100% Rye Sourdough
The rye to end all ryes…
This rye might not be the best for sandwiches, but what it lacks in form, it makes up for in flavor. It is SO savory and sour—I eat this bread by itself as a snack. You can also add some spreads and toppings to toasted slices and make open face sandwiches.
This is great if you’re looking to add more whole grains. Not to mention, it looks like a giant cookie!
This recipe incorporates a large preferment. This preferment works to improve the rye’s texture. Without it, the finished rye can be sticky and gummy. Not with this rye! This rye is soft and springy.
And you might think this is an advanced bread to make… but really it’s quite easy.
Rye is so low gluten, that there’s no gluten to even build, so there are no stretch and folds. Plus, we aren’t going to score before baking. Easy peasy!
And, don’t be alarmed by the high amount of hydration in this dough. Yes, the dough might look like a wet mess, but rye absorbs so much water that you need it to look like a wet mess. It will come together in the end, I promise! Just don’t forget to wet your hands before touching the dough.
If you like rye as much as I do, you’ll enjoy this rye bread of rye breads!
100% Rye Sourdough
Ingredients
- 120 grams sourdough starter
- 200 grams whole grain rye flour
- 200 grams water
- All of the preferment
- 300 grams whole grain rye flour
- 250 grams water
- 7 grams salt
Instructions
- The night before, mix all the preferment ingredients and allow to sit, covered, for at least 12 hours.
- The morning afterwards, mix in all the other ingredients let sit for an hour.
- After an hour, wet your hands and shape the bread into a disk. Place the disk onto a silicone mat or parchment paper for ease of transfer. Dust your disk lightly with flour and allow to sit for 1-2 hours, or until cracks start to form on the dough.
- When cracks start to form, preheat your oven to 475 degrees Fahrenheit with your baking vessel inside. Allow to preheat for 30 minutes.
- Once the oven is preheated, place your dough into your baking vessel (no need to score) and bake covered for 30 minutes at 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
- After 30 minutes, take the lid off your baking vessel and lower the temperature to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for another 20 minutes.
- Allow to cool for at least 12 hours (preferably 24 hours) before slicing. This will improve the texture.
- This rye will last at least a week at room temperature. Rye is naturally resistant to mold and stays fresh longer than other bread! Keep covered with a tea towel or bread bag and slice as needed. The bread can also be sliced and frozen in a freezer safe bag.
Notes
Supplies
2.5-Quart Mixing Bowl with Cover
Fork for mixing
Kitchen Scale
Dutch Oven (Or other baking vessel with lid)
Silicone Mat or Parchment Paper
- I use a Challenger bread pan to bake this, but you can use any large Dutch oven with a lid. Alternatively, you can use the steam method: for the first thirty minutes of the bake, place a pan of ice water on the bottom rack of the oven and place the pan (you can even use a sheet pan!) with the bread on the top rack. This will create the steam. Remove the ice water in the last twenty minutes of the bake.
- If you want this to be *really* 100% rye, use a rye sourdough starter. However, this recipe can be made with any sourdough starter.
