Sourdough Rye Bread

Rye bread comes in many shapes and sizes, and this sourdough rye bread is based on the German style "Mischbrot" using part rye and part wheat. It's a bit lighter than a full-on rye, but packed with wonderful flavor. 

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If you have ever traveled in Scandinavia, Germany or Eastern Europe, you have probably come across some of the darker bread available. Some are a deep almost chocolate color while others are lighter.

Where does the brown come from? Rye.

Rye used to be more commonly used across Europe but it was often considered the inferior grain to wheat, in part because it is lower in gluten so gives a denser loaf. The past issues of it getting a fungus, ergot, that was potentially fatal didn't help either.

However these days there are no longer the fungus issues and while it isn't as popular elsewhere, it is most definitely well loved in Northern and Eastern Europe. I remember living in Germany as a student and even the local supermarket had a huge bread counter with fresh bread in a dizzying range of varieties. I'd say around three quarters had rye at least in part.

Various trips to Sweden and Denmark have been similar, although maybe with a few less varieties but still a mix of pure rye bread and ones mixed part wheat and rye.

How does rye compare to wheat?

Rye has a lower glycemic index than wheat but it is still one of the grains that contains gluten. Being lower in gluten, it can be a bit hard to work with if you are using just rye. It doesn't have that "stretchiness" and it can be hard to get a good rise, if any at all. That's why a lot of 100% rye breads are very dense.

As a result, many loaves combine rye with wheat in various combinations (like a French country bread, pain de campagne). While wheat is higher in protein, rye has more fiber, so combining them you get some of the benefit of both, as well as it being easier to work with.

What are the ingredients in rye bread?

This can vary, but the core ingredients are rye flour, water and salt. In some cases, you will use yeast but with a sourdough rye bread like this you use a sourdough starter that has natural yeast.

As I mentioned, pure rye can lead to a very dense bread. Mixing rye with wheat flour, though, makes it a bit lighter and much better as an everyday bread. In fact the traditional French pain de campagne has just a little rye but it makes it a much more interesting flavor than plain wheat.

This loaf is still just part rye, but a higher proportion and you really get the flavor, especially as a sourdough, and the nutrition.

What distinguishes a German Mischbrot?

"Mischbrot" means "mixed bread" and is a term used for a loaf made with a rye and wheat flour mix.

In general, most German breads are sourdough, although this doesn't necessarily mean using a sourdough starter. It can mean making a "sponge" with yeast that then develops overnight. I'd call this more of a semi-sourdough.

Here, though, I have gone for a full sourdough using a starter that I can then also use for future loaves.

The stages in making sourdough rye bread

Let me get it out there: this isn't exactly a quick loaf to make. However none of the stages take very long or are difficult.

Step one: sourdough starter

The starter is the part that takes the most time overall, but it will take you literally a minute, if that, each time you tend to it. A sourdough starter basically involves combining flour and water into a paste and leaving it to ferment. You don't need to add yeast as it develops naturally from the flour and natural yeasts in the air.

Each day you add more water and flour and after a couple days it will start to bubble. The above is after 3 days, below after 5 when it is most definitely ready to use.

I used some tips from this sourdough rye starter article by using bottled (mineral) water slightly warmed in the microwave to be tepid. It worked just fine, though if you find your starter isn't bubbling, give it a couple extra days.

What do you do with the leftover starter?

You can keep the leftover starter and use it for future loaves or other baked goods - you can use the rye starter as you would a wheat one, it will just give a slightly different flavor.

If you don't need to use the starter again immediately, you can keep it dormant in the fridge. Then take some out to feed again a couple days before you next need it.

Time commitment: about a minute a day over 5 days

Step 2: sponge

The "sponge" is almost like a cross between the first rise of a loaf and a bigger starter. It is still a runnier mixture than the bread itself would be, but it is around half the volume of the loaf (though can be less).

A number of German Mischbrot (or similar breads) start at this stage and use yeast in with the flour and water rather than some of the sourdough starter. All you need to do is mix things together then give it the 24 hour rise.

What I found was that the mixture clearly grew in volume but didn't have any obvious bubbles on the top. However as you can see in the photo below, when you pulled back some of the mixture it had air pockets underneath.

Time commitment: about a minute then leave for 20-24 hours.

Stage 3: forming the loaf

The final stage before baking is adding the additional flours and forming the loaf itself. It's at this point that it goes from being all rye to part wheat. Sine there is some what I knead the loaf a little but it doesn't need much.

I have added a little molasses which isn't particularly traditional, although it is used in some loaves. You can miss it out as it's not all that much anyway, but I like to think it adds a little to the flavor.

After the slight knead, flour a bread basket or line a bowl with a clean cloth and dust with flour. Form the bread into a ball and put in the basket/bowl and cover for a final short rise. It should more or less double, but may not be quite as much as that.

Time commitment: 5 minutes before final 2 hour rise

After the final rise, dust a baking sheet with cornmeal and put the loaf on top. Score the top of the loaf slightly (ideally with a razor or lame, the name for the scoring tool but otherwise with a sharp thin knife). Leave it to sit while the oven heats up then put it in.

You want to have some steam in the oven to help it get a nice crust so I put a baking dish in while the oven heats and then put boiling water in it as I add the loaf.

This sourdough rye bread is a little heavier than a purely wheat loaf but with a lovely depth of flavor. A tight crumb but not too dense, gently nutty but not too sour. It keeps pretty well for a couple of days and is perfect for sandwiches, enjoying as toast or just to snack on.

There really is nothing quite like homemade bread and this one went down so well in our house.

Try these other homemade breads:

• Japanese milk bread
• Caramelized onion sourdough bread
• Tsoureki (Greek Easter bread, similar to brioche)
• Lemon thyme focaccia
• Sprouted wheat bread
• Plus get more German recipes in the archives.

You may find a proofing basket and lame helpful to make this recipe (affiliate link).

See some of my favorite cooking tools and ingredients in the Caroline's Cooking Amazon store. 

We're having a celebration of bread for World Bread Day today! See more tasty ideas:

• Bao Buns from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Cheesy Garlic Sourdough Focaccia from Cooking with Carlee
• Chocolate Babka from Amy's Cooking Adventures
• Chocolate Bread from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Dinner Rolls from Cooking for My Soul
• White Chocolate Mocha Braid from The Baking Fairy
• Yemarina Yewotet Dabo (Ethiopian Honey Bread) from Culinary Adventures with Camilla

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