Dark Rye Sourdough with Sunflower Seeds

This dark rye sourdough is made from a mix of whole rye flour and bread flour. Soaked sunflower seeds are added to the dough for a nutty flavor and a moist crumb. Rye flour has less gluten than bread flour and makes this bread darker, denser and chewier than common wheat bread. Rye bread is rich in nutrients and has a distinct earthy flavor. It’s popular in German-speaking countries and Scandinavia. Dark rye bread is often used to make open-faced sandwiches or served with soups and stews. 

Ingredients and Tools You’ll Need

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1

In the morning, make the leaven: Mix the sourdough starter and water and stir until the starter is almost fully dissolved. Add the flour and mix until fully incorporated. Let the leaven rise in a warm spot (26 – 28 °C) until doubled or tripled in size. In a warm environment, this should take between 4 – 6 hours. In colder temperatures, this might take a few additional hours. 

Step 2

Once the leaven is active, prepare the main dough. In a mixing bowl, combine the leaven, water, and honey. Stir until the leaven is almost fully dissolved, and the liquid looks milky. Add the flours and mix until a shaggy dough forms. Cover the bowl and let it rest on the counter for about 1 hour. Meanwhile, soak the sunflower seeds in hot water and set aside. 

Step 3

After the first rest, add the salt, soaked sunflower seeds and oil. Knead for a couple of minutes until well combined. Rye dough tends to be very sticky, so make sure to wet your hands before kneading. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise in a warm spot for about 4 hours. The dough is ready to be shaped when it has visibly increased in size and contains lots of small air bubbles. If the dough still looks dense after 4 hours, it needs more time to rise and / or a warmer environment. Sourdough ferments best at temperatures between 25 – 28 °C. 

Step 4

Line a loaf pan with parchment paper. After the dough has risen, turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Flatten it into a rectangle. The short side should be about the length of the loaf pan. Roll the dough up into a log and transfer it to the loaf pan with the seam side down. Lightly spray the surface with water and sprinkle it with sunflower seeds. Cover the loaf pan with a plastic bag and let the dough proof in the fridge overnight.  

Step 5

The next morning, pre-heat the oven to 230° C. Bake the loaf with steam for the first 10 minutes. Then, open the oven door to vent the steam and continue baking for another 40-50 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 97° C. If the top browns too quickly, cover it with aluminum foil. Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool in the pan for about 10. Then, remove it from the pan and transfer it to a wire rack. Let it cool completely before slicing. 

More Sourdough Recipes You May Like:

Rustic Rye Sourdough Bread

Rye and Spelt Sourdough Bread

Rosemary Sourdough Bread

Rustic Sourdough Bread Recipe

Pumpkin Seed Bread

Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread

Dark Rye Sourdough with Sunflower Seeds

published by: Julia

This dark rye sourdough is made from a blend of whole rye flour and bread flour. Soaked sunflower seeds are added to the dough for a nutty flavor and a moist crumb. Whole rye flour has less gluten than bread flour and makes this bread darker, denser and more flavorful than common wheat bread. 

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep 20 minutes mins

Cook 1 hour hr

Rest Time 23 hours hrs 59 minutes mins

Total 1 day d 1 hour hr 19 minutes mins

Course Bread, Breakfast, Sandwiches

Cuisine Austrian

Servings 1 Loaf

Calories 2491 kcal

Equipment

• Digital kitchen scale
• Mixing bowl
• Tea towel or plastic bag
• Loaf pan – 25 cm / 9 inches
• Parchment paper

Ingredients

  

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For the leaven:

• 30 g Sourdough starter
• 30 g Water
• 60 g Bread flour

For the soaked sunflower seeds:

• 80 g Sunflower seeds
• 40 g Hot water

For the main dough:

• 100 g Active leaven
• 375 g Water – lukewarm, around 30° C.
• 15 g Honey
• 255 g Wholegrain rye flour
• 245 g Bread flour
• 12 g Fine sea salt
• 20 g Sunflower oil
• All of the soaked sunflower seeds
• Extra sunflower seeds to sprinkle on top of the bread – optional

Instructions

 

• In the morning, make the leaven: Mix the sourdough starter and water and stir until the starter is almost fully dissolved. Add the flour and mix until fully incorporated. Let the leaven rise in a warm spot (26 – 28 °C) until doubled or tripled in size. In a warm environment, this should take between 4 – 6 hours. In colder temperatures, this might take a few additional hours.
• Once the leaven is active, prepare the main dough. In a mixing bowl, combine the leaven, water, and honey. Stir until the leaven is almost fully dissolved, and the liquid looks milky. Add the flours and mix until a shaggy dough forms. Cover the bowl and let it rest on the counter for about 1 hour. Meanwhile, soak the sunflower seeds in hot water and set aside.
• After the first rest, add the salt, soaked sunflower seeds and oil. Knead for a couple of minutes until well combined. Rye dough tends to be very sticky, so make sure to wet your hands before kneading. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise in a warm spot for about 4 hours. The dough is ready to be shaped when it has visibly increased in size and contains lots of small air bubbles. If the dough still looks dense after 4 hours, it needs more time to rise and / or a warmer environment. Sourdough ferments best at temperatures between 25 – 28 °C.
• Line a loaf pan with parchment paper. After the dough has risen, turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Flatten it into a rectangle. The short side should be about the length of the loaf pan. Roll the dough up into a log and transfer it to the loaf pan with the seam side down. Lightly spray the surface with water and sprinkle it with sunflower seeds. Cover the loaf pan with a plastic bag and let the dough proof in the fridge overnight.
• The next morning, pre-heat the oven to 230° C. Bake the loaf with steam for the first 10 minutes. Then, open the oven door to vent the steam and continue baking for another 40-50 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 97° C. If the top browns too quickly, cover it with aluminum foil. Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool in the loaf pan for about 10 minutes. Then, remove it from the pan and transfer it to a wire rack. Let it cool completely before slicing.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 2491kcalCarbohydrates: 400gProtein: 84gFat: 72gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 24gMonounsaturated Fat: 33gSodium: 4688mgPotassium: 2631mgFiber: 71gSugar: 18gVitamin A: 73IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 258mgIron: 23mg

Keywords Artisan Bread, Dark Rye Bread, Dark Rye Sourdough, naturally leavened, Rustic Rye Bread, Same Day Sourdough Bread, Sourdough baking