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–+ servings
A perfectly baked loaf of sourdough rye bread sliced to show the light, airy crumb structure

Rustic Rye Sourdough Bread

This expert blueprint transforms the challenge of baking with rye flour by utilizing an optimized flour blend and a crucial delayed salt addition, resulting in a superior loaf structure that eliminates common gummy interiors.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 10 hours 55 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 1 loaf

Equipment

  • Digital Scale
  • Damp Cloth
  • Straight-sided container (for measuring bulk ferment)
  • Dutch oven
  • Banneton (or linen lined banneton)
  • Parchment paper
  • Serrated Bread Knife

Ingredients
  

Optimized Flour Blend & Components

  • 55 grams active sourdough starter
  • 280 grams water slightly warmer than room temperature (about 80-85 degrees F)
  • 15 grams honey
  • 100 grams rye flour medium (or light)
  • 260 grams bread flour high-protein
  • 40 grams whole wheat flour
  • 7 grams fine sea salt

Instructions
 

Mixing and Initial Autolyse

  • Add starter, water, and honey to a bowl. Whisk thoroughly until combined, using a fork.
  • Add flours, and mix together first with the fork to start incorporation, then with your hands until a shaggy dough is formed and the bits of flour just disappear.
  • Sprinkle the salt on top and do not mix in; just leave it on top.
  • Cover with a damp cloth and let the dough sit undisturbed for one hour (Autolyse phase).

Bulk Fermentation & Folding

  • Knead the salt sitting on top into the dough for about 2 1/2 minutes. Think of working the dough through your hands and up against the bowl, push and pull; the dough should start to relax a bit around 1 minute.
  • After 30 minutes pass, perform one set of stretch and folds. Repeat 2 more times at 30-minute intervals.
  • Let the dough sit, undisturbed and covered with a damp cloth, for the remainder of its bulk fermentation. Finish when the dough has risen about 75% (just short of doubling) in size, is smooth and puffy on top, with a few bubbles around the edges.

Shaping and Final Proof

  • When finished with bulk fermentation, lightly dust your work surface with flour. Turn the dough out and pre-shape it. Let it sit for 15 minutes on your work surface.
  • Shape your dough to ensure proper tension.
  • Place the dough into your flour-dusted banneton (seam side up). You can optionally wait 15 minutes, pinch the perimeters of the dough into the center (stitching), and then proceed to the final rise.
  • The final rise can be done on the counter (about 1 1/2 to 2 hours at 70 degrees F) OR do the final rise overnight in the refrigerator, covered in a plastic bag or with a very damp cloth to hold moisture in.

Baking Process

  • Preheat your oven to 475 degrees F, with your Dutch oven preheating inside the oven.
  • When the oven is preheated, gently flip your dough out onto parchment paper and score your dough (If cold-proofed, score straight from the fridge).
  • Put the scored dough into the Dutch oven on the parchment, and put the cover on. Turn oven down to 450 degrees F and slide the Dutch oven in.
  • Bake for 20 minutes, then remove the cover.
  • Turn heat down to 430 degrees F, and bake for 20 to 25 more minutes, until the crust is golden brown and crackly.
  • Remove from the oven, and place the bread onto a cooling rack.
  • Wait AT LEAST one hour to cool before slicing to prevent the interior from becoming gummy.

Notes

If you want a German-style variation, add two teaspoons of toasted caraway seeds during the salt incorporation in step 4 of the bulk fermentation. For a more rustic look, roll the shaped dough in rye flakes or additional flour before placing it in the banneton. Always cut into the loaf only after a strict 60-minute cooling period; this allows the starch structure to set properly.
Keyword autolyse technique, delayed salt, rye flour blend
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