Soft Rye Sandwich Bread
There are many ways to make rye bread, and every bread lover has a favorite version. But when push comes to shove, the style that sells the most is soft sandwich rye. This version includes the optional use of cocoa powder, which darkens the bread in the style of pumpernickel. Other optional ingredients, whether caraway, minced dried onion, or nigella seeds (also known as black onion seeds), transform this recipe into various regional favorites. Adding orange oil or extract and anise seeds, for example, turns it into a Swedish-style limpa rye bread. You can use various types of rye flour in this recipe. The version most commonly sold is the “white flour” version of rye, with the bran and germ sifted out. But if you look around, you should be able to find stone-ground, whole grain, or dark rye flour, as well as pumpernickel flour. You could even use rye chops or rye meal, which are more coarsely ground, resembling cracked wheat or steel-cut oats. The trade-off is that whole rye flour is more healthful, while light rye yields a softer, lighter loaf. The choice is yours. The molasses is an important flavor component in this bread, but feel free to reduce the amount or replace it with sorghum syrup or golden sugar syrup. Just don’t use blackstrap molasses, which is too strong; look for a product labeled “old-fashioned,” “fancy,” or “unsulfured.”
Recipe information
Yield
makes 2 large loaves, 3 smaller loaves, or many rolls
Ingredients
Sour rye starter
Dough
Preparation
Do ahead
Step 1
To make the starter, combine all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl. If using a mixer, use the paddle attachment and mix on the lowest speed for 1 minute, then increase to medium speed for about 30 seconds. If mixing by hand, stir for about 2 minutes, until well blended. The starter should feel tacky or slightly sticky; if you use coarse rye flour, it will feel like modeling clay, and you may need to add another 2 tablespoons (1 oz / 28.5 g) of water to make it pliable.
Step 2
Transfer the starter to a clean, lightly oiled bowl, cover the bowl loosely, and leave it at room temperature for 6 to 8 hours, until the starter swells noticeably in size and develops a tangy aroma. If you plan to use the starter the same day, allow 1 more hour of fermentation. Otherwise, put the starter in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Step 3
To make the dough, cut the starter into 10 to 12 pieces and put them in a mixing bowl. Separately, combine the water, molasses, and vegetable oil, then whisk in the yeast until dissolved. Let stand for 1 minute, then pour the mixture over the starter and mix with the paddle attachment on the lowest speed or with a large spoon for about 1 minute to soften the starter.
Step 4
Add the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and seeds and orange oil. Switch to the dough hook and mix on the lowest speed, or continue mixing by hand, for 4 minutes. If the dough rides up on the dough hook, stop the mixer and scrape it back into the bowl. The dough should form a coarse ball that’s soft, supple, and very tacky, verging on sticky. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes.
Step 5
Mix on medium-low speed or by hand for 2 minutes more, adding flour or water as needed to make a smooth, supple, tacky ball of dough.
Step 6
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead by hand for about 20 seconds, working in any final adjustments with flour or water, then form the dough into a ball.
Step 7
Place the dough in a clean, lightly oiled bowl, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and immediately place it in the refrigerator overnight or for up to 4 days. (If you plan to bake the dough in batches over different days, you can portion the dough and place it into two or more oiled bowls at this stage.) If baking the bread on the same day, leave the dough at room temperature for 90 minutes to 2 hours, until it doubles in size, and then proceed to shaping. The final rising time, after shaping, will be 60 to 90 minutes.
On baking day
Step 8
Remove the dough from the refrigerator about 3 hours before you plan to bake. Shape the dough into one or more sandwich loaves (see page 23), using 28 ounces (794 g) of dough for 4 1/2 by 8-inch loaf pans and 36 ounces (1.02 kg) of dough for 5 by 9-inch pans; or shape it into freestanding loaves of any size, which you can shape as bâtards (see page 21), baguettes (see page 22), or boules (see page 20). For sandwich loaves, proof the dough in greased loaf pans. For freestanding loaves, line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone mat and proof the dough on the pan. Mist the dough with spray oil and cover loosely with plastic wrap, then let the dough rise at room temperature for about 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until increased to about 1 1/2 times its original size. In loaf pans, the dough should dome at least 1 inch above the rim.
Step 9
About 15 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) for sandwich loaves or 400°F (204°C) for freestanding loaves. If you’d like to use an egg wash to make the crust more shiny, whisk the egg white and water together, then brush the mixture over the tops of the loaves. Scoring is optional and only recommended for freestanding loaves. If you’d like to score them, do so just prior to baking, making 3 to 5 horizontal cuts across the top, about 1/2 inch deep.
Step 10
Bake for 20 minutes, then rotate the pans and bake for another 20 to 35 minutes, depending on the size of the loaves. The total baking time is 40 to 55 minutes for large sandwich loaves and 25 to 45 minutes for freestanding loaves, depending on size. The bread is done when the loaves sound hollow when thumped on the bottom and the internal temperature is about 190°F (88°C).
Step 11
Remove the loaves from the pans and cool on a wire rack for at least 1 hour before slicing or serving.
Variation
Step 12
Like most bakery rye breads, this recipe calls for sourdough starter, which actually contains all of the rye flour. If you don’t have a mother starter, you can replace the sour rye starter by adding all of the rye flour from the starter instructions to the final dough, along with 6 to 7 ounces (170 to 198 g) of buttermilk or yogurt to provide some acidic tang.
Multicolor Rye Loaves
Step 13
To make marbled rye bread, make two batches of dough, one light and one dark.
Step 14
To shape marbled rye loaves, cut each dough into 12 even-size pieces. Separate the pieces into 2 piles, with an equal number of dark and light pieces in each. Form each of the piles into a solid mass of dough by pressing them together. Shape each into a bâtard, as shown on page 21. You can bake the loaves freestanding (which is what I recommend) or in greased 4 1/2 by 8 1/2-inch loaf pans. For freestanding loaves, transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets (1 per loaf). Cover and proof.
Step 15
For braided marbled rye, divide the light and dark doughs into 4 even-size pieces each. Roll each piece into a strand 10 to 12 inches in length, thicker in the middle and slightly tapered toward the ends. Braid 2 light and 2 dark pieces together using the 4-braid method shown on page 98. You can bake the loaves freestanding (which is what I recommend) or in greased 4 1/2 by 8 1/2-inch loaf pans. For freestanding loaves, transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets (1 per loaf). Cover and proof.
Step 16
For bull’s-eye loaves, divide the light and dark doughs into 4 even-size pieces each. Use a rolling pin to roll each piece into an oblong about 5 inches wide and 8 inches long. Roll up a dark rye piece and shape it into a bâtard about 8 inches long, as shown on page 21. Take a light rye piece and wrap it around the bâtard, then seal the seam. Repeat with the remaining dough to make 4 small loaves. Place the loaves on 2 parchment-lined sheet pans, seam side down, then cover and proof.
Step 17
For spiral loaves, divide the light and dark doughs into 4 even-size pieces each. Use a rolling pin to roll each piece into an oblong about 5 inches wide and 8 inches long. Take a light rye piece and lay a dark rye piece on top, then add another light rye piece and another dark rye piece. Roll this stack up and shape it into a bâtard, as shown on page 21, and seal the seam. Repeat with the remaining dough to make 2 loaves. Place the loaves on 2 parchment-lined sheet pans or in 2 greased 4 1/2 by 8 1/2-inch loaf pans, seam side down, then cover and proof.
