• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Nourished Kitchen

  • Philosophy
  • Recipes
  • Cookbooks
  • Shop
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Start Here
  • Recipes
  • Cookbooks
  • Shop
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Start Here
    • Recipes
    • Cookbooks
    • Shop
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    » Home » Recipes » Sourdough Recipes » Sourdough Rye Bread

    Sourdough Rye Bread

    Posted: Feb 27, 2015 · Updated: Oct 7, 2020 by Jenny McGruther · This site earns income from ads, affiliate links, and sponsorships.

    pinterest pin how to make sourdough rye bread

    This artisanal-style sourdough rye bread has a dense, chewy crumb that's touched by the lightest swirl of molasses and a sprinkling of caraway seeds. It's made from both light and dark rye flours. Toast it and slather it with butter or chicken liver pâté.

    Jump to Recipe | What is it? | What's in it?

    What is it?

    Sourdough rye bread is a traditional, artisan-style bread made from a blend of light and dark rye flours and sourdough starter. Rye flour contains a weaker gluten matrix than wheat flour (gluten is the protein that gives bread structure as they rise). For this reason, it tends to produce a denser bread than wheat and performs poorly with bakers yeast.

    While traditional bakers yeast doesn't work well for rye flours, sourdough starter does. That's because sourdough starter contains both yeast and lactobacillus bacteria. The lactobacillus bacteria increase the acidity of the dough as the bread rises, which strengthens the starches and produces better bread.

    You'll find rustic, artisan-style sourdough rye bread in European baking traditions throughout northern, central, and eastern Europe, Scandinavia, Ukraine, and Russia. This style of bread formed a staple of traditional medieval European cookery.

    What's in it?

    At its simplest, sourdough rye includes a sourdough starter, rye flour, and salt. To this basic blend, you can mix in caraway seeds and other spices as well as sweeteners such as honey or molasses. Molasses gives the bread a darker color, depending on the amount you use.

    • Light rye flour is made from the endosperm (or white part) of the rye berry, without any of the bran or germ. It has a light flavor and texture, and makes the bread softer and less dense.
    • Dark rye flour gives the bread flavor, as well as a boost of nutrition since it includes the bran and the germ. These parts of the rye berry contain fiber and various micronutrients.
    • Sourdough starter helps leaven the bread. This bread uses 100% hydration starter, which means that it has been fed with equal amounts of flour and water. You can use a rye flour or wheat flour starter to make this bread.
    • Minimally processed salt gives the bread flavor and helps to strengthen the dough.
    • Molasses sweetens the loaf and gives the crumb a darker color.
    Rate this Recipe
    5 from 2 votes

    Sourdough Rye Bread Recipe

    Made with rye flour, sourdough starter, caraway seeds and the lightest touch of molasses, this easy sourdough rye bread yields a delicious, rustic loaf.
    Prep Time12 hrs
    Cook Time45 mins
    Rise Time4 hrs
    Total Time16 hrs 45 mins
    Servings: 1 boule
    Print Save Recipe Saved!

    Ingredients

    Levain

    • 50 grams sourdough starter (proofed)
    • 100 grams warm water
    • 150 grams light rye flour

    Dough

    • 150 grams dark rye flour
    • 150 grams light rye flour
    • 170 grams warm water
    • 1 teaspoon molasses
    • 1 ½ teaspoons finely ground real salt
    • 1 tablespoon caraway seeds (optional)

    Equipment

    • Large Mixing Bowl with Lid
    • Stand Mixer
    • Dough Hook
    • Banneton

    Instructions

    Make the levain.

    • Measure the sourdough starter into a large bowl, and then whisk in 100 grams warm water. Stir in 150 grams light rye flour, to form a shaggy, loose dough. Cover the bowl with a tight-fitting lid or square of plastic wrap, and then let it sit at room temperature at least 12 and up to 16 hours, or until proofed and bubbly.

    Make the dough.

    • Scrape the levain into the basin of a stand mixer, and then dump in 150 grams dark rye flour and 150 grams light rye flour. Add the water, molasses, salt, and caraway seeds. Using the dough hook, knead the dough about 5 minutes, and then cover the bowl and let the dough rise about 3 hours, or until puffy.
    • Generously dust your banneton with flour.
    • Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and then form it into a boule. Place it seam-side up into the floured banneton, and then cover it lightly with a tea towel. Allow it to rise about an hour. Then transfer it to the fridge.

    Baking the bread.

