Sourdough Rye Bread

Rye bread is the bread of my childhood. My family lived in the Czech Republic when I was young, and I have fond memories of the loaves of dark, crusty rye bread we would buy at the local Potraviny (neighborhood grocery). They had a subtle flavor of caraway, which I grew to love. My school lunches were made on slices of this delicious bread, usually with a schmear of butter and a slice or two of salami sandwiched in between–a combination I still crave to this day (aren’t childhood memories funny like that?).

As I’ve baked more and more sourdough bread, I realized that I needed to make a delicious loaf of sourdough rye bread that would transport me back. This sourdough rye bread is perfect for sandwiches. It’s perfect for toast. It’s perfect to eat plain with a little bit of butter–unsalted for me please! It also reminds me of my Sourdough Spelt Bread – nutty in flavor and delicious whole grains.

Save this for later!

We'll email this post to you so it doesn't get lost in your open tabs 😉

I agree to be sent email.

Working with Rye Flour

Temperature and Time

With changing seasons, sourdough can sometimes throw you for a loop. This sourdough rye bread performs best when the dough temperature is 78-80°F. I don’t know about you but my kitchen is not always the perfect temperature for sourdough. I find that in the summer, when my house is humid and warm that sourdough bread takesless time to ferment. In the winter, it can take many more hours!

Do your best to keep your sourdough in that perfect 78-80°F temperature range to see consistent results. On cooler days I let my sourdough proof in my oven or microwave with the light turned on. This acts like a “proofing box” (just don’t turn them on!) and can help give a consistent temperature. I also recently bought this bread proofer that’s been a game changer. All that said, take the time ranges in the recipe as a guide. Before beginning a recipe, check the temperature in your kitchen, and be aware of how that will affect your sourdough resting and rising times.

Adding Caraway Seeds to Rye Bread

I made many versions of this rye bread while still feeling like something was missing from the flavors of my childhood Czech bread. The bread of my childhood had the most distinct yet subtle flavor. After a little bit of digging, I added caraway seeds to my loaf of bread. The minute I took a bite I was transported back to the packed lunches of my childhood. Caraway seeds add a distinct and mild anise flavor. It is earthy and just delicious in small quantities. If you prefer rye bread without caraway seeds, you can leave it out. I found caraway seeds at my local grocery store in the spice section and add them whole while mixing the dough.

Whole Grain Rye Bread

This recipe for sourdough rye bread calls for three types of flour: rye flour, whole wheat flour and bread flour. A combination of whole grains and white flour makes the bread a little more dense than bread made with only white flour, but it also packs a whole lot of flavor and nutrition in the finished bread. Whole grains can absorb more water, which means they need more water than traditional bread dough, otherwise the bread can end up dry. I purchase my flour primarily from a local mill: Weisenberger Mill. I like using this rye flour or pumpernickel flour in this recipe. This hard whole wheat flour is delicious and I always buy my bread flour from the mill too. Using a high quality bread flour will make a big difference in your bread.

Create a Rye Levain

In almost all of my sourdough recipes, I like to mix a levain specifically to complement the bread I’m making. Some recipes use a stiff sourdough levain like this Sourdough Babka. Other recipes use a 100% hydration levain such as this classic artisan sourdough bread. This allows me to keep my sourdough starter small and build it up for specific recipes.

For this rye bread, I use half rye flour and half white flour to mix the levain. Rye flour has a special property of attracting the microorganisms that ferment bread. Using rye flour to build the levain increases the activity and enhances the flavor of the bread. To a small bowl, add the rye flour, white flour, a Tablespoon of sourdough starter and water. Mix together and cover to rest overnight or about 6-10 hours until doubled or tripled in size and bubbly. If you are concerned about the rise, take a little bit of this levain and plop it in a cup of water. The levain should float, which tells you it is ready to use.

Mix the Rye Dough

When the levain is bubbly, passes the float test and has doubled in size, add the levain, water, rye flour, whole wheat flour, bread flour, salt and caraway seeds to a bowl. Mix together with your hands or a dough whisk until a shaggy dough forms. Set a timer and prepare a set of stretches and folds to the dough every 30 minutes over the course of two hours (4 times total). “Stretch and Fold” is a way for wet dough to develop the gluten strands and strength needed to rise and trap all the air bubbles in the bread as it rises and bakes.

Shaping Sourdough Rye Bread

The goal in shaping sourdough bread is to create tension and form the crust that is going to make your beautiful loaf of bread. I usually shape my bread in a circle if using a Dutch oven, or in a rectangular shape if using a baking stone. To shape the bread, gather the edges of the dough and pull them up to the center, creating a circle as you go.

Once the dough forms a ball, turn it over and lightly drag on the countertop while using a circular motion to create tension. Continue this circular motion until the bread is in a tight ball. Place shaped bread in a floured banneton or a floured bowl. At this point you can refrigerate the bread and bake the next day (or up to 48 hours later) or you can cover the bread and allow it to rise at room temperature before baking.

Scoring the Bread

Once the bread is ready to bake, turn it out onto a piece of parchment paper. My favorite parchment paper is from Costco, but you can find it on Amazon too. This bread can be baked after shaping and final rise. For the best score, refrigerate the dough and score it immediately after pulling it out of the refrigerator. Sourdough bread is easier to score if it is chilled and baked cold. I use a bread lame to score sourdough bread. A quick, sharp motion with a sharp lame is the best way to get a beautiful score. You can also use a very sharp knife if you don’t have a bread lame.

Baking Sourdough Rye Bread

This rye bread is only about 65% hydration, which means it is a bit easier to work with than a wetter dough (like this 75% hydration classic sourdough). I have found that this bread gives similar results whether baking on a baking stone or using a Dutch oven or potato pot. Choose which method works best for you:

Baking Stone Method: Place a baking stone in the oven and pre-heat the oven to 500°F. Pre-heat for about 30 minutes to let the stone get very hot. Place the scored bread (including the parchment paper) on top of the baking stone, be careful because it’s HOT! Place a handful of ice cubes in a pan and put the pan on the bottom rack of the oven to create steam. Reduce the temperature to 450ºF and let the bread bake for 45 minutes.

Dutch Oven Method: Pre-heat a Dutch oven or my favorite potato pot in the oven at 500ºF for about 30 minutes. Working quickly, take the pot out of the oven and place the scored bread, parchment paper included, into the pot. Put the lid on the pot and place it back in the oven. Reduce the temperature to 450ºF and bake for 25 minutes. After 25 minutes, take the lid off the pot and bake for another 20 minutes.

Wait For The Sourdough Rye Bread to Cool

The most difficult part of this whole recipe…waiting for the bread to cool! If you try to slice it right out of the oven the bread will be squishy and difficult to cut. Wait a little bit until the bread has (mostly) cooled to enjoy a slice or two.