This Rye Sourdough Discard Bread, is my first bread with such a high rye flour content. Rye flour contains very little gluten, so making this bread is simpler than making traditional sourdough bread.

It needs less attention since you don’t have to fold it often and no final proofing is needed. Plus you can bake it the same day. However, I highly encourage you to wait a day before eating it, as this bread tastes so much better the next day.

I made this bread with my discard starter. This has the advantage that you can make this bread any time you want, since you do not need a freshly fed active sourdough starter. The only thing you need to do is make sure you have enough discard in the fridge.

Tools & Equipment

Banneton
Digital thermometer
Dutch oven
Kitchen towel
Large bowl
Parchment paper
Silicone spatula
Scoring knife or razor blade
Wire rack

Recipe Tips

Fermentation: Since rye flour contains hardly any gluten, the size of the dough does not change as much as in other breads. Therefore, it is not necessary to complete a series of folds. At the end, the dough will increase a little in size and you may notice some air bubbles on the surface.

Texture of this Bread: Considering that rye flour contains almost no gluten, you can increase the percentage of wheat flour to 40% if you want a rye bread with a less dense texture (I used 20% wheat flour for this bread). However, it is also possible to bake a bread with 100% rye flour. This is a delicious and rustic bread – perfect for those who want to reduce their wheat intake or are gluten sensitive.

Slice the Bread: You should definitely wait until the bread has cooled completely. For even better results, slice and serve the bread the following day to maximize the flavor.

Ingredients for Rye Sourdough Discard Bread

Step by Step Guide – How to Make Rye Sourdough Discard Bread

Make the Bread

Pour 350g of water into a large mixing bowl, add the discard starter and stir until evenly distributed. Add the rye flour and whole wheat flour. Mix everything until all flour is incorporated. Cover and let it rest for 40 minutes.

Add the salt and the remaining water and incorporate it by squeezing the dough between your fingers. Fold the dough on itself until fully combined. Cover and let it rest for 1 hour.

Fold the dough from the top to the center, rotate the bowl 90° and again fold the top of the dough to the center. Continue to do this until you made it two to three times around. Cover and let it rest for 1 hour.

In a small bowl prepare a 50/50 mixture of rice flour and rye flour. Dust the banneton with the flour mixture. The flour patina will prevent the dough from sticking. Lift the dough out of the bowl and put it in the banneton. Cover and let it rest for 1 hour.

Bake the Bread

Preheat the oven to 260°C/500°F about 30 minutes before baking and place the dutch oven with lid in the oven. Dust the top of the loaf with rice flour and invert it from the banneton onto a sheet of parchment. Score the loaf to allow it to fully develop in the oven.

When the oven reaches 260°C/500°F, carefully remove the heated dutch oven from the oven. Place the loaf with the parchment in the dutch oven and cover with the lid. Return to the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 230°C/450°F. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove the lid. Continue baking for 20-30 minutes. It is done when the core temperature reaches 98°C/208°F. Remove from the oven and lift the bread out of the dutch oven. Let the loaf cool on a wire rack.

Storing and Freezing Instructions

Storage: Store your bread at room temperature for 3-5 days. Paper bags or kitchen towels are perfect to protect bread from drying out too much. Do not store bread in the fridge. If you do, it will get stale faster compared to keeping it at room temperature.

Freezing Instructions: Let the bread cool completely and either freeze the whole loaf or slices of bread in a zipper bag for up to 3 months.

My Summary for Rye Sourdough Discard Bread

Difficulty: Simple.
Taste & Texture: This rye sourdough discard bread has a crunchy crust with a slightly chewy crumb. The texture is more dense due to the lack of gluten in the rye flour. It has a light sour taste, but it’s not too overpowering. Overall: Great taste and texture.
Time: For making the dough, resting and folding you should plan about 4 hours. After that you can bake this bread directly and the baking time is between 50-60 minutes.

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