Today I’m making Sourdough Rye Bread with Molasses. If you’re new to sourdough bread baking, then this recipe is for you. It doesn’t require any stretching and folding techniques. The result of this recipe is rye bread with a dense and soft texture and rich flavor from three types of flour and molasses. This homemade rye bread is great for sandwiches or with a spoonful of sour cream.

Ingredients:

750 ml – warm water
150 g – active sourdough starter
20 g – saltr
70 g – molasses
500 g – rye flour
350 g – whole wheat flour
100 g – all-purpose unbleached flour

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Feed the starter

Before making any sourdough bread, I like to feed my starter twice. I only keep 35-40 grams of starter for my bread making and I bake bread every two weeks. In between baking I keep my starter in the refrigerator. Around 9 o’clock at night, I take my sourdough starter out of the fridge and feed it for the first time.

Day 1

So, it’s day one around 9 pm. I take about 35 grams of cold starter, add 35 grams of water at room temperature and 35 grams of flour. I like to use about a teaspoon of whole wheat flour and the rest of the flour is all-purpose unbleached flour. Next you want to mix all the ingredients very well. You should not see any dry flour in your jar. Cover the jar with the lid and let it sit at room temperature overnight.

Day 2

It’s 6 in the morning of day two. Let’s take a look at our starter. It doubled in size and has a lot of small bobbles. It’s time to feed it a second time.

Step 1

In the jar we have around 105 grams of sourdough starter. I add 105 grams of room temperature water and 105 grams of flour. Again, I add about half a tablespoon of whole wheat flour and the rest is all-purpose unbleached flour. Again, mix all together very well. Cover the jar with the lid and let it sit at room temperature for about 4-6 hours or until it’s more than doubled in size. If you wish, you can mark the level of the sourdough starter with a rubber band.

Step 2

It’s been 6 hours since I fed my starter in the morning. Let’s take a look. My sourdough starter has more than doubled in size. It has a lot of bubbles, puffy on top and smells delicious.

Next step is to put aside 35-40 grams of starter for my next baking day. I cover the jar with a lid and place it in the refrigerator. It’s going to be there 2 weeks until I’m ready to bake again.

Step 3

Now we are ready to mix the dough. In a large mixing bowl combine the warm water, salt and give it a quick mix.

Next, add the molasses and 150 grams of sourdough starter. As you can see, my starter floats in the water, which means it’s full of air bubbles and it’s ready for the dough. Give it a quick mix. Next, add the rye flour, whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour and start mixing the dough.

I like to start with a spoon, then I use my hands to finish the mixing. You can also use a stand mixer to mix the dough. The goal is to mix all the ingredients well so you don’t see any dry flour. Consistency of the dough will be very sticky and feels like mud. That’s because rye flour contains less gluten than regular flour. You can lean your hand using a spatula.

Step 4

Today I’m using two bread loaf pans which I’m going to brush with a special mixture that I like to make, by using only 3 ingredients. These ingredients are all-purpose flour, vegetable oil and melted butter.

All we need to do is to mix them together in a 1:1:1 ratio. For example, 20 grams of butter, 20 grams of oil and 20 grams of flour. This mixture will prevent the dough from sticking to the pan during the baking and will help to remove the bread from the pan without sticking.

Using a brush coat both loaf pans with the mixture.

Step 5

Next, we need to divide the dough into two equal parts. You can do it by eye or using a kitchen scale. After that we need to press the dough into the pan. You can use a spatula or a wet palm of your hand. Smooth the top of the dough and cover each pan with a shower cap. Transfer the loaf pans into the refrigerator for 18-24 hours.

Day 3

Step 1

It’s 7 in the morning of day three. Now it’s time to take the loaf pans out of the refrigerator and leave them at room temperature for the next 4-7 hours. I like to turn the shower caps inside out to reduce condensation liquid on the top of the dough.

Step 2

It’s 2 pm on day three. Let’s take a look at our dough. The loaf pans feel at room temperature and the dough has slightly raised and formed a small dome. It’s time to bake. Preheat the oven to 430 degree Fahrenheit, place the loaf pans in the middle rack and bake for 35-40 minutes. As you can see, the baked bread comes off the sides of the loaf pan well and has a dark rich color.

I like to grease the surface of the hot bread with a piece of butter, but this is not necessary and totally up to you.

Let the bread cool completely inside the loaf pan then take it out. It’s very easy to do, thanks to the special flour and butter mixture.

Look at this gorgeous loaf of sourdough rye bread. It is heavy and smells amazing. Let’s cut a slice and see how it looks inside. Please, only slice the bread when it’s completely cooled. The bread has a dense and soft texture and rich flavor from three types of flour and molasses.

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Tips to make this Sourdough Rye Bread with Molasses:

When starting sourdough, it is helpful to place a rubber band to the level of the starter around the jar after it has been fed with the water and flour mixture.
To test the readiness of the starter, drop a spoonful of sourdough starter into a bowl or cup of water to see if it floats.
Please, only slice the bread when it’s completely cooled.

Store the baked rye bread in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap for up to 5 days at room temperature.
You can also freeze the loaf, whole or sliced, for up to 3 months in a Ziploc plastic bag.

Sample Baking Schedule:

9 pm: Feed sourdough starter for the first time.
7 am: Feed sourdough starter for the second time.
2 pm: Mix ingredients in a mixing bowl. Divide the dough between two baking pans, smooth the top, cover with a shower cap and place in the refrigerator for 18-24 hours.
7 am: take the baking pans out of the refrigerator and let it sit over the counter for 4-7 hours or until the dough reaches room temperature and slightly rises.
2 pm: Bake at 430 F degrees for 35-40 minutes. Let it cool completely before slicing.

PIN IT FOR LATER

If you try this recipe for Lemon Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting, let me know what you think! Leave a comment below, and don’t forget to snap a pic and tag it #pastrymadness on Instagram! Seeing your creations makes my day ♥