I love rye and almost always blend a little bit into my country bread formulas. I find that it improves the flavor by adding some earthy spiciness, it improves the texture by making it a little more tender, and it improves the fermentation because the yeast and bacteria feed voraciously on it. I also love dark, whole-grain rye recipes, although those tend to require some different handling than wheat dough due to the different composition of the grain.
This deli rye loaf is a great in-between. It has enough rye for a noticeable rye flavor without being as intense as a bread with mostly or all rye flour. A little bit of scalded rye (similar to tangzhong) makes it extra tender and helps it last beautifully for up to a week. The addition of caraway is a divisive topic; bakers tend to be all-in on one camp or the other. If you’re a can’t-stand-caraway kind of person, leave it out.
This bread just begs to be made into a ham, roast beef, or leftover Thanksgiving turkey sandwich.
Baking Schedule
This light deli rye sourdough bread can be made all in a single day. Alternatively, the dough can be proofed in the refrigerator (retarded) overnight and baked the next day in the morning, afternoon, or evening.
Light Deli Rye Bread Recipe
For tips on calculating baker’s percentages or modifying this formula, see the guide to baker’s percentages (baker’s math).
Vitals
| Total dough weight | 1600 grams |
| Sourdough starter in final dough | 15.0% |
| Hydration | 77.0% (Not including the water used to scald the rye.) |
| Yield | Two 800g pan loaves |
Total Formula
Desired dough temperature: 78°F (26°C) (see my post on the importance of dough temperature).
| Weight | Ingredient | Baker’s Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 639g | Type 85 flour (Cairnsprings Trailblazer Bread Flour) or High-protein white bread flour (King Arthur Baking Bread Flour) | 80.0% |
| 160g | Whole grain rye flour | 20.0% |
| 6g | Lightly toasted caraway seeds (optional) | 0.75% |
| 40g | PORRIDGE: Whole grain rye flour and water (20g whole grain rye flour and 60g water, cooked) | 5.0% |
| 615g | Water (Mix) | 77.0% |
| 20g | Fine sea salt | 2.5% |
| 120g | Ripe sourdough starter, 100% hydration | 15.0% |
Additional ingredients
Neutral oil for greasing pan
Bread flour for dusting the top of the dough
Light Deli Rye Bread
- Prep Time: 6 hours
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 6 hours 40 minutes
- Yield: 2 loaves
- Category: Lunch
- Cuisine: American
Description
This loaf has a great balance of wheat and rye flours. It has a bit of rye flour and scalded rye to add flavor and tenderness, but not so much that the dough is difficult to handle or the flavor of the rye is overwhelming. It makes a perfect sliced bread for ham, roast beef, or leftover Thanksgiving turkey sandwiches.
Ingredients
Scalded Rye Flour Porridge
- 20g Whole Grain Rye Flour
- 60g Water
Main Dough
- 639g Type 85 Bread Flour or high-protein white bread flour
- 160g Whole grain rye flour
- 6g Lightly toasted caraway seeds (optional)
- 615g warm water
- 20g Fine sea salt
- 120g Ripe sourdough starter, (100% Hydration)
- All of the rye porridge
Instructions
- In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the whole-grain rye flour and water. Cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring often, until the mixture has thickened and is glossy. Remove from the heat and let cool.
- Toast the caraway seeds by pre-heating a skillet and shaking the seeds in the hot skillet for about 30 seconds, or just until fragrant.
- In a medium mixing bowl (or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment), combine the water, sourdough starter, cooled scalded rye, caraway seeds, salt, and flour. Mix until everything is combined. Cover with a clean dish towel and let rest in a warm, draft-free spot for 20 minutes.
- Knead the dough in the bowl. To do so, lift up one side, fold it over the middle and press down. Rotate the bowl a quarter-turn and repeat. Continue lifting and folding for about 5 minutes.
- Let the dough rest, covered with an airtight cover, for three hours in a warm spot—the dough temperature should remain about 78°F (26°C). During this time, give the dough two sets of stretches and folds, one set after 1 hour and a second set after 2 hours.
- After three hours, the dough should have risen noticeably and have bubbles on top and throughout.
