This soft rye sandwich bread has a delicious tangy flavor from rye flour, sourdough starter discard, plus a secret ingredient. Easy to slice, it's perfect for sandwiches or toasted and slathered with butter!
1cup(227grams)sourdough starter discard, unfed, at room temperature
¾cup(170grams)dill pickle juice, warmed between 100°F to 110°F
¼cup(46grams)potato flour, or ¾ cup (146 grams) instant mashed potato flakes
¼cup(50grams)canola oil
3tablespoons(44grams)water, warmed between 100°F to 110°F, see Recipe Notes
1tablespoon(15grams)granulated sugar
1tablespoon(15grams)yellow mustard seeds, or prepared Dijon mustard
2½teaspoons(7grams)instant yeast, or Active Dry, see Recipe Notes
1½teaspoons(1½teaspoon)kosher salt
1¼teaspoons(1¼teaspoon)caraway seeds
1¼teaspoons(1¼teaspoon)dill seeds
Instructions
Make the dough: Combine all of the ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer. The dough may feel dry, so let the dough rest for 20 minutes. The resting time allows the flour to start to absorb the liquid, so don’t skip this step!
Knead the dough using a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook (or bread machine set on the dough cycle) to make a stiff, but fairly smooth dough. If it seems too wet or too dry, add in all-purpose flour or water, a tablespoon at a time. The dough will be soft and sticky.
Place the dough in a large bowl that's been lightly sprayed with canola oil spray. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free place until it's puffy, about 1 to 2 hours (the oven with just the light turned on works well). The dough should expand, but it may not double in bulk.
Shape the loaf: Gently deflate the dough, and shape it into a log. Start by flattening the dough with your hands into a rectangle about a ½-inch thick. Take the top 2 corners and have them meet in the middle to form a point at the top (like you're folding a paper airplane). Fold the point over towards you so that it extends a little beyond the bottom edges of the folded corners.
Repeat the process with the upper corners, having them meet in the middle again. Fold the point over (it won't be as pointy, but that's ok). Roll the loaf over so the seam is at the bottom. Gently roll the loaf back and forth to seal the seam while maintaining the loaf shape. See the post for pictures of the process.
Place the dough log in a lightly oiled standard loaf pan, and press it to reach close to the edges of the pan with a flattened hand. Cover the pan with greased plastic wrap, and let it rest until it has risen about 1 inch to 1½ inches over the edge of the pan, about 1 to 1½ hours. While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 350 °F.
Bake the loaf: Bake the bread for for 40 to 45 minutes, tenting with foil after 20 minutes. The bread will be golden brown. If you want to be sure, check the internal temperature with a digital thermometer. It should read at least 190 °F.
Remove the bread from the oven, cool for 5 minutes, then remove it from the pan and allow it to cool completely on a rack. Slice and enjoy a delicious sandwich!
Storage instructions: Sourdough rye bread can be stored in an airtight container for up to a week at room temperature. For longer storage, place in an airtight bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
Recipe Notes
If you use Active Dry yeast, then you might want to sprinkle yeast on to the warmed water with a teaspoon of sugar and allow it to sit for a few minutes before proceeding with the recipe. Letting it foam "proves" the yeast is active and ready to go to work.In judging the texture of your dough, the amount of flour and water you'll need is dependent on the humidity of your environment. Don’t be surprised if you have to add more flour to get the dough to the right consistency. It’s not recommended to knead this dough by hand, otherwise it's hard to develop the gluten sufficiently. If you do knead by hand, realize that the dough will take longer to rise, and won't rise as high.If you don't want use commercial yeast in this sourdough rye bread recipe, replace the yeast in this recipe with ½ cup (114 grams) of active, fed starter, and reduce the amount of flour by about ½ cup (57 grams) and liquid by about ¼ cup (57 grams). The rising time will be longer (about double) for both the first and second rises.