In the US, that sort of rye bread is sold in specialty stores as
"Pumpernickel". Bread made from rye and wheat flour, labelled rye bread,
is sold in loaves just like regular bread. Of course, we've also got
several varieties (Jewish rye, which is light colored and weight with
caraway seeds, Deli rye which is light without caraway seeds, marble rye
which is a swirl of rye and white bread, a different loaf pumpernickel
which is dark and dense and sometimes also has caraway seeds).

toodles, gretchen

--On Sunday, May 22, 2005 7:00 AM +0200 "Peter H.M. Brooks"
wrote:

I'm curious as to why rye bread is sold cut into very thin slices in
packets. Other bread is sold in loaves and variations on loaves.

Is this just an historical accident or is there some reason for it?

Is it as easy to cook loaves of rye bread at home, or is there some
difficulty with it?

Is it possible to make lighter rye bread than the fairly dense stuff you
find in the packets?

--
"It is the mark of a civilised man, and a hallmark of his culture, that
he applies no more precision to a problem than its nature permits, or its
solution demands." - Aristotle
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