• Skip to main content
  • Skip to after header navigation
  • Skip to site footer
Nordic kitchen stories logo

Nordic Kitchen stories

Inspired by family recipes

  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Baking
    • Breakfast
    • Brunch
    • Cakes
    • Desserts
    • Dinner
    • Drinks
    • Festive
    • Fika
    • Fish
    • Foraged Food
    • Gluten-Free
    • Healthy
    • Lunch
    • Main
    • Nordic
    • Pickling
    • Preserving
    • Salads
    • Sharing
    • Snacks
    • Soups
    • Sourdough Baking
    • Starters
    • Vegan
    • Vegetarian
  • Bespoke Cakes
  • Workshops
    • Sourdough Workshops
    • Nordic Baking Workshop
    • Pastry – Savoury Tarts
  • Work with me
  • Buy my book
  • About

Nordic Rye Sourdough Rolls

10th November 2022 by Louise
Nordic Sourdough Rye Rolls
Nordic Sourdough Rye Rolls

Once you’ve baked sourdough bread, there really is no going back. Supermarket sourdough just doesn’t cut it. It often contains citric acid and commercial yeast, in other words it’s ‘Fauxdough’.  This sourdough has developed taste over many hours, fermented to perfection, and then baked until deep caramel in colour with a crunchy exterior. This is my Nordic Rye Sourdough Rolls Recipe.

I say it’s my recipe, a good friend, who happens to be Finnish alerted me to the recipe. It was infact written on the back a packet of rye malt grains she bought on a trip home. The originally recipe calls for commercial yeast. We both love to bake with wild yeast, so it just had to be converted, I have made a few other adjustments too.

There are a few ingredients you may need to purchase before you begin. Firstly kefir, this cultured milk is an extremely versatile baking ingredient and when substituted for milk, buttermilk or water, will produce a delicious and healthy twist for many bakes and dishes. It adds a lovely softness to the crumb here. Secondly, cut malted rye grains they provide a little texture and extra fibre. Finally black treacle, you may wonder why this is added. It gives the bread a wonderfully rich caramel colour and pleasant taste. It’s also rich in nutrients, including iron, calcium and potassium.

The process is very straightforward. All the dry ingredients are combined in a bowl, with exception of the salt. The starter must be active i.e. very recently fed and doubled in volume. This is mixed with the kefir, oil and the majority of the water. You’ll notice I weight liquids; I do this because it’s far more accurate. The salt and remaining water are then added after half an hour. Stretch and fold 3 times and it then it’s covered and goes straight into the fridge to prove overnight.

Nordic Rye Sourdough Rolls
Small cracks appear when they are ready to bake.

The next morning, simply divide into 16 pieces, shape gently and sprinkle with extra rye flour. The second proving time will vary, depending on the temperature in your kitchen.

Gently prick with a fork 3 times.

Then pop in the oven to bake for up to 25 minutes. You will enjoy the amazing aroma when they are done, guaranteed. Not only delicious, healthy too!

Nordic Rye Sourdough Rolls
Print Recipe
5 from 2 votes

Nordic Rye Sourdough Rolls

Delicious and nutritious Nordic Rye Sourdough Rolls make the perfect accompaniment to smoked or pickled fish. Or simply with cheese or butter.
Prep Time40 minutes mins
Cook Time25 minutes mins
Proving time12 hours hrs
Total Time13 hours hrs 5 minutes mins
Servings: 16 rolls

Ingredients

  • 80 g chopped rye grains soaked for 30mins in 200g boiling water
  • 125 g active rye sourdough starter 100% hydration
  • 300 g wholegrain rye flour organic
  • 125 g strong wholemeal flour organic
  • 175 g strong white flour organic
  • 12 g fine sea salt
  • 50 g black treacle
  • 30 g sunflower oil or melted butter
  • 150 g kefir
  • 200 g water

Instructions

Late afternoon.

  • Begin with the chopped rye grains, place them in a bowl and add the boiling water. Set aside for 30 minutes.
  • Place all the dry ingredients in a bowl, with exception of the salt. In another bowl mix the kefir, oil, black treacle and 175g of the water. Now add the rye starter and whisk to combine. Pour over the dry ingredients with the soaked rye grains. Give it all a good mix. Cover and leave for 30 minutes. This stage is called autolyse.
  • Now add the salt and the remaining water. Using your hand squeeze the dough to help incorporate the water and salt. It is a fairly wet mix. Cover and leave for 20 minutes. Now take a portion of the dough and pull and fold over on itself. This is called stretch and fold. Because there is less gluten in rye flour this is a little tricky but the idea is to try and incorporate air in the dough. Do this twice more, at 20 minute intervals. Once this is done, cover and place in the fridge overnight. (Prove for up to 12 hours).

