Sourdough Rye Bread Recipe

5 from 9 votes

This hearty, seeded Danish sourdough rye bread (Rugbrød) is deeply flavorful, loaded with wholesome grains, and incredibly simple to make. There is no kneading or shaping—just a slow ferment and a delicious bake. Traditional, nourishing, and satisfying, it’s the kind of bread that brings you back to rustic roots. My mamma's recipe of over 20 years!

Prep Time10

Cook Time1 45

Total Time6

Course: Bread

Cuisine: Danish

Keyword: homemade bread, rye bread

Servings: servings

Author: Elena Davis

Equipment

1 Digital kitchen scale
1 Large bowl or stand mixer with paddle attachment
1 Silicone spatula
Parchment Paper
2 Wide-mouth 32 oz Mason jars for the sourdough starter
2 ceramic, glass, Pullman loaf pan, or stoneware loaf pan (about 6-cup capacity)
1 Wooden spoon
1 Glass Measuring Cups

Ingredients

Bread

400 mL active sourdough starter approx. 3 ⅓ cups
700 mL filtered lukewarm water approx. 3 cups, divided
1 tablespoon maple syrup
400 g dark rye flour approx. 2 ½ and up to 3 cups, if needed
50 g steel-cut oats approx. ¼ cup
25 g flaxseed meal approx. ¼ cup
80 g sunflower seeds approx. ½ cup
33 g pumpkin seeds approx. ¼ cup
3 teaspoons sea salt

To Feed Mother Starter (Leaven):

200 mL of your existing starter (mother starter) approx 1 ⅓ cups
120 g dark rye flour approx. 1 cup
40 g rye seeds approx. ¼ cup optional

Instructions

I highly recomend reviewing my detailed rye sourdough starter recipe for making rye starter from scratch!

Divide Existing Starter (Mother Starter or Leaven):

Take existing starter from the refrigerator. Add 300 mL of luke warm water and stir to combine.
From the above mixture- remove 200 mL and place in a clean jar. To this jar- add 120 g of rye flour, and 40 g rye seeds and mix with a wooden spoon (avoid metal) until well combined. Cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let sit at room temperature for 2-4 hours, until doubled. Store in the fridge until you make your next loaf- (about 1 week* see notes).
This is your 'mother starter'. You won't use this today. Save for the next loaf. You will use the remaining starter mixture for bread dough.

Bread Dough:

Pour the remaining starter mixture or leaven (about 400 mL), rest of the lukewarm water- (400 mL), and honey into a large mixing bowl. Stir until well combined.
Add flax meal, steel cut oats, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, rye flour, and salt.
Stir everything together with a large rubber spatula until well combined. The dough will be very sticky, pliable, and soft. If needed, add 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup more flour to achieve the desired consistency (see photos in the post for visual reference). If it looks dry, add a couple of tablespoons more water to reach this consistency.
Line your 9 x 5 inches (23 x 13 cm) loaf pan (glass, ceramic, or stoneware work best) with parchment paper and pour the dough into the pan using a spatula. Smooth the top and level the surface with a spatula.
Sprinkle with additional toppings of choice (oats, flax, sesame, poppy seeds, or more pumpkin seeds).

Let Dough Rise:

Cover with another loaf pan so the dough rises upwards. Let rise in a warm place or oven on proof mode for about 5 hours, or in a cool place overnight. The dough will rise about 1-2 inches.

Bake Bread:

Preheat oven to 360°F (180°C). Bake the bread with the top loaf pan on top for 1 hour and 45 minutes to 2 hours. Note: reason to bake with a lid- this traps moisture and mimics steam, helping the dense dough bake through without drying.
Remove from oven and let cool fully in the pan with the cover still on. Once cool, lift the bread out using the parchment paper.
Slice thinly with a serrated bread knife. This flavorful bread is ideal for open-faced sandwiches with butter, cheese, avocado, cream cheese and salmon, or smoked meats. See notes for topping ideas.

Notes

How to Make the Sourdough Rye Starter From Scratch

Day 1: Combine 40 g organic rye flour + 90 mL filtered lukewarm water + 1 tablespoon rye seeds in a 32 oz jar. Stir with a wooden spoon. Let it sit in a warm place overnight- or 8-10 hours.

Day 2-5: Check for bubbles. Add 1 tablespoon rye flour + 1 tablespoon warm water daily, stirring to combine each time. Within a few days, it should become active and bubbly. Store the leaven covered in the fridge until ready to use.

- Dry Starter Storage (1-2 months)

Spread 1 cup or more of active starter (leaven) in a thin layer on a baking tray lines with parchment paper.
Dust with rye flour and let dry in a cool dry place for about 48 hours, or until fully dry.
Break into pieces and store in a zip-top bag in the fridge.

To reactivate: Soak the dried starter pieces in warm water, stir into a paste, and feed with flour and water for 1-2 days until bubbly and ready to use.

*How do I reactivate sourdough starter if I don't use for more than 1 week?

Take the starter from the fridge and add 3-4 tablespoons of rye flour
and 4 tablespoons of water, mix well and let it sit for 1 -2 hours prior to starting the bread.

Topping Ideas:
- - Smoked salmon + dill cream cheese + cucumber slices
  - Hard-boiled egg + mayo + shrimp + lemon + fresh dill
  - Roast beef + remoulade + crispy onions + pickles
  - Avocado slices + radishes + microgreens + flaky sea salt
  - Aged cheese (like Havarti) + apple slices + grainy mustard and a drizzle of honey

Nutrition