Øllebrød Danish rye bread porridge

Name: Øllebrød Danish rye bread porridge
Total time: 35 min
Cuisine: Scandinavian
Ingredients: 250g dark rye bread, stale, torn into pieces; 600ml water; 250ml malt drink, or dark ale; 1 cinnamon stick; 1 lemon, zest and juice; 40g dark brown sugar; 200ml cold milk, or whipping cream, to serve; 0.25 tsp fine salt

A warm, malty porridge made from old dark rye bread, lemon and cinnamon. A clever Danish way to use up stale loaf.

Time35 min
LevelEasy
Costabout £0.80 a head

Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.

4 servings

Ingredients

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250 gdark rye breadstale, torn into pieces
600 mlwater
250 mlmalt drinkor dark ale
1cinnamon stick
1lemonzest and juice
40 gdark brown sugar
200 mlcold milkor whipping cream, to serve
¼ tspfine salt

Method

1
Put the bread, water, malt drink and cinnamon stick in a large pan. Leave to soak for 15 minutes so the bread softens.
15 min
2
Bring to a simmer over a medium heat, then cook gently for 15 minutes, stirring often, until the bread breaks down into a thick, dark porridge.
15 min
3
Remove the cinnamon stick. Beat the porridge hard with a whisk or wooden spoon until smooth. Stir in the lemon zest, the juice of half the lemon, the sugar and the salt.
4
Taste and add more lemon juice if you want it sharper. Ladle into bowls and pour cold milk or cream round the edge.

Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.