    • Place a Dutch oven into the oven, and then preheat the oven to 500 F.
    • Once the oven reaches temperature, turn down the heat to 450 F. Then turn the dough out onto a piece of parchment paper, and score the loaf.
    • Remove the preheated Dutch oven from the oven, and then carefully lift its top. Gently lower the dough into the Dutch oven, cover it, and then return the pot to the oven. Bake for 30 minutes, and then uncover the Dutch oven and continue baking a further 15 minutes.
    • Transfer the bread to a wire rack and allow it to cool completely before slicing and serving.
    Tried this recipe?Mention @nourishedkitchen or tag #nourishedkitchen!

    Try these sourdough recipes next

    • Wild Yeast (Yeast Water)
    • Sourdough Bagels
    • Bread Kvass
    • Easy Sourdough Starter

    « Fermented Mixed Berries
    Shellfish Cioppino »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. William Deutermann says

      March 18, 2022 at 6:58 am

      5 stars
      A tentative 5! I was concerned that the dough for the levain looked inactive, as it showed no obvious rise in 16 hours, in spite of the very active starter that I had used. Despite misgivings, I went ahead. When I scraped the levain into my mixer bowl, I noticed lots of small co2 bubbles on the inside. The complete dough has now been in my proofing cabinet at 74 degrees for 1.5 hours, and considerable gas has bulged the plastic lid on the bowl. I took the lid off, as my proofing cabinet has humidity control, and the dough looks fine.

      Reply
    2. Cat says

      November 10, 2020 at 11:26 pm

      5 stars
      Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
      I'm new to sourdough and bread making in general, having only used a bread machine or made overnight rye loaves with yeast.
      Recently I embarked on my sourdough journey after taking an interest in fermented foods and making my own yoghurt and cream cheese.
      So I got to it and made my own sourdough starter, Tammy!
      This was my (and Tammy's!) first loaf and it is fabulous, thank you!
      I cooked in an 8'' Pyrex dish and it turned out deliciously sour, chewy and even got the thumbs up from Hubby who I am training to like' real'bread 😂.
      Can't recommend it enough. Thank you again xx

      Reply
    3. Lisa O. says

      September 05, 2020 at 12:25 pm

      5 stars
      Bread came out so moist and chewy! I used mostly all purpose flour for my starter and fermented it for about 10 days first. Turned out wonderfully sour! I was skeptical because my last attempt came out like a brick (the rye dough is so sticky and hard to work with!), but your kneading tips were great and the bake time was perfect, I put a glass baking dish of water in the oven with the loaf. Will make again!

      Reply
    4. Charry says

      February 28, 2015 at 2:52 am

      I've had so many failed attempts at baking with rye flour. I have a bag of rye berries I experiment with periodically. So please help me with following this recipe: How do you create the sourdough starter or use yeast instead? Thank you.

      Reply
    5. Colleen says

      February 27, 2015 at 5:46 pm

      Wow, this is awesome! Thanks for sharing this on your blog, I love finding new whole foods bloggers out there! I also love rye, but have never used 100% rye. Now I want to try it! I might have to get the book.

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Young woman in glasses smilint, Black and White Headshot

    Hi, I'm Jenny! I'm a nutritional therapist, herbalist and the author of three natural foods cookbooks. You'll find nourishing bone broths, simple herbal remedies, and loads of fermented goodness on this site.

    More about me →

    Trending Recipes

    • Rose Water
    • How to Make CBD Oil
    • Bone Broth
    • Easy Fermented Hot Sauce
    • Sour Pickles
    • Homemade Root Beer

    Recent Posts

    • Dandelion Salad
    • Rhubarb Shrub
    • Cucumber Dill Salad
    • Einkorn Apple Cake
    • Celery Salad with Apples
    • Wild Mushroom Pâté

    In Season Now

    • Strawberry Wine
    • Strawberry Smash
    • Dilled Potato Leek Soup
    • Carrot Leek Soup

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Explore

    • Nourishing Recipes
    • Broth Recipes
    • Fermented Vegetables
    • Fermented Drinks
    • Cultured Dairy
    • Herbal Remedies
    • Sourdough

    Seasonal Cooking

    • Soup Recipes
    • Stew Recipes
    • Spring Vegetable Recipes
    • Spring Fruit Recipes

    Connect

    • About
    • Subscribe
    • Workshops
    • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • Instagram

    Privacy Policy + Affiliate Disclosure + Copyright Notice + Accessibility

    Copyright © 2021 Nourished Media LLC. All rights reserved.