Bread machines give you the ability to produce high-quality breads with little effort. Homemade rye bread tends to rise poorly, due to its low gluten content. By adding bread flour, to increase the gluten content, and using a bread machine, you can easily enjoy the taste of homemade rye bread. If you prefer a darker rye bread, substitute whole wheat flour for half of the white flour.

Place the ingredients in the bread pan. Add ingredients in the order suggested by the bread machine's instruction manual. All ingredients should be at room temperature prior to baking, according to the University of Kentucky.

Lower the bread pan into the bread machine. Program the bread machine for a basic bread and medium baking cycle. Start the bread machine and allow it to fully bake the rye bread. The machine will let the bread rise before baking it.

Remove the bread pan from the bread machine--wear oven gloves to do this. Turn the bread out of the pan and onto cooling racks or a counter top. Allow the bread to cool before serving.