I love baking, and I feel this is the perfect time to bake with different flour. Most bread recipes contain wheat flour, very few bakers use the rye flour when making bread. Also, the Rye bread is quite foreign to most people, because it probably was never baked at their homes or they do not know how to perfectly combine the recipes. Sourdough rye bread tastes better when prepared with the right recipes, and it is actually healthier using rye for your bread. Aside from its taste, It is very nutritional and keeps my heart healthy. I will be showing you the complete recipe for my sourdough rye bread in this article.
Baking bread with only rye flour can be a little crumby, this is why combining it with wheat flour which contains gluten is best.
Also, with rye flour, you have to be careful when kneading the dough, so you don’t overwork it. I love rye bread when it’s combined with a little of the wheat flour, it gives a perfect taste and texture. This recipe will be 60% rye flour and 40% wheat flour to get the perfect sourdough rye bread.
You can decide to use 100% rye flour, it all depends on your choice. However, if you desire the perfect taste and texture, then it’s best you use this recipe.
Let’s take a look at how to prepare the dough, bulk fermentation, and baking. Then, a complete recipe with all ingredients listed.
DOUGH PREPARATION
I’m using my wheat starter, coaxed with rye, however, if you want to create a rye sourdough starter you can do this following the same process. Mix all ingredients together without salt, then allow to rest for an hour. Then, add salt to it. Stretch and fold.
Bulk fermenting
A warm environment is suitable for this. A 78ºF/25ºC temperature is perfect. You can place the dough in the oven, while the lamp is lit. Ensure extreme care so it doesn’t become too hot. Open the lid frequently and check the temperature using a thermometer. The dough should ferment in 4 hours.
The final rise
Several factors can affect the duration of the final rise. For instance, the starter strength and surrounding temperature can play a major role. You can either ferment it in the refrigerator or at room temperature, it all depends on your choice. It’s tastier when fermented in cold temperature but consumes more time than when it’s in room temperature. Room temperature is best if you don’t want the end taste of your bread to be too sour.
There is no fixed time for the final rise because a lot of factors influence it. My advice is to observe the dough, touch it. This procedure is called the finger-like test.
The finger-like test
Press two of your fingers into the dough. If it’s elastic and you notice the mark of your fingers disappearing, it means the dough hasn’t fermented enough. If your fingers leave a hole in the dough that remains unchanged, or if the dough collapses, this means you’ve left it for too long. The ideal situation is for the mark of your fingers to remain in the dough, but spring back partially with time
Bak ing Sourdough rye bread in home oven
The oven should be preheated at 480ºF / 250ºC. You can make use of a Dutch oven for this. An oven sheet is also okay for baking. The loaf should be scored before baking so you don’t end up with a bread that you dislike. When baking bread, use steam in your oven. Steam gives the crust a desirable and pleasant color, it also prevents the surface from drying out. The sourdough rye bread should be in the oven for 35 minutes. During the last 10 to 15 minutes, the heat should be reduced.
Sourdough Rye Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 300 gram sourdough starter
- 350 gram wheat flour
- 500 gram rye flour
- 600 gram water
- 20 gram sea salt
Instructions
- All ingredients should be mixed except the salt. Hydrate the flour and allow the
dough to rest for an hour. - Add salt to it, perform a stretch and fold. During the bulk fermentation, a total of three sets of stretch and fold should be done. A duration of 30 minutes before each set should be
applied. - Allow the dough to rest for a maximum of four hours at a 78ºF/25ºC temperature.
- Flour the work surface before dropping the dough on it. Use your bench knife to
divide it into two pieces. Gently flatten the dough with your hands. Each piece
of dough can be formed into a batard - Allow the dough to rise until it exceeds the finger-like test.
- Preheat oven to 480ºF / 250ºC. Use two oven plates. One for baking the bread, while the
other oven plate should be below it. - The loaves should be in your preferred pattern before placing in the oven. Put
water in the oven plate below and bake each loaf within 35-45 minutes. - Lastly, allow the bread to cool on wire racks.
Notes
- The rye flour contains some key nutrients; iron, zinc, magnesium, and phosphorus.
- Suppresses weight gain and lowers obesity. It improves insulin sensitivity and reduces plasma cholesterol. The rye flour is very effective for weight loss and reduction of cholesterol.
- Rye bread also helps in the regulation and improvement of blood glucose.
- The rye bread is also a great meal for women because it prevents gallstones and has great cardiovascular advantages for postmenopausal women.
- A study published in the American gastroenterology journal revealed that consuming foods rich in insoluble fiber can help women avoid gallstones.
- In 16 years, there was a study of the overall fiber intake consumed by 69,000 women. The researchers discovered that the consumption of both soluble and insoluble fiber had a 13% lower risk of getting gallstones compared to the other women consuming less fiber-rich foods.
- According to researchers, insoluble fiber helps to speed up intestinal transit time- this is the speed at which food passes through the intestines. It also lowers bile acids secretion, increases the sensitivity of insulins and lowers blood fats ( triglycerides). An excessive amount of bile acid can cause the formation of gallstones in the body. Rye flour contains enough nutrient that can prevent gallstones.
- Consuming rye several times in a month is also good for postmenopausal women who have high blood pressure, high cholesterol or other signs of cardiovascular disease.
- The American heart journal published a study of about 200 postmenopausal women living with cardiovascular diseases who were eating whole grains each week, at least 6 servings, they experienced the following;
- Reduced progression of stenosis; stenosis is the arterial passageway diameter being narrowed.
- Less progression of atherosclerosis; a plague build-up that reduces the vessels enabling blood flow.