Its denser texture, darker color, and somewhat earthy flavor are some of the qualities that set rye apart from other breads. It’s certainly not the first bread that most people grab down the bread aisle, however, it is undoubtedly enjoyed by many.
If you are here, you are likely one of those people who enjoys eating rye bread and are curious about what is available in stores. Here are more than 10 rye bread brands for you to consider for your next grocery store run.
Rye Bread Brands
Arnold
Where To Buy: In Stores
Dean and Betty Arnold started Arnold’s in 1940 in Stamford, Connecticut. The bread was cooked out of the couple’s home using a brick oven located at the rear of the residence. The premium ingredients used to make the bread are a big reason people continued returning for more.
Today, the company maintains high-quality standards to produce its bread. The company uses no high-fructose corn syrup, colors, or flavors.
Arnold makes these rye bread products:
- Seeded Jewish Rye
- Seedless Jewish Rye
- Pumpernickel Jewish Rye
- Melba Thin Jewish Rye
Aunt Millie’s
Where To Buy: In Stores
Aunt Millie’s was launched in 1901 by its founder, John Franke. The Fort Wayne, Indiana bakery was first called the Wayne Biscuit Company, then Perfection Bakery, and finally its name changed to Aunt Millie’s.
This bread brand remains family-owned today. It operates five bakeries that produce around 500,000 pounds of bread per day.
These are the rye breads made by Aunt Millie’s:
- Seeded Rye
- Seedless Rye
- Milano Bakery Jewish Rye
Beefsteak
Beefsteak is one of the most popular rye bread brands in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic. The brand was owned by the snack cake maker, Hostess, prior to its bankruptcy in 2012. In 2013, Grupo Bimbo purchased the brand for over $30 million.
Beefsteak makes these rye breads:
- Soft Rye (No Seeds)
- Seeded Hearty Rye
Cobblestone Bread
Cobblestone Bread got its name because the top of its bread was believed to look like Cobblestone pavers. The brand is owned by the bakery giant, Flower Foods, similar to Nature’s Own, Dave’s Killer, and others.
Here are the rye breads made by Cobblestone:
- New York Style
- Brooklyn Rye
Dave’s Killer Bread
Where To Buy: In Stores
Dave’s father owned a bakery called Nature Bake that specialized in sprouted grain and organic bread. While in his younger years, Dave spent time in jail and then emerged back into society to work at the family bakery.
There he developed the first Dave’s Killer Bread product. The bread was first sold at nearby farmers’ markets which quickly became a hit with customers. It’s now hard not to run into Dave’s Killer bread at many supermarkets.
Dave’s makes this killer rye:
- Righteous Rye
Genuine Bavarian
Where To Buy: HealthyGermanBread.com
The company was founded in 1905 when it began making gingerbread and other sweet foods. Today, it is operated by the third generation of the family. In addition to Genuine Bavarian, the company makes products under the Hümmlinger brand name.
Here are the rye breads made by the company:
- Genuine Bavarian Organic Whole Rye
- Hümmlinger Whole Kernel Rye
- Hümmlinger Farmers Dark Rye
Natures Own
Nature’s Own was introduced by Flower Foods in 1977. It quickly became popular with consumers in the American Southeast.
Today, Nature’s Own is the top-selling bread brand in America according to the company. The bread contains no artificial preservatives, colors, flavors, high-fructose corn syrup, or trans fat.
Natures Own produces this rye bread:
- Thick-Sliced Soft Rye
Oroweat
Where To Buy: In Stores
Oroweat was started in 1932 by Hermann and Betty Dreyer. Its bread was made in a bakery/grocery store using a brick oven to produce its premium products.
Today, the company’s focus is on making bread with high-quality and simple ingredients without the bad stuff like high-fructose corn syrup, artificial preservatives, or partially hydrogenated oils.
Oroweat makes these rye bread products:
- Jewish
- Dark
- Russian
- Dill
Pepperidge Farm
Where To Buy: In Stores
Margaret Rudkin was the founder of Pepperidge Farm. She began baking in the 1930s to help alleviate her son’s food allergy problem. People loved her baking so much that she opened her own bakery in 1947 in Norwalk, Connecticut. In addition to selling her products locally, her husband would bring them to Wall Street specialty shops before he started his morning as a broker.
Pepperidge Farm produces these rye breads:
- Soft Rye
- Deli Swirl Rye & Pumpernickel
- Whole Grain Seeded Rye
- Seeded Rye
- Seedless Rye
S. Rosen’s
Where To Buy: In Stores
Sam Rosen launched S. Rosen’s in 1909 in Chicago. It began as a rye bread brand that was delivered via good old-fashioned horse and buggy.
Today, the company is still operated by relatives of the founder. In addition to rye, S. Rosen’s makes wheat, multigrain, Hawaiian, and white bread.
These are the rye bread products made by S. Rosen’s:
- Plain Rye
- Seeded Rye
- Thin Sliced Plain Rye
- Thin Sliced Seeded Rye
- Bavarian Dark Rye
- Marble Rye
- Cocktail Rye – Caraway
- Cocktail Rye – Pumpernickel
- Unsliced Rye
- Unsliced Seeded Rye
- 7/16″ Sliced Rye
Village Hearth
Where To Buy: In Stores
Village Hearth and its sister brands called Country Hearth and Artisan Hearth Gourmet are distributed around nine states of the Midwest. Country Hearth began to be sold in the mid-1970s, followed by Village Hearth in the early 1990s, and finally Artisan Hearth Gourmet only recently hit store shelves.
Village Hearth makes these rye breads:
- Unseeded Rye
- Seeded Rye
- Pumpernickel Rye
Featured Image Credit – T.Tsseng/flickr
