Sourdough Rye Bread

Several halved slices of sourdough bread, one with butter.

Sourdough rye bread, following a no-knead method, made with a base of rye and spelt flour. An easy low-hydration loaf with a great crumb.

Course Bread

Cuisine German

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 40

Resting Time 12

Total Time 12 50

Servings

Calories 216kcal

Author Alexandra Daum

Ingredients

300 grams (10.6 oz) water room temperature
100 grams (3.5 oz) sourdough starter 100% hydration
300 grams (10.6 oz) light (sifted) spelt flour
250 grams (8.8 oz) rye flour
10 grams (0.4 oz) sea salt

Metric - Cups

Instructions

Add the water and starter to a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
300 grams (10.6 oz) water, 100 grams (3.5 oz) sourdough starter
Add the spelt flour, rye flour, and salt to the bowl, and use a wooden spoon or spatula to mix until a shaggy dough forms. Finish mixing with your hands to fully incorporate the flour. The dough will feel quite hard and dense, this is normal.
300 grams (10.6 oz) light (sifted) spelt flour, 250 grams (8.8 oz) rye flour, 10 grams (0.4 oz) sea salt
Cover the bowl and set aside to rest for 30 minutes.
Once the dough has rested, begin your stretches and folds. Do three rounds of stretches and folds over the course of an hour, once every 20 minutes.
Form the dough into a ball or boule by placing it onto a clean surface and using your hands to rotate until surface tension forms.
Line a banneton or round bowl with a tea towel and sprinkle with flour. Place the dough upside-down into the prepared basket.
Cover and set aside to rise at room temperature for two hours. The dough should visibly rise during this time. If it hasn't, increase the rising time as needed - in colder interior temperatures (say 18°C) it can need up to six hours.
Place the dough into the refrigerator overnight, or for at least eight hours. Cover with a plate to prevent drying.
Place a heat-safe dutch oven into the centre rack of your oven and preheat the oven to 250°C (480°F).
Turn the dough out onto a piece of parchment paper and score with a sharp knife (scoring optional).
Carefully remove the dutch oven from the oven, remove the lid, and place your loaf into it, using the parchment paper as handles to lift the bread.
Place the bread into the oven and reduce the temperature to 230°C (450°F).
Bake for 20 minutes with the lid on, then remove the lid and bake for another 15-20 minutes, or until browned to your desired degree.
Remove from the oven and cool in the pot for ten minutes before carefully removing the bread and cooling fully on a wire rack. It must be completely cool before slicing. For this loaf, I recommend cooling for a minimum of eight hours.
Store the bread in the pot you've baked it in, or freezing individual slices and toasting to thaw.

Notes

If the terms used are unfamiliar, please see this post on how to stretch and fold sourdough bread.

You may need another 50g or so of water - see how your dough looks and compare it to the step-by-step photos. Different types of flour (mostly depending on where the grain is from) will absorb water at different rates and may need to be adjusted slightly.

Nutrition