If you’re a fan of sourdough bread, you might have noticed that many artisan bakeries use Rye flour in their sourdough bread. But why is Rye flour so popular in sourdough? Here at Grand Teton Ancient Grains we love learning about how to use our ancient grains in today’s everyday life. Here are six reasons why Rye flour is such a hit today in sourdough bread, and some tips to keep in mind when working with Rye flour.
6 Reasons Why Rye Is Popular In Sourdough Breads:
#1. Rye Speeds Up Sourdough Fermentation- Rye flour is a great choice to add to your sourdough starter if you want to see activity and rise in a shorter period of time. Compared to other flours, Rye has a higher level of enzyme activity in sourdough bread, which means it attracts more yeasts and ferments much faster.
#2. Rye Adds A Unique Flavor Profile- Rye offers an extremely complex flavor profile, thanks to a combination of a variety of yeasts, unique enzyme activity, and high nutrient profile. The fruity and subtle sour notes of Rye bread are very popular in sourdough bread, especially when it’s long and slow fermented.
#3. Using Sourdough To Ferment Rye Makes It Less Dense- 100% Rye bread is dense, but using Rye flour in sourdough fermentation actually reduces its density, depending which primary flour you use in combination with the Rye flour. This process makes the loaf more aerated and fluffier than if you were to use Rye in ordinary commercial yeast bread.
#4. Rye Helps Keep Sourdough Softer For Longer- Sometimes sourdough bread can have a slightly drier texture, but Rye flour can bring back some of that moistness. This is because Rye contains a higher level of a complex sugar called pentosans, which absorb larger amounts of water and retain it after baking. This results in a moister crumb than ordinary white sourdough bread, keeping it softer for longer.
#5. Rye Is Best Suited To ‘no-Knead’ Recipes- Rye flour is extremely low in gluten, so kneading a 100% Rye bread is completely unnecessary. Sourdough bread also performs well without kneading, unlike yeast breads that have to be kneaded. Therefore, Rye is an ideal addition to sourdough bread because it doesn’t respond much to kneading.
#6. Rye Is More Nutritious Than Wheat Flour- Rye flour contains more nutrition than regular wheat flour, and this is especially true for sourdough Rye bread. The slow fermentation that occurs when making sourdough bread increases the nutrient availability of the flour.
Tips To Keep In Mind When Working With Rye Flour
Before you start using Rye flour for sourdough bread, there are some things you should know. Rye flour is unique in its makeup, containing high levels of enzymes, less gluten than wheats, and the ability to retain moisture better than any other flour. As a result, making a switch from wheat to Rye flour might not be that straightforward. Here are some tips to keep in mind when working with Rye flour:
- Rye flour absorbs water more readily than wheat flour, so you’ll need to adjust your recipe accordingly.
- The high enzyme activity in Rye flour can make it sticky, so dusting your work surface and hands with flour can help you deal with this.
- Rye flour has a distinct flavor that may not be suitable for every recipe, so it’s best to experiment with different ratios of Rye and wheat flour to find the right balance.
- Rye flour can be more challenging to work with than wheat flour, but don’t be discouraged. Start with a small amount of Rye flour and gradually increase the amount as you get more comfortable with it.
Rye flour is a popular choice in sourdough bread because of its unique properties, which can speed up fermentation, add a complex flavor profile, reduce density, retain moisture, and offer more nutrition than wheat flour. However, it requires some adjustments in recipes and techniques due to its high enzyme activity, low gluten content, and ability to absorb water. With practice and experimentation, incorporating Rye flour into your sourdough baking can result in delicious and nutritious loaves. At Grand Teton Ancient Grains, we hope you have had as much fun learning about the reasons why Rye is popular in sourdough breads as we did!
Is there a sourdough recipe using a combination of rye and all purpose einkorn flour?
Can the starter be made with the same combination of flours?
Hi Kathie. We don’t have that specific recipe for you on our website, but it can certainly be done. We recommend the Cooking with Einkorn cookbook that you can buy on our website. It doesn’t have Rye recipes but it teaches how to cook with Einkorn so it might help you understand how to use Einkorn in a recipe that uses Rye and all-purpose white flour.
Yes, the starter can be made with the same combination of flours, though it doesn’t have to be. Starter doesn’t need to be fed with the same flour that the recipe you are making calls for.
Which of your grains would be best to use other than rye to make sourdough bread? I don’t like the flavor of rye. Thanks.
Hi Heather,
Most ancient grains tend to produce really great flavor for sourdough bread. Spelt, Einkron and Khorasan are among the more popular. The ratios and process you should use to make your sourdough bread will change depending on which grain you’re using, so be aware that it will take some trial and error to adapt to different grains. Hope that helps!