Rye Sourdough Bread Recipe (Beginner Friendly)

Method

1. Make sure your starter has been fed and has reached peak rise. It should have doubled or more, be full of bubbles and not yet substantially collapsed.
2. Add the water and active starter to a large mixing bowl. Stir until the starter is mostly dispersed through the water.
3. Add the bakers flour and wholegrain rye flour. Mix until no dry flour remains and a shaggy dough forms.
4. Cover the bowl and allow the dough to rest for 30 minutes. This is the fermentolyse.
5. Sprinkle the salt over the dough. Using slightly damp fingers, pinch and fold it through until evenly incorporated and the dough begins to smooth out.
6. Over the next three hours, complete six sets of stretch and folds or coil folds, approximately 30 minutes apart. Cover the bowl between each set. If using seeds, add them during the first set.
7. At a dough temperature of approximately 25–27°C, continue bulk fermentation until the dough has risen by approximately 70%. It should look aerated, feel lighter and have a gentle wobble when the bowl is moved. Rye can encourage faster fermentation, so check the dough regularly rather than waiting for it to double.
8. Lightly flour your work surface and gently turn out the dough. Bring it into a loose round by drawing the edges underneath to create light surface tension, then leave it uncovered for approximately 30 minutes.
9. Shape the dough into a round loaf or oval loaf and place it seam-side up in a well-floured banneton.
10. For the recommended cold proof, cover and refrigerate for 8–12 hours, then bake directly from the fridge. For a same-day bake, proof at room temperature until slightly puffier and a gentle press leaves an indentation that slowly begins to spring back, usually 30–60 minutes in a warm kitchen.
11. Preheat the oven to 250°C with the Dutch oven inside. Once the oven reaches temperature, continue heating the Dutch oven for another 30–40 minutes.
12. Turn the dough onto a dough sling or baking paper and score it with a bread lame. Carefully transfer it into the hot Dutch oven and cover with the lid.
13. Reduce the oven temperature to 240°C and bake for 30–40 minutes with the lid on. Remove the lid and bake for another 15–20 minutes, or until the crust reaches your preferred colour.
14. Transfer the loaf to a wire rack and allow it to cool for at least one hour before slicing. Leaving it longer to cool completely is better.