German Sourdough Bread Recipe (With Rye)

Method10 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Mix the preferment ingredients: 4 g salt, 195 g lukewarm filtered water, 90 g whole-grain dark rye flour, 100 g all-purpose wheat flour and 40 g established active rye OR wheat sourdough starter. Cover and let ferment at room temperature for 10–12 hours.

   Uses 4 grams salt · 195.0 g lukewarm filtered water · 90 grams dark rye flour (I also buy rye flour in bulk because I bake so much. Make sure it's 100% whole grain.) · 100 grams all-purpose flour (white wheat flour) · 40 g established active rye OR wheat sourdough starter

2. 2

   Step 2: Near the end of the preferment fermentation, mix the separate 200 g lukewarm water and 260 g wheat flour by hand into a smooth sponge dough. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.

   Rest flour-water sponge · 30 minUses 200.0 g lukewarm filtered water · 260 grams all-purpose flour (white wheat flour)

3. 3

   Step 3: For optional onion bread, peel and slice the one large yellow onion and cook in the separate 14 g butter over medium-low heat for about 10–15 minutes until golden brown and most moisture has cooked away. Leave out both onion and this butter for the plain loaf.

   Uses 1 yellow onion (large) · 14 grams butter

4. 4

   Step 4: Add the final-dough ingredients directly to the two prepared doughs: 70 g water, 9 g salt, 175 g whole-grain dark rye flour and 3 g active-dry yeast. Add the prepared onion/butter only if making that variation; do not separately premix another final dough.

   Uses fermented sourdough preferment · rested flour-water sponge · 70.0 g lukewarm filtered water · 9 grams salt · 175 grams dark rye flour (I also buy rye flour in bulk because I bake so much. Make sure it's 100% whole grain.) · 3 g active-dry yeast for final dough · optional cooked onion and butter

   
5. 5

   Step 5: Knead by hand or with a mixer dough hook at its recommended dough speed for about 5 minutes, until homogeneous and barely sticky with all ingredients incorporated.

   Uses combined preferment, sponge and final-dough inputs

   
6. 6

   Step 6: Cover and rest at room temperature for about 1 hour until the dough has increased in volume by roughly half.

   Bulk Proof Dough · 60 minUses kneaded rye-wheat sourdough

7. 7

   Step 7: Shape into a round or long loaf to suit the proofing basket. Fold the edges toward the centre from all sides and press the folds together to make a taut loaf.

   Uses bulk-risen rye-wheat dough

8. 8

   Step 8: Dust the proofing basket with the separate extra white flour and place the shaped loaf seam-side down. Cover with a clean towel and proof at room temperature for about 45 minutes, until visibly risen.

   Final Proof · 45 minUses shaped sourdough loaf · Extra white flour as needed to dust proofing basket

9. 9

   Step 9: Toward the end of the final proof, preheat the oven to 250°C /480°F with a suitable oven-safe metal steam pan containing hot water on the lower rack. Follow the oven and pan instructions for steam use and avoid thermal shock to glassware.

   Uses Hot water as needed in oven-safe metal steam pan

10. 10

    Step 10: Turn the proved loaf onto a baking sheet with a baking liner explicitly rated for 250°C /480°F. Quickly transfer to the hot steamy oven. Bake for 60 minutes total: 10 minutes at 250°C /480°F, then reduce to 220°C /430°F and bake the remaining 50 minutes, until the crust is well browned and loaf baked through. Use care around steam when opening the door. Cool the finished loaf on a rack before slicing. This makes one loaf; the source Dutch-oven option is an alternative route, not a second baking phase.

    Bake Sourdough Loaf · 60 minUses finally proved sourdough loaf