minute or two, incorporating the walnuts and parmesan as you go. Divide the dough in half, then place in the prepared loaf tins, cover andset aside for afurther 30 minutes until risen. Set the oven at 220C/gas mark 8. Bake for 30 minutes, until crisp ontop. Remove from the oven, leave for 10 minutes in its tin, then lift out and leave to cool before slicing.

To keep, wrap in foil or kitchen film and set aside. It will also freeze well.

Poppy and pumpkin seed buns

Sunflower seeds are an option here, as is caraway. I ate them with mackerel pâté, pickled cucumber and capers. Makes 12-15.

apple juice 400ml
honey 2 tbsp
strong white plain flour 400g
rye flour 200g
easy-bake dried yeast 2 tsp
sea salt 1 tsp
poppy seeds and pumpkin seeds

Warm the apple juice and honey in asaucepan. It should be just hot enough to hold your finger in. Put the flours in alarge mixing bowl and sprinkle in the yeast and salt. Pour in the warm apple juice and honey and mix thoroughly to a sticky dough.

Knead the dough by hand for a mere 3 or 4 minutes, pushing, pulling and stretching the dough in whatever way suits you. You can use the food mixer fitted with adough hook if you prefer. Oil or flour the bowl lightly, then return the dough to it and cover with a tea cloth or clingfilm. Set aside in awarm place, free of draughts, for an hour or until the dough has risen to almost twice its original volume.

Set the oven at 220C/gas mark 8. Tear off 12-15 pieces and form into balls. Place these on a baking sheet or pizza stone, then scatter the surface with poppy and pumpkin seeds and cover with a dry tea cloth. Leave in a warm place for about 15-20 minutes until the rolls have risen slightly.

Bake the rolls for about 20 minutes. Theyshould sound hollow when upturned and tapped. Remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack.

Email Nigel at nigel.slater@observer.co.uk or visit theguardian.com/profile/nigelslater for all his recipes in one place