Hearty and Soft Rye Sourdough Sandwich Bread Loaf

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Learn to make rye sourdough sandwich bread with this simple recipe using hearty rye flour, all-purpose wheat flour, light and fluffy sourdough starter, and traditional caraway seeds. The result is a rye bread with a softer crumb and complex flavor that’s perfect for sandwiches.

freshly baked loaf of rye sourdough sandwich bread on cutting board

If you’ve ever wanted to make this popular bread but have been intimidated because it sounds more complicated than wheat bread, I hope you’ll give my rye sourdough recipe a try. Hopefully I can persuade you with the information below that it’s not too different than baking wheat bread.

FAQ:

What is rye flour made from?

Rye flour is ground from rye berries which are grown across the world, especially in Europe and Russia. Rye is related to wheat and barley and is a cereal grain used to make rye bread, sourdough bread, and almost anything wheat is used for.

Is rye bread a whole grain?

Dark rye flour such as this one is whole grain because it contains all the components of the grain – the bran, germ and endosperm – while light and medium rye flour have usually been refined and contain only the endosperm. source

Is rye bread healthy?

Rye bread is considered to be healthier than wheat bread. It is loaded with fiber, B vitamins, iron, calcium, and zinc. It also contains less gluten than regular whole wheat flour. source

loaf of rye sourdough bread with sliced swiss cheese and salami

How to Use Sourdough Rye Bread Recipe

I have to admit that up until recently I had only eaten rye bread a handful of times in my life. I remember trying it as a child, and I was not impressed. It definitely has a strong flavor that can turn off some people, especially kids. I also wasn’t a fan of Swiss cheese as a child, but surprise-surprise, it pairs really well with rye bread! In fact, most of the foods that go well with rye bread have strong flavors.

Rye bread has a bold flavor that goes well with smoked meats, such as salami or pastrami. German sausages sliced in half would also work well. Rye also provides a nice background for strong flavored hard cheeses like Swiss, cheddar, or gouda. Don’t forget to add a good mustard too! This is a great rye bread for making the classic Reuben sandwich made with thin slices of corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and a little thousand island dressing, toasted until the cheese is melted. It’s delish!

Sourdough Tips

If you’re new to sourdough, make sure to check out my tips on How to make Sourdough Starter More Active.

Tips for Rye Sourdough Sandwich Bread

  • Always add the flour last and don’t add all of it at once. You may need more or less than the recipe calls for depending on the hydration of your sourdough starter (how thick or runny it is)
  • Rye flour has less gluten than wheat flour, so kneading it won’t help it become nice and elastic like other sandwich breads such as this honey oat sourdough sandwich bread. The less kneading, the better when it comes to rye.
  • Don’t skip the egg wash! Brushing the top of the loaf with egg wash will give it a shiny, golden brown appearance when baking that looks more professional. It is also needed in order for the caraway seeds sprinkled on top to adhere to the loaf.

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Ingredients:

Whole grain rye flour

All-purpose unbleached flour or bread flour

Active sourdough starter

Sea salt

Caraway seeds

Raw honey

Butter, softened

Warm water

Egg for egg wash

Kitchen Tools You May Need:

Stand mixer with dough hook

Non-stick ceramic loaf pan

Pastry brush

Serrated bread knife

Parchment paper

Bench scraper

How to Make Rye Sourdough Sandwich Loaf

Feed Starter

Feed your sourdough starter at least 4-10 hours before starting the dough. You want to have a bubbly starter before you begin making the dough.

Mix Ingredients

Mix together salt, caraway seeds, honey, butter, sourdough starter and water in the mixing bowl of a stand mixer. Add in the all-purpose flour last so that you can control the amount depending on how wet or dry the dough is. You want the dough to pull away from the bowl and form into a ball as it mixes. If it sticks to the side of the bowl, you need to add more flour.

Once the dough is pulling away from the sides of the bowl, raise up the head of the stand mixer. If the dough stays in a ball on the dough hook, it’s all done. If some of the dough sticks to the bottom of the bowl, you need to add more flour and mix again. The result should be a slightly sticky dough that you can handle.

mixing dough in stand mixer

Bulk Fermentation

Form the dough into a tight ball. Place in a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap to keep the dough from drying out. Cover with a clean dish towel and place in a warm spot to do a bulk rise. Ferment overnight or for at least 8-10 hours at room temperature until doubled in size and the fermentation process is complete.

dough after first rise

Second Ferment

Remove the dough from the bowl, place onto a lightly floured surface if needed, and shape into a loaf. Tuck both ends under to create a smooth loaf. Place seam-side down in a 9 x 5 bread pan that has been greased or lined with parchment paper; cover with a dish towel.

