This is an amazing recipe to try if you are new to a true, rye sourdough bread. I love this recipe for its simplicity and hands off approach. As a sourdough baker, you are probably used to your breads requiring many little steps in the fermentation process; laminations, stretch and folds, coil folds. It’s not that it is labor intensive, just several small steps that require you to be available.
This bread, on the other hand, does best the less you handle it. It simply requires mixing the dough, and a room temperature bulk fermentation, prior to pouring it into a bread tin for a cold overnight proof. This dough can be in the fridge for anywhere from 12-48 hours, the longer the cold proof, the more flavor the bread develops. Proceed as your tastes and schedule allows.

What To Expect From This Rye Sandwich Bread
This bread has some similarities in taste and preparation to a true Danish Rugbrod, or a German Roggenbrot, but with a few less steps. There is no soaking or sprouting wheat berries required, nor are there multiple stages and ferments to prepare.
This Rye Bread Has:
- Great texture.
- Great flavor, from the seeds and fennel.
- High fiber, owed to rye, whole grain wheat, and red fife flour.
- A balance of carbohydrates, protein, and fat from added seeds.
What Can I Serve This Bread With?
Anything you would enjoy on regular sandwich bread. In particular I love it with:
- Gouda, gruyere, or cheddar topped with honey
- Cream cheese and smoked salmon with capers
- Smoked meat, and mustard
- Aged salami
- Sliced sausage and sauerkraut
- Avocado, salmon, and capers
Bakers’ Percentages
50% rye flour
25 % red fife
25% whole wheat flour (I use whole hard red wheat)
82% hydration
2% salt
4% honey
3% molasses
4% fennel seeds
8% pumpkin seeds 10% sunflower seeds
2% poppy seeds
0.5% diastatic malt powder (optional)
This Recipe Makes:
2 (9×4 loaf pans)
Or
1 (13 x 4 Pullman pan)
Equipment For This Recipe:
- Dough whisk
- Glass bowls
- Digital Scale
- Digital Thermometer
- Pullman pan 13 x 4 or (this recipe will fill one)
- Bread pan 8.5 x 4.5 (this recipe will fill two)
Many rye breads are made with a rye sourdough starter, however because this bread is a blend, I used my standard starter. To learn how to make your own; check out Beginners Guide to Creating a Bubbling Starter. Looking for more rye bread recipes? Check out my 75% Multigrain Sourdough Bread Recipe, with Rye and Fennel.
Hi Rachel,
What does the malt do for the 50% rye, whole grain sourdough bread?
Thanks!!
Hi Stephen,
Thank you for your question. The malt is mostly a flavour enhancer, and may play a small part in adding to the fermentation process. I have substituted the malt with both non-alcoholic beer, as well as just water. In both cases the bread still turned out very nice.