Danish Sourdough Rye Bread (Rugbrød)

28th October 2020 by Louise

I’ve been making this loaf for longer than I care to remember; it’s a firm family favourite. This is a delicious and nutritious wholegrain loaf. It’s much healthier than your average sourdough bread, containing fewer carbohydrates, less gluten, and more fibre, which generally keeps you feeling fuller for longer.

Rugbrød, this seeded sourdough loaf, is a staple of Danish cuisine, often served at lunches and celebrations such as Christmas and Easter. It is a dense, long-lasting loaf with malty and slightly sour notes, featuring a ragged crust and a moist yet textured crumb. It’s absolutely perfect for open sandwiches. One of the great advantages of this bread is that it stays fresh for days, thanks to its high water content. Not only that, but it’s also lovely toasted.

Danish Sourdough Rye - ready to be baked

starter

Essentially, this is the easiest sourdough loaf to make. No kneading, stretching, or folding is required. However, it’s important to use a starter that has been recently fed so that it is highly active. You will begin by placing your required amount of starter in a large bowl. Then, add rye flour and water to create a wet leaven. This is left overnight at room temperature to ferment.

seed blend

This nutritious seed blend combines golden and brown linseeds, sesame, buckwheat, millet, sunflower, and pumpkin seeds, each adding unique flavors, textures, and benefits. Linseeds are rich in omega-3s, sesame seeds offer calcium and antioxidants, while buckwheat and millet provide fiber and gluten-free goodness. Sunflower seeds add crunch and vitamin E, with pumpkin seeds contributing robust flavor and essential minerals like zinc and magnesium.

Soaking this mixture in freshly boiled water not only aids digestion by softening the seeds but also activates enzymes, making their nutrients more bioavailable. This simple step transforms the blend into a nourishing addition that enriches this sourdough rye bread with flavour, nutrition, and a satisfying texture.

proving

Proving time can vary, for me it takes 1 hour and 30 minutes to get to this stage, with a room temperature of 21.5°C. Cracks have appeared on the surface, so it’s time to bake. The optimum temperature for making and proving sourdough is 18°C-23°C.

If you’re new to sourdough baking, this loaf is an excellent place to start. The method is straightforward, yielding delicious and impressive results. This loaf is ideal for open sandwiches, which call for a sturdy, wholesome bread base to support generous toppings such as smoked salmon, prawns with egg, or sliced cheese and tomatoes. The topping options are endless…

Tips:

I like the addition of caraway seeds – add 2 level teaspoons.
Store sourdough wrapped in a linen tea towel, followed by a waxed wrap. Sourdough needs to breathe. If you wish to freeze it, place it in a plastic freezer bag. It freezes incredibly well, but remove it from the plastic bag immediately when you want to defrost it, as the ice crystals inside will make the bread damp.

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4.96 from 22 votes