Our Sourdough Version
We posted our original Danish rye bread recipe (check it out here) over a month ago, and we’re back for more! This time, it’s more of a complicated process, involving sourdough starter and lots of proofing. But the final product is a beautiful seeded rye loaf with lots of delicious flavor, so it’s definitely worth it.
A Short History of Rugbrød
In case you aren’t familiar with rugbrød, here’s a brief introduction! Historically, it has been a staple of Danish cuisine since the Viking Age. Most Danes still eat it on a daily basis. It’s very healthy, as it contains little to no fat or sugar, and the seeds provide lots of fiber and whole grains. In Denmark, we also use this bread to make smørrebrød (open-faced sandwiches), topped with all kinds of things. Our favorite classic smørrebrød include spegepølse med remoulade og ristede løg, karrysild med løg, makrel i tomat med agurk, and leverpostej med rødbeder. Translation: salami with remoulade and crispy onions, curried herring with onion, mackerel in tomato sauce with cucumber, and liver pate with pickled beets. But honestly, the beauty of it is that you can top the bread with anything and call it smørrebrød!
Tips & Tricks
We should put a bit of a disclaimer here – this recipe is for slightly more advanced bread bakers who have previously dealt with sourdough starter. It requires you to be at least slightly familiar with your own personal starter and how it behaves. But if you’re a less experienced bread baker, do not despair! Check out this guide to making sourdough starter. And if you still want to make rugbrød but don’t want to go to the trouble of making a starter, check out our other recipe here (it uses yeast!).
To be honest, this is one of those recipes that isn’t too specific in the instructions. That’s mainly because everyone’s sourdough starter behaves slightly differently. The levain in this recipe is just your regular sourdough starter fed at a 1:2:2 ratio, and it should yield the perfect amount for the dough. If you’ve made sourdough before, you’ll probably know approximately how long it takes your starter to double in size. Unfortunately, we can’t predict exactly how long that will be, as there are so many factors! But once it’s doubled, you’ll mix the dough. That will have to proof for quite a long time, as this is a dense, heavy, and wet dough. No need for any stretch and folds or kneading – just leave it to rise. Then you just stuff it into a loaf pan (and yes, the technical terminology is to “stuff it,” thank you very much), give it another hour or two to proof, and then bake! Let us know below if you have any questions or comments, and be sure to leave us a rating if you try our recipe!
Sourdough Rugbrød (Rye Bread)
Ingredients
LEVAIN
- 60 grams sourdough starter
- 120 grams (about 1 cup) flour (this can be all-purpose, bread flour, or whatever you usually use to feed your starter)
- 120 ml (1/2 cup) water
SEEDS
- 80 grams (1/2 cup) cracked rye
- 80 grams (1/2 cup) cracked wheat
- 70 grams (1/2 cup) sunflower seeds
- 80 grams (1/2 cup) flax seeds
- 400 ml (2 cups) water
DOUGH
- 200 grams levain (5-8 hours after mixing – once doubled in size)
- Soaked seeds
- 100 grams (3/4 cup) bread flour (or all-purpose)
- 100 grams (a little over 3/4 cup) rye flour
- 1/2 tbsp salt
Instructions
- Mix your levain. Let rise at room temperature for 5-8 hours or until doubled in size.
- Mix the seeds and water and let them soak for 8 hours.
- Once your levain is ready, it's time to mix your dough. Combine 200g of your ripe levain, the soaked seeds, bread flour, rye flour, and salt. Mix with a wooden spoon. Cover with a damp dishtowel or cling film and let rise at room temperature for 8-12 hours, or overnight.
- Press dough into a bread tin/loaf pan that you have lined with parchment paper. Press down quite firmly so there are no gaps in the bread. Cover this and let rise for another 2 hours.
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F (190 C).
- Bake the bread on the bottom rack of the oven for 60-65 minutes. Let it cool for at least an hour, then slice and use for sandwiches! It will be even better and easier to slice the day after baking.