First thing next morning.

  • Gently scoop out the dough out of the bowl with a scraper onto a (rye) floured work surface. Very gently dived the mixture into 16 even pieces, (approximately 85g each). Gently shape, don’t be too heavy handed, you don’t want to knock out any air from proving overnight in the fridge.
  • Preheat the oven 220°C fan.
  • Place the rolls on a lined baking tray and sprinkle with a more rye flour. Cover with a clean tea towel. In my kitchen (21C) they take 2 hours 45 minutes to prove. Small cracks will appear on the surface when they' re ready to bake. Gently prick with a fork 3 times. Place on the middle shelf of the oven and bake for 22-25 minutes. When you tap on the underside they should sound hollow. Cool on a wire rack. Eat on the same day or freeze for up to 3 months.

Notes

If you use a white starter you can easily convert it. Take 20g of your regular starter, add 80g each of rye flour and water. Leave to double in volume, you’re then ready to proceed with the recipe. You will have a little left over if you then want to continue to feed with rye flour.
Freshly baked!

Share this:

  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
Category: Autumn, Baking, Healthy, Nordic, Sourdough Baking, WinterTag: baking, Bread, gut friendly, healthy, nordic, scandinavian, scandinavian flavours, sourdough, sourdough starter, swedish
Previous Post:Swedish Apple TartSwedish Apple Tart
Next Post:Hake, Celeriac Puree, Mustard Leek SauceHake, Celeriac Puree, Mustard and Leek Sauce

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Karen Deuschle

    5th December 2022 at 2:02 pm

    Wondering if there’s a good substitute for the chopped rye grains? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Louise

      5th December 2022 at 5:29 pm

      Hi Karen,

      Are you able to buy any other chopped grains? If not, you could try a seed blend, which I would recommend soaking, as per the recipe.

      Reply
  2. Anna

    7th January 2023 at 7:28 pm

    5 stars
    These are such delicious rolls. We have made several batches and love them!

    Reply
    • Louise

      8th January 2023 at 8:47 am

      So lovely to here Anna, thank you for taking the time to comment.

      Reply
    • Veronika Hanson-Pitkoff

      30th August 2023 at 2:35 am

      5 stars
      I just made these today and I am pleasantly surprised that the rolls turned out as planned. The recipe was easy to follow and the rolls were tender but hearty with a wonderful rye flavor.

      Reply
      • Louise

        10th September 2023 at 3:12 pm

        Thank you for taking the time to comment Veronika.

        Reply
  3. Vi

    10th March 2023 at 7:55 am

    Is there any suitable substitute to the black treacle? It is very hard to find black treacle and molasses of good quality in country. If so – in which proportion?

    Reply
    • Louise

      14th March 2023 at 7:45 am

      Hello Vi, you could use honey, your loaf won’t be as dark but it will still taste good.

      Reply
  4. Olga

    16th July 2023 at 1:27 pm

    Thank you so much for your ideas and inspiration. 🙂

    Reply
    • Louise

      24th July 2023 at 3:10 pm

      My pleasure Olga :-))

      Reply
      • Argi

        6th August 2023 at 8:16 am

        Dear Louise,
        Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I was wondering if it w would be good to skip the kefir? Or would you advice to substitute with something else?

        Reply
        • Louise

          6th August 2023 at 8:25 am

          Hi Argi,
          If you’re not a fan of kefir it can be replace with natural yogurt or milk. Hope this helps.

          Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Only @nigellalawson could make squeezing in just o Only @nigellalawson could make squeezing in just one more baking book sound so elegant. She wrote the loveliest words about Buns: Sweets and Simple Bakes — and went for the Brown Butter & Vanilla, a quiet favourite of mine. Deceptively simple, but the kind of bun that’s never trying too hard, because it doesn’t need to.

So chuffed you took the time, Nigella — thank you.

@quadrillebooks 
#BunsTheBook #MorningBuns #bakingwithyeast #bakingbook #NigellaLawson #brownbutterbuns #vanilla #BunsSweetsAndSimple #nordickitchenstories
With all this hot weather lately, a chilled Cucumb With all this hot weather lately, a chilled Cucumber & Almond soup was just what I fancied. Cool, creamy, and packed with protein and flavour. I used 650g small cucumbers, 250g full-fat Greek yogurt, 2 spring onions, a blanched clove of garlic (raw’s a bit harsh for this, I find), 60g skinned almonds, 50ml strong veg stock, a good drizzle of EVOO, lemon juice, and a splash of sherry vinegar to finish. I also threw in a handful of herbs – fresh dill, blanched parsley, and mint – for a lovely hit of green brightness. (Serves 2.)