- Scoop the dough from the bowl onto a clean work surface. Divide in half and round gently into balls. Let rest on the worksurface for 15 minutes.
- Prepare two 1 lb bread loaf pans (8.5 x 4.5 inches) by liberally coating them with a few tablespoons of neutral oil. Alternatively, a 9 x 4-inch Pullman pan can also be used.
- Shape the loaves. To do so, flour the tops of the rested rounds. Use your bench knife,flip one over so the floured side is down. Pat and stretch the dough into a long oval shape, with the shorter sides closest to and farthest from you. Starting from the top of the loaf, use your fingertips to roll the dough down towards you until it is all rolled into a log shape. Pinch the bottom seam shut. Place the dough, seam-side down, into the prepared pan. Repeat with the other round.
- Loosely cover with a clean dish towel and let the dough proof for about 3 hours. (Alternatively, you can place the loaves in the refrigerator and bake them the next day.) During this time, preheat an empty oven with a rack in the middle to 460°F (238°C).
- After about 3 hours, the dough should have risen noticeably, just touch the rim of the 1 lb. pan, and spring back slowly when pressed. If the dough hasn’t risen or still feels dense, give it more time to proof. To prepare for baking, lightly flour the top of the loaves and score decoratively.
- Bake the loaves for 40 minutes at 460°F (238°C) until the loaves are golden-brown all over.
- Remove the pans from the oven and let cool briefly. Remove the loaves from the pans and let cool on a cooling rack until cool to the touch. These can be eaten once fully cooled, but they are best the next day.
Notes
To make only a single loaf, halve all of the ingredients.
The caraway seeds can be left out or substituted for fennel seeds.
This bread can be made in a traditional 1 lb. pan or a 9 x 4-inch Pullman pan. For additional pans and shaping techniques, see the guide to pan loaves.
Light Deli Rye FAQs
Can I substitute caraway seeds for something else?
Fennel seeds can be substituted for the caraway for this light deli rye sourdough bread.
What does scalding rye flour do?
Scalding the rye flour causes the starch molecules to burst and gelatinize. When you add scalded flour to a dough, you get structure and texture from the gelatinized starch instead of from gluten (which rye is low in anyway). The scalded flour also locks in more moisture, which helps keep the loaf softer for longer.
What’s Next?
For sourdough bread with a higher percentage of whole rye flour, check out Rye Sourdough and Smørrebrød (rye bread with recipes for open-faced sandwiches).
Making this bread during the holidays? Check out the Bread Baker’s Gift Guide for the best tools to gift (or for yourself!).
90 Comments
Has anyone cooked the porridge in a microwave rather than on the stove as directed?
Exactly the kind of loaf I was looking for. I love your recipes – thank you!
I made this today. I'm in a small village in Norway at the moment. There was nice and dark whole Rye and whole Wheat at the local store but no strong bread flour so I used a 11 % white wheat flour mixed with whole Wheat (13%) instead of the strong bread flour the recipe suggests. Apart from that I applied the whole rye (plus porridge), water percentage, salt and starter according to the recipe. The dough was indeed wettish.
The bread turned out great but I did Iet it bulk ferment much longer (7 hours) at about 24 C and proof in the fridge for at least 12 hours. It was a lovely soft and tasty bread, thank you for sharing this recipe! I will definitely make this again.
I am in England and I used Organic Strong Bread Flour and Organic Rye and followed the recipe in terms of the quantities. I used my stand mixer with a dough hook. The dough was a little sticky, but it was just about manageable for me, and all was going well until the second proof. I was worried because, although there were a few bubbles, it didn't seem to have risen enough after 3 hours, but I put it in the fridge overnight and gave it an hour out on the counter in the morning before baking. It had grown a little overnight, but I was still unsure.
I set my oven to 225 degrees (lower than suggested) and added a tray of water at the bottom. It looked done after 30 minutes. I gave it another 5 minutes (so 35 mins total) and it was definitely ready and starting to scorch.
The loaves turned out easily (no sticking) and were just right. They were a bit hard to score, so not exactly pretty. They had risen more during baking and looked good, if a little uneven.
