Disclosure: Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links and if you go via these links to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. I have linked these products because I have tried and would thoroughly recommend them, not because of any commission I may receive. Whether you act on this recommendation or not is completely up to you. Check out my Disclaimer for more information.
This Rye Sourdough Bread is a twist on my usual Classic Sourdough Bread recipe. It´s a really great bread that will keep you fuller for longer, due to the high fibre content and is packed with nutrients!
This is a great overnight recipe! Simply prepare this Rye Sourdough Bread before you go to bed, leave it to prove overnight and bake the next morning!
This bread would be perfect for making sandwiches, eating with some delicious homemade soup (e.g. this Roasted Pumpkin Soup), or serving for breakfast with Avocado and Egg or as part of a Traditional German Breakfast!
Making the Starter for this Rye Sourdough Bread
To make this bread, I created a rye starter, by using some of my original plain flour starter and “feeding” it with rye flour. It is very easy to do!
To make a rye sourdough bread starter, take 100g of your plain starter (find a recipe for making your own plain starter here) and mixed it with 100g of rye flour and 100ml of water.
Leave it at room temperature for 24 hours, then discard some of the starter so that you are left with 150g of it. Then give it another 150g of both rye flour and water and leave for a further 24h. Then it is ready to use! Take from it the 250g you need to make this bread, then store in the fridge and feed once weekly with more rye flour and water. For detailed instructions on how to maintain your starter, check out my original sourdough starter post here.
Working with Rye Flour
Because rye flour contains a lot less gluten than normal plain flour, it is hard to make a sourdough loaf that is made with 100% rye flour. Therefore, I use a ratio of 1/3 rye flour to 2/3 plain white flour, as well as the rye sourdough starter to create this loaf. It is still a lot darker in colour and denser than my classic sourdough and has a “deeper” flavour to it.
You might be wondering why I did not use strong white flour to make this loaf like I usually use for bread baking. And the answer is simply this: I tried both and using plain flour gave me better results!
It will never be as smooth as regular dough when kneading…
Because rye flour contains less gluten it is definitely harder to work with and knead, and your dough will never become as smooth and stretchy as it does when you use plain flour. I find using a little more water compared to what I use in my classic recipe and just being persistent with the kneading process works best here. And eventually, acceptance that it won´t get any smoother and my arms giving up after 15 minutes of kneading 😉.
As the dough is a lot stiffer and less stretch than usual, I also place this bread straight into a proofing basket and only leave it for one very long rise (~8h). This is different from the usual shorter rise and knocking back, followed by a second, longer rise.
But for this Rye Sourdough Bread, I just give it that one long proof and then bake it. Make sure you bake it with steam to ensure you get a nice, crispy crust!
I absolutely LOVE baking bread!❤ If you want to try out any of my other bread recipes, click on one of the links below!
– Crusty Sourdough Bread
– Classic Irish Soda Bread
– Tomato and Mozzarella Focaccia
– Wholemeal Seeded Loaf
– Cheddar Cheese and Chive Soda Bread – No-Knead Bread
– Italian Rosemary Focaccia Bread
Rye Sourdough Bread
Recipe
Ingredients:
- 250g rye sourdough starter
- 125g rye flour
- 250g plain white flour
- 15g salt
- 150-170 ml lukewarm water
- A little olive oil, for kneading
Method:
- In a bowl, mix together the sourdough starter, two types of flour and salt. Add most of the water and use your hands to bring the ingredients together to form a ball of dough. Gradually add more water if needed until the mixture is no longer dry but not extremely wet.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly oiled surface to prevent it from sticking. Knead the dough for about 5-10 minutes until it is as smooth and stretchy as you can get it. Remember, as it contains rye flour it will never become as smooth and elastic as when using only plain flour.
- Generously flour a small proofing basket suitable for a 500g loaf. If you haven´t bought one yet, I´d highly recommend this one. Alternatively, flour a tea towel and place into a bowl.
- Shape your bread dough into a ball. To do so, stretch the sides of the dough and fold them into the middle. Turn the dough so that the seams are facing your work surface. Cup your hands around the dough and gently turn to smooth into a round shape.
- Place your bread, seam-side-up into your proofing basket or bowl. Cover, and leave to prove for about 8 hours.
- Near the end of the proofing time, preheat the oven to 220°C. Place a roasting tin filled with cold water at the bottom of the oven to create some steam.
- Turn the dough onto a baking tray lined with baking paper. Lightly dust the top of the dough with flour. Using a very sharp knife, carefully score a cross (about 0.5 cm deep) on the top of your bread.
- Bake your rye sourdough bread in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Then turn down the heat to 200° and leave to bake for a further 20-25 minutes. The bread is baked when it sounds hollow when tapped from below. If in doubt, leave it in for a little longer. Over-baked bread is still better than under-baked.
- Leave the bread to cool completely on a wire rack before slicing. Enjoy!
