Description

A comforting sourdough rye bread with a chewy texture, enhanced by caraway seeds and a sweet molasses glaze, offering a healthy, gut-friendly option for family meals. This simplified recipe guides you to achieve a beautiful, rustic loaf with an authentic bakery taste.

Ingredients

Scale

100 g active sourdough starter
150 g rye flour
350 g bread flour
300 g water
10 g salt
1 Tbsp caraway seeds
2 Tbsp molasses (for glaze)

Instructions

Feed Your Starter: Ensure your starter is active and bubbly, fed 4-12 hours before mixing, showing visible activity within 4-6 hours.
Mix the Dough: In a large bowl, combine fed starter, water, rye flour, bread flour, salt, and caraway seeds until just shaggy. Cover and rest for 30 minutes (autolyse) for dough hydration.
Fold and Ferment (Bulk Fermentation): Perform 3-4 sets of stretch and folds over 2-3 hours in your mixing bowl. The dough should feel airy and show a significant volume increase, indicating proper fermentation.
Shape the Loaf: Gently pre-shape the dough into a round, rest for 20 minutes, then final shape into a tight boule or batard to build tension.
Cold Proof: Place shaped dough in a floured banneton or bowl, cover, and refrigerate for 12-24 hours to deepen flavor and ease handling.
Preheat Oven & Dutch Oven: Preheat oven to 450°F (232°C) with a Dutch oven inside for at least 30 minutes for optimal oven spring.
Bake the Bread: Carefully transfer cold dough to the hot Dutch oven, score, cover, and bake for 30 minutes. Remove lid, then bake another 15-20 minutes until deeply golden.
Prepare Molasses Glaze: Whisk 2 Tbsp molasses with 1 Tbsp water while the bread finishes baking.
Glaze and Cool: Remove bread from oven, brush generously with the molasses glaze, then return to oven for 5-10 minutes to set, creating a shiny, caramelized finish. Cool completely on a wire rack for best texture and to prevent gumminess.

Notes

For rising issues, check starter activity and kitchen temperature (aim for 70-75°F). For a crisper crust, use a preheated Dutch oven for steam. If the loaf is pale, bake uncovered for an extra 5-7 minutes. Consider organic flours, local molasses, or optional additions like 1 tsp orange zest, 0.25 cup chopped walnuts, or a sprinkle of flaky sea salt on the glaze. Cool bread completely to prevent gumminess.

Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 60 minutes
Category: Bread
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 slice (75 g)
Calories: 220 calories
Sugar: 8 g
Sodium: 70 mg
Fat: 3 g
Saturated Fat: 0.5 g
Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrates: 45 g
Fiber: 4 g
Protein: 7 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg

Keywords: sourdough, rye bread, caraway, molasses glaze, homemade bread, gut-friendly, rustic loaf, baking, comfort food, family-friendly