Rye Sourdough

About this recipe

Rye is not wheat. It does not develop gluten the same way, it absorbs vastly more water, and it is colonized by enzymes (pentosans) that completely change how you handle it. Forget every shaping and folding technique you have learned. A 100% rye loaf is mixed like batter, scraped into a pan, proofed once, and baked low and long. This recipe uses freshly milled whole rye berries for maximum flavor and a fresh enzyme load that helps the dough rise. Hydration sits at 80% — anything less and the dough will be unworkable. Even at 80% it will feel like wet clay; that is correct. Fresh milled rye sourdough is a different bread tradition entirely. It is dense by design. It slices thin, keeps for a week, and is meant to be eaten with butter, smoked fish, hard cheese, or pickles. Do not try to make it open and airy — that is wheat thinking. The starter matters more than for any other bread. A vigorous, freshly fed 100% rye starter at peak is the difference between a beautifully risen loaf and a brick. If your starter is wheat-based, feed it twice with rye flour over 24 hours before mixing the dough.

Ingredients

• Freshly milled whole rye flour500 g
• Water (95°F / 35°C)400 g
• Active 100% hydration rye sourdough starter150 g
• Fine sea salt12 g
• Caraway seeds (optional)10 g
• Rye flour for dusting the loafas needed

Instructions

1. 1

   Feed your starter 100 g rye flour + 100 g water 4–6 hours before mixing. It should rise 50–75% and smell sharply tangy.

2. 2

   Mill rye berries on a medium-fine setting. Weigh 500 g flour.

3. 3

   In a large bowl, combine flour, warm water, starter, salt, and optional caraway. Mix with a sturdy spoon or stand mixer paddle until fully homogenous — about 3 minutes. It will resemble thick batter or wet clay, not bread dough.

4. 4

   Lightly oil a 9x5 loaf pan and line the bottom with parchment.

5. 5

   Scrape the dough into the pan with wet hands. Smooth the top with wet fingers and press to fill the corners.

6. 6

   Dust the top heavily with rye flour. The flour layer will crackle attractively as the dough rises.

7. 7

   Cover loosely and proof at warm room temperature (76–80°F) until the dough rises to within 1/2 inch of the rim and the flour topping shows wide cracks. This usually takes 3–5 hours.

8. 8

   Preheat oven to 475°F (245°C) with a sheet pan on the lower rack and a pan of water on the bottom for steam.

9. 9

   Place the loaf pan on the middle rack and bake 15 minutes at 475°F.

10. 10

    Reduce heat to 400°F (205°C) and bake 35–40 more minutes until the crust is deeply browned and the internal temperature reads 205°F (96°C).

11. 11

    Turn loaf out of pan immediately onto a rack. Tap the bottom — it should sound hollow.

12. 12

    Cool completely (minimum 12 hours, ideally 24) before slicing. Rye crumb is wet immediately after baking and needs time for starches to set. Wrap in linen at room temperature.