Tip: blitz the blanched almonds with the veg stock first until really smooth – that’s key. Then add the cucumber, herbs, spring onions, garlic, EVOO, lemon, vinegar, and just a third of the yogurt. Only whisk in the rest once the soup’s puréed – it gives a lovely thick, creamy texture. If you add all the yogurt to the blender at once, it can end up a bit thinner than you’d like.

Finish with a swirl of EVOO, a drizzle of thinned yogurt, and maybe a few cucumber ribbons if you're feeling a bit cheffy.

As I sat down to eat, it occurred to me that some chopped pickled jalapeños on top would be lovely – so that’s exactly what I added to the finished soup before tucking in!

#chilledsoup #cucumbersoup #summerrecipes #almondsoup #vegetarianrecipes #glutenfree #coolingmeals #easyrecipes #greekyoghurt #souprecipe #healthyandfresh #britishsummerfood
This week’s bits and pieces… 1 & 2. A christe This week’s bits and pieces…

1 & 2. A christening cake I loved making, thank you for the flowers @littlebeechesfarm 

3. A lovely walk and catch-up with @wasielewskamarta – always a pleasure 🤍
 
4. Stumbled on some wild raspberries while out and about 

5. Making the most of the gorgeous summer tomatoes

6. Grass dancing in the wind



#LittleMoments #BritishSummer #SlowDays #HomeBakes #ForagedFinds #SeasonalEating #CountrysideWalks #ChristeningCake #SimplePleasures #nordickitchenstories
I’m fully embracing my current obsession with to I’m fully embracing my current obsession with tomatoes — and honestly, who wouldn’t? They’re so sweet and juicy at the moment. This little tart is packed with toasted fennel seeds, chunks of salty feta, and a mix of whole and sliced tomatoes that roast beautifully. The feta is so good with the sweet, blistered tomatoes — such a lovely mix of textures and flavours. All of that’s tucked into a light spelt pastry that’s perfectly crumbly. The full recipe will be on the blog tomorrow!

#tomatoseason #seasonaleats #summertart #vegetarianrecipes #homebaking #britishseasonalfood #tomatolove #easyvegetarian #eattheseasons #tartrecipe #bloggerrecipes #instafoodie #savourybakes #tomatotart #ukblogger #nordickitchenstories
What a weekend! I managed to deliver a Strawberry What a weekend! I managed to deliver a Strawberry and Elderflower Buttercream Cake in 30°C heat without a single mishap – a small miracle if you ask me. Huge congratulations to the lovely newlyweds Victoria and John –  hope you had the most wonderful day 💐🎂 (There’s a snap of the cake over on stories)

Now the new week is here and the temperatures are finally a bit more manageable. Thought I’d share my current favourite weekend lunch – a lovely summery Tuna Salad. When tomatoes are so sweet and juicy, it’s the perfect time to make the most of them. Paired with haricot beans, diced celery (I know it can be a bit divisive, but it adds such a nice crunch), and a caper and chive mustard dressing. Light, fresh, and very satisfying.

#strawberryandelderflowercake #buttercreamcake #summerwedding  #tunasalad #seasonaleating #haricotbeans #capers #chives #homemadelunch #simplemeals #foodinspo #saladseason #homecooking #frommytable #inmykitchen #onmyplate #ukfoodie #ukfoodblog #foodbloguk #slowdownwithstills #nordickitchenstories
I meant to post this much earlier, but I’ve been I meant to post this much earlier, but I’ve been busy prepping a wedding cake for a Midsummer wedding tomorrow. Buttercream and a heatwave are not the best combination! I was up at 4:30 to get ahead of the heat, and I’m so glad I did — the cake is finished and happily chilling in the fridge.

Being half Swedish, Midsommar holds a special place in my heart. It’s all about flower crowns, fresh air, and that lovely feeling of long summer days. We gather with family and friends, share a beautiful midsommar feast - pickled herring, new potatoes, strawberry cream cake (this is not the wedding cake), and snaps! 
A time to slow down, dance around the maypole, and celebrate life and light. 

 Glad Midsommar! 💛🌞

#Midsommar #GladMidsommar #swedishmidsummer #weddingseason #Midsommarvibes #FlowerCrowns #ScandiStyle #NordicTradition #SummerSolstice  #SkålToSummer  #Familytraditions #ScandinavianCelebration #nordickitchenstories
Nordic kitchen stories logo

Sign up to receive my latest recipes by email

Copyright © 2025 · Louise Hurst · Privacy Policy · All Rights Reserved · Website by Callia Web