Recipe: Sourdough Rye Bread

Recipe grade: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Where I got this recipe: Our family friend, Stephanie

Baking Partner: My mom

The recipe in three words: delicious, fabulous, soft

What I liked about this recipe: It’s the perfect recipe! The bread is better quality than the bread in stores and it costs less money, too! You can make many loaves once you have the ingredients to keep it cheaper.

What I would change about this recipe: Next time I would like to add on any ingredients to the rye dough to make it a different kind of rye bread like a marble rye, so that this a challenge to bake!

My recommendation: I recommend this recipe to everyone.

Ingredients:

• 8 oz active sourdough starter ( 1 cup)
• 12 oz warm water (1 1/2 cups)
• 5 oz rye four (1 cup)
• 12 1/2 oz bread flour (2 1/2 cups)
• 1 tablespoon malt syrup
• 2 teaspoons table salt
• 2 tablespoons caraway seeds
• 1 egg white

Recipe:

1. Combine the starter, water, rye flour, and 1 cup of the bread flour. Mix on low speed until it forms a thick batter. Cover the bowl and set aside for 30-60 minutes.
2. Add the malt syrup, salt, and the rest of the bread flour and mix until the dough begins to form a ball. You can add up to 1/4 cup more flour, a tablespoon at a time, if you need so that the dough forms a ball.
3. Knead for 3-5 minutes. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead into a smooth ball. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, turn once to coat the dough. Cover the bowl and set it aside at room temperature.
4. After 30 minutes, uncover the bowl, lift one side of the dough and fold it into the middle of the dough. Repeat with the other three sides of the dough then flip the dough over. This redistributes the yeast. Cover the bowl and repeat this procedure again in 30 minutes. Cover the bowl and repeat the procedure a third time in 60 minutes.
5. Cover the bowl and after 60 minutes knead the dough then return it to the bowl. By now the dough should be elastic and airy. Cover tightly and refrigerate over night.
6. Remove from refrigerator and dump the cold dough onto a floured surface. Sprinkle the dough with 1 tablespoon of caraway seeds and knead to distribute the seeds.
7. Knead the dough into a small ball then taper two ends to form an oblong football shape.
8. Place on a wooden peel or sheet pan sprinkled with corn meal. Cover with a damp kitchen towel and leave in a warm place until doubled in size and it springs back slowly when poked, about 1/2 hours.
9. Preheat over to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. If you have a baking stone preheat that in the oven.
10. Make 5 diagonal slashes in the dough with a sharp knife. Brush dough with egg white and sprinkle with the other tablespoon of caraway seeds.
11. Slide the dough onto the preheated stone or the sheet pan into the oven. The bread is ready when the internal temperature is 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Baking time is about 35 minutes.

The recipe, Sourdough Rye Bread Recipe, is from Eileen Gray. Read the full recipe on Baking Sense: the Art and Science of Baking.