Let the dough rise again at room temperature for 2-5 hours or until doubled in size.

dough after second rise

Beat an egg in a small bowl to make an egg wash. Brush the top of the loaf with egg wash and sprinkle with additional caraway seeds.

Bake bread

Bake in a preheated 375 F oven for 30 minutes until golden brown on top. Remove from the oven, remove from bread pan, and let the fresh bread cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

freshly baked rye sourdough sandwich bread on cutting board

Sample Baking Schedule:

2 pm: Feed sourdough starter.

8 pm: Mix ingredients in stand mixer. Cover dough and let rise on counter overnight or until double.

7 am: Shape into loaf and place in loaf tin to rise until double.

11 am: Brush loaf with egg wash, sprinkle with caraway seeds, and bake. Cool completely before slicing.

Storage

Store baked rye bread in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap for up to 5 days at room temperature. You can also freeze the loaf, whole or sliced, for up to 3 months in a ziploc plastic bag.

Why Sourdough?

I am working hard to use sourdough in our diet whenever a food normally contains white flour. This is because white flour alone doesn’t add much nutritious value to food. It can also be hard on the gut. Fermenting flour with water creates healthy bacteria, or a sourdough starter. You can use the starter in pretty much any recipe containing flour as an ingredient with some minor adjustments. Sourdough is packed with nutrients, healthy carbs, protein, fiber, iron, and vitamins like folate. source

Something I truly love about baking with sourdough is that I’m bringing back to my kitchen a simple health practice that has been used for thousands of years. The method of sourdough baking was lost just a few generations ago as convenience food came into existence. I am happy there has been a renewal of interest in sourdough in the past several years. I know I will never go back to regular yeast bread again!

Find More Sourdough Recipes:

If you make this recipe and love it, I would love if you gave it 5 stars!

Easy Rye Sourdough Bread

Easy Rye Sourdough Bread

Yield: 1 loaf
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Additional Time: 18 hours
Total Time: 18 hours 50 minutes

Learn to make rye sourdough sandwich bread with this simple recipe using hearty rye flour, all-purpose wheat flour, light and fluffy sourdough starter, and traditional caraway seeds. The result is a rye bread with a softer crumb that's perfect for sandwiches.

Ingredients

  • 1 ¾ - 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup rye flour
  • 1 ½ tsp salt
  • 1 Tbsp caraway seeds
  • 1 Tbsp honey
  • 2 Tbsp butter, softened
  • 1 cup sourdough starter, active and bubbly
  • ⅔ cup warm water
  • Optional:
  • 1 egg for egg wash
  • More caraway seeds for topping

Instructions

    1. Feed your sourdough starter at least 4-10 hours before starting the dough. You want it to be active and bubbly before you begin making the dough.

    2. Mix together salt, caraway seeds, honey, butter, sourdough starter and water in a stand mixer. Add in the all-purpose flour last so that you can control the amount depending on how wet or dry the dough is. You want the dough to pull away from the bowl and form into a ball as it mixes. If it sticks to the side of the bowl, you need to add more flour. Once the dough is pulling away from the sides of the bowl, raise up the head of the stand mixer. If the dough stays in a ball on the dough hook, it's all done. If some of the dough sticks to the bottom of the bowl, you need to add more flour and mix again. The dough should be slightly sticky but able to be handled when done.

    3. Form the dough into a tight ball. Place in a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap to keep the dough from drying out. Cover with a clean dish towel to keep it warm. Ferment overnight or for at least 8-10 hours at room temperature until doubled in size.

    4. Remove the dough from the bowl and shape into a loaf. Tuck both ends under to create a smooth loaf. Place seam-side down in a greased 9 x 5 bread pan and cover with a dish towel.

    5. Allow to rise again at room temperature for 2-5 hours or until doubled in size.

    6. Beat an egg in a small bowl to make an egg wash. Brush the top of the loaf with egg wash and sprinkle with additional caraway seeds.

    7. Bake in a preheated 375 F oven for 30 minutes until golden brown on top. Remove from the oven, remove from bread pan, and let cool completely on a baker’s rack before slicing.

Notes

  • Always add the flour last and don’t add all of it at once. You may need more or less than the recipe calls for depending on the hydration of your sourdough starter (how thick or runny it is)
  • Rye flour has less gluten than wheat flour, so kneading it won't help it become nice and elastic like other sandwich breads such as this honey oat sourdough sandwich bread. The less kneading, the better when it comes to rye.
  • Don’t skip the egg wash! Brushing the top of the loaf with egg wash will give it a shiny, golden brown appearance when baking that looks more professional. It is also needed in order for the caraway seeds sprinkled on top to adhere to the loaf.

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