Feeding My Sourdough Starter Rye Flour: A Flavorful Twist

One of the joys of maintaining a sourdough starter is its versatility. It adapts easily to different flours, making every loaf a new adventure. If you’re just starting out with sourdough, you might want to check out my earlier post, Sourdough Starter Tips for Beginners which covers the basics of caring for a starter. Recently, I decided to take things up a notch by experimenting with rye flour to see how it would change my sourdough starter and the resulting bread. Rye flour, with its rich, earthy flavor, seemed like the perfect way to add a new layer of complexity to my bakes. 

Rye flour is packed with nutrients that feed the wild yeast and bacteria in your sourdough starter, resulting in a faster fermentation process. After feeding my starter rye flour for the first time, I immediately noticed how quickly it bubbled and rose… about twice as fast as it usually does with wheat flour. This is due to rye’s higher amylase content, an enzyme that breaks down starches into sugars, giving yeast more to feed on. 

The texture of the starter also changed. It became denser and stickier than the wheat-based version I was used to, which is typical for rye because it contains less gluten. The aroma was more pronounced too, with an earthy tang that hinted at a more complex sourness to come. 

To get the best flavor and activity from your starter for this recipe, start feeding it rye flour at least 2-3 feedings before you bake (a couple of days in advance). Replace the usual flour with rye flour during the feeding process. The rye flour will encourage faster fermentation and a more pronounced sour flavor in your starter, giving the bread a deeper complexity. To feed your starter, mix equal parts (by weight) of starter, rye flour, and water. After feeding, let it ferment until bubbly and doubled in size before using in your recipe.  

After feeding my starter rye for a few days, I decided to bake a marble rye Pullman loaf. Combining light and dark rye doughs, layered and rolled together, resulted in a visually stunning loaf. The Pullman loaf has a softer texture due to the enclosed baking method, but the rye’s flavor remained bold, with a perfect balance of sourness and earthiness. 

Marble Rye Sourdough Pullman Loaf

Scroll down for a printable version of this recipe 

Yield: 1 Pullman loaf

Prep time: 30 minutes

Bake time: 45 minutes

Inactive time: 7-9 hours

For the Light Rye Dough:

150g active rye sourdough starter (fed with rye flour)

300g bread flour

100g rye flour

220g water

1 Tablespoon honey

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

For the Dark Rye Dough:

150g active rye sourdough starter

280g bread flour

100g rye flour

20g cocoa powder

220g water

1 Tablespoon molasses

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1. Prepare the Light and Dark Rye Doughs:

   - In two separate bowls, mix the ingredients for the light and dark rye doughs until just combined.

   - Let each dough rest for 30 minutes (autolyse).

   - After resting, knead each dough for about 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. 

2. First Rise: 

   - Place each dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise at room temperature for 3-4 hours, or until doubled in size. 

3. Divide and Layer the Doughs: 

   - After the first rise, gently deflate each dough.

   - Divide both the light and dark rye doughs into two equal portions, resulting in four pieces total.

   - Roll each piece into a rectangle approximately the same size. 

4. Assemble the Layers: 

   - On a lightly floured surface, place one piece of dark rye dough.

   - Place a piece of light rye dough on top of the dark rye.

   - Add another piece of dark rye dough on top of the light rye.

   - Finish with the second piece of light rye dough on top, creating a stack in the order: dark, light, dark, light. 

5. Roll the Dough: 

   - Gently press the stacked layers together with a rolling pin to adhere them.

   - Starting from the short end, tightly roll the layered dough into a log, ensuring there are no air pockets.

   - Pinch the seams and ends to seal the loaf. 

6. Second Rise in the Pullman Pan: 

   - Place the rolled dough seam-side down into a lightly greased Pullman loaf pan.

   - Cover and let it rise for 2-3 hours, or until the dough reaches about 1 inch below the top of the pan. 

7. Bake: 

   - Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).

   - Place the lid on the Pullman pan and bake for 40-45 minutes.

   - Remove the lid during the last 10 minutes to allow the top to brown. 

8. Cool and Slice: 

   - Remove the loaf from the pan and let it cool completely on a wire rack.

   - Slice to reveal the beautiful dark and light rye layers swirled throughout the bread. 

To learn more about bread and baking, check out our upcoming How to Bake Bread class on Friday, October 25 at 11am at Lincoln Square.