Mornings in Copenhagen smell of oven‑warm rugbrød – that dark, malty, mouthwatering rye bread that has even the most discerning palate craving a slice. Below, discover five must-visit bakeries breathing new life into age‑old Danish recipes, from fermented miso loaves to seed‑crusted classics
More than 883,510 metric tonnes of rye grain is produced in Denmark every year, so it would track that the country has its rye bread recipes locked down. A staple of the Danish diet for thousands of years, rye bread – or rugbrød – is something of a national treasure, particularly in Copenhagen, where the city’s dining scene has firmly cemented itself as one of the world’s best.
While the culinary pedigree of Copenhagen has been bubbling over into its world-renowned baking scene for a number of years now, rye bread remains king. Whether you’re using it as the base for smørrebrød, or simply dunking soldiers of dark, malty goodness into golden egg yolks, your breakfast is only as good as your bread. Here, we pick five of the best bakeries to head to for the finest rye in town.
Hart Bageri
One of the most formative names in modern baking, Richard Hart was a key figure in San Francisco’s thriving sourdough baking scene before moving to Copenhagen, where, in partnership with Noma’s Rene Redzepi, he has built an empire of bakeries across the city – Hart Bageri.
Unsurprisingly given Hart’s dedication to bread, his move to Scandinavia brought with it a new loaf to perfect: rye bread. Part of the benefit of working with Redzepi meant Hart had access to Noma’s test kitchen. It’s there he discovered the team’s rye miso, which he then incorporated into a recipe, creating the rich, intensely umami miso rye loaf, which has gone on to become a cult favourite.
Various locations
Juno the Bakery
It seems to be the case that even if Noma’s Rene Redzepi isn’t directly involved in a bakery in Copenhagen, his influence can still be felt in some way, shape, or form. Take, for instance, Juno the Bakery. Opened in 2017 by former Noma pastry chef Emil Glaser, the bakery takes a slow food, seasonal approach to cooking, and this care is no more evident than in their rye bread, which is malty, seeded and perfect simply served with boiled eggs or a slice of cheese. Don’t forget to grab a cardamom bun while you’re there. Or a hazelnut cream puff. Or a fastelavnsbolle. Go on – you know you want to.
Århusgade 48, København, Denmark 2100
Lille Bakery
Made with regeneratively farmed rye from Brinkholm farm just 70km from the bakery, Lille’s rye bread is moist, dense and packed full of flavour. Settle in at the open, breezy space for a slice with cold cuts and cheese, or little blocks of soldiers with dippy eggs, or simply grab a loaf to go and sneak yourself a berliner, a savory tartlet or a wedge of focaccia as a reward for making the journey over to Refshaleoen. If you visit at lunchtime in the summer months, nourish yourself with a quiche and salad – or whatever they happen to be cooking on the ever-changing menu that day – in the sunny courtyard and rub shoulders with well-fed locals.
Refshalevej 213B, 1432 København, Denmark
Andersen & Maillard
What do you get when a pastry chef who used to work at two of Copenhagen’s most formative restaurants, Noma and Amass, opens a bakery in Nordhavn? One of the city’s best rye loafs, of course – plus some light and fluffy cinnamon buns, beautifully laminated fastelavnsboller (when they’re in season), and juicy focaccia sandwiches to boot. Given co-owner Milton Abel’s culinary pedigree, it should come as no surprise that Andersen & Maillard's sourdough rye loaf is made with organic Danish rye flour, and packed full of seeds for extra nutrition and textural diversity.
Nørrebrogade 62, 2200 København N, Denmark
Københavns Bageri
Anders Lorenz and Rasmus Sjødahl are amassing something of a baked goods empire in Copenhagen. Alongside Københavns Bageri, they also have Benji in Nørrebro, Sneezing Fruits in Islands Brygge and Alice in Amagerbro, plus an ice cream parlour and cafe, Aurora. And while the baked goods (and frozen treats) are crowd pleasers at all of them, the rye porridge bread at Københavns Bageri is a particular favourite. More sourdough than classically rye in style, it's a perfect blend of the two styles for one great loaf.
Flaskehalsen 22, 1778 København, Denmark