Alright, so if you want to try rye but you’re worried it’s going to be super heavy and dense, this is the loaf to start with. It’s only part rye, so you still get a nice soft crumb, but with that lovely earthy rye flavour that feels a bit more “artisan”.
It’s a beautiful everyday bread for toast, sandwiches, or just warm with butter.
What you’ll need:
100g active sourdough starter
350g warm water
350g bread flour or strong plain flour
150g rye flour
10g salt (about 2 teaspoons)
Optional but nice:
1 tablespoon honey or molasses (just adds a bit of depth, not sweetness)
How to make it:
In a big bowl, mix together the starter, water and honey or molasses if you’re using it.
Add both flours and the salt and mix until you’ve got a shaggy dough. It will feel a bit stickier than normal sourdough — that’s just the rye, it’s meant to be like that.
Cover and let it rest for about 30 minutes to let the flour soak up the water.
Over the next hour, do 3 gentle stretch and folds, about 20 minutes apart. Just lift one side, fold it over, turn the bowl and repeat a few times.
After that, cover and leave it on the bench until it’s puffed up and risen about 30 to 50 percent, usually 3 to 5 hours depending on how warm your kitchen is.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured bench, gently shape into a round loaf and place into a floured banneton or a bowl lined with a tea towel.
Cover and pop it in the fridge overnight, or for at least 8 hours.
Baking the loaf:
Heat your oven to 240–250°C with your Dutch oven inside.
When it’s hot, tip the dough onto baking paper, give it a quick score, and carefully place it into the hot pot with the lid on.
Bake for 20 minutes with the lid on, then remove the lid and bake another 20 to 25 minutes until deep golden and it sounds hollow when you tap the bottom.
Let it cool before slicing — rye needs a little extra time to set inside.
Little tips from me to you:
Rye dough will always feel a bit stickier and softer, so don’t be tempted to add heaps of extra flour. It’s meant to be that way.
This loaf is amazing toasted and keeps really well for a few days without drying out.
Once you’re comfortable with this one, you can slowly increase the rye flour for a stronger flavour.
From my kitchen to yours,
𝓜𝒾𝒸𝒽𝑒𝓁𝑒 💛