What is different about Rye bread?
Rye sourdough bread provides a number of benefits compared to other types of sourdough:
- Improved digestion: Rye sourdough contains lactic acid bacteria that can help break down gluten and improve gut health.
- Better nutrition: The fermentation process in sourdough can increase the availability of vitamins and minerals in the bread.
- Longer shelf life: Sourdough’s natural preservatives and low pH levels can extend the shelf life of the bread compared to traditional yeast-based bread.
- Unique flavour: Sourdough has a distinct, tangy flavour that sets it apart from other types of bread.
Why Rye sourdoughs don’t grow as much as other types of sourdough bread?
Dealing with Rye flour could be a little bit intimidating at first. One of the main reasons is that we can end up with a very flat and dense loaf of bread. This is due to a number of factors:
- Lack of yeast: Rye dough does not contain as much yeast as wheat dough, which means it does not rise as quickly or as much.
- Gluten content: Rye flour has a lower gluten content compared to wheat flour, making it harder for the dough to expand and hold its shape.
- Fermentation time: Rye sourdough requires a longer fermentation time than wheat sourdough, which can limit the amount of rise.
- Acidic environment: The acidic environment created by the lactic acid bacteria in sourdough can inhibit yeast growth and slow down the rising process
However, all these should not put us off to experiment with one of the most nutritious and old styles of sourdough bread!
Ingredients
Sourdough bread has a tangy, slightly sour taste and a chewy texture. Rye flour gives the bread a nutty, slightly earthy flavour and a denser texture. Here is a recipe for making delicious rye sourdough bread. For this recipe we need:
- 200g rye sourdough starter
- 300g rye flour
- 200g strong all-purpose flour
- 10g salt
- 200g water
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix the sourdough starter, rye flour, all-purpose flour, salt, and water until it forms a sticky dough.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it ferment for 8-12 hours at room temperature.
- Preheat the oven to 250°C (475°F). Place a Dutch oven or a heavy pot with a lid in the oven to heat up.
- Dust a clean surface with flour and turn out the dough onto it. Fold the dough a few times to form a ball.
- Place the dough ball in a floured proofing basket or a clean kitchen towel. Let it rise for another hour.
- Carefully remove the preheated Dutch oven or pot from the oven and place the dough ball inside. Cover it with the lid.
- Bake for 30 minutes with the lid on, then remove the lid and bake for another 20-30 minutes until the crust is golden brown.
- Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack.
Enjoy your freshly baked rye sourdough bread with a slather of butter or jam. Happy baking!