I cut them in the evening and they have a lovely light crumb and a thin dark crust. I like the tang of caraway and this bread makes a great deli-style sandwich and is also lovely toasted.
I will definitely make it again!
Holy smokes, that's a BIG water different there!? Was there something forgotten because that's a lot of water 🙂 Glad it worked out on the next go, though!
Well, I read some people reduced it to 565g in the comments 🤷♀️ To be fair, I can’t get King Arthur flour here. I basically used the flour I could get and some vital wheat gluten. In the second try, I also upped the VWG. I promise I didn’t forget anything. I’m guessing the flour I can get here is just too weak.
Oh gosh I totally misunderstood you there. You reduced to 565g. Yes, that's sounds reasonable and you did the right thing to better suit your flour!
Wait, what did you understand?? 😂 yeah. And I had to add like 20g of VWG. You can’t get strong bread flour where I live.
Makes sense!
I first made this two days ago just as the recipe stated, and it was honestly a spectacular fail. Very, very soupy dough. After reading the comments, I made it again yesterday, but with less water (566g approximately). The biggest difference, however, was that I did an autolyse. I built the levain (1:2:2), and at the same time I mixed the water and the flours. When the levain was ready, I put all the ingredients in the mixer and mixed for 5 minutes. The dough was beautiful that way. I bulk proofed for 4 hours at 79ºF, and then I proofed in the pan for about two hours and 45 minutes. They turned out beautiful and absolutely delicious.
I’m assuming there must be a benefit to folding the dough in the mixing bowl rather than kneading it in a machine. What is it?
Either way works perfectly fine, John!
Sounds good. Thanks for the reply!
I love this recipe! Best bread every time.
I bake one boule in cast iron out of the whole recipe. When I used King Arthur bread flour and 2 T of extra gluten the water proportion was exactly right for perfect dough. (The previous batch I reduced the water to 565g like someone suggested and that also gave excellent results without any extra gluten).
Do all of you bread banneton users know that a 50/50 water/cornstarch mixture painted on the inner banneton and left to dry completely, will release the risen dough loaves like magic, with just a little added dusting of flour inside the basket and on the dough surfaces? Never get dough sticking again! Any remaining flour will simply be shaken free and brushed off and again be better than new!
Happy baking!
So happy you like this one, Kathryn! I've never heard that tip about cornstarch+water. Now I need to give it a try 🙂 Happy baking!
I baked this for the first time yesterday. I wasn’t clear from the instructions if the oven should be steamed (it isn’t actually specified one way or the other), but I went that route anyhow, starting with 20 minutes steam and then venting. The loaves had good oven spring, with lovely dark color when fully baked (about 38 minutes), but the scores on one loaf (I baked two 1.5 kilo dough weight in 13 inch Pullman pans) peeled open, leading to an ugly faux ear.
I was wondering after if it was sloppy scoring or if the steam was a mistake. Or I may have put a bit too much dough in for the pan size, though both loaves were scaled the same. Perhaps to steam or not could be clarified in the baking instructions? Delicious bread in any case, and I’m thrilled to have a tasty addition to my roster of pan loaves. Thanks!
I did steam this bread, Edward! Sorry for the confusion there.
I plan to make this bread tomorrow. Could you please tell me if it can be frozen.
Yes, absolutely!
I am very happy with this recipe. I didn’t have time to do two shapings and literally threw one lump of dough into a tin and it still proved well and had good oven spring. Had to give it 4 hours proofing in cold temperatures. Wasn’t up to level of tins but a hot oven got over that. Don’t be intimidated by sourdough. Practice will pay dividends.
Practice is key 🙂 Glad you liked this, Michael!
Can I use stone ground dark rye flour? That’s all I can find at my store.
Thx ♥️
I used Bob’s Red Mill stone ground dark rye. It was perfect.
Yup, that's wonderful flour to use, Miranda.
I read somewhere that it’s easier to score a soft loaf if you freeze it for about 10 minutes. Is this a good idea?
Yup, that's definitely true. It's a tactic I talk about in my cookbook, too.