The dense, seeded, 100 per cent rye sourdough of Denmark — the base of smørrebrød. The dough is a paste, spooned into a tin rather than kneaded, and set by the acid of the leaven.
Untested: not yet made in this kitchen. It is here as the showcase for one flour in the Flour section and is adapted from the source named in the Notes.
Ingredients
Day 1 — wet leaven
- 125 g active rye sourdough starter (100% hydration)
- 230 g dark rye flour
- 290 g cold water
Day 1 — soaker
- 50 g chopped rye grains
- 150 g mixed seeds (for example golden and brown linseed, sesame, buckwheat, millet, sunflower and pumpkin)
- 150 g boiling water
Day 2
- 1 batch wet leaven (above), all of it
- 330 g dark rye flour
- 12 g fine sea salt
- 2 tablespoons molasses (black treacle)
- 220 g tepid water
- 2 teaspoons caraway seeds (optional)
- A few mixed seeds for the top
Directions
- Day 1 — leaven. Stir the starter, cold water and rye flour into a loose leaven.
- Day 1 — soaker. In another bowl, pour the boiling water over the rye chops and seeds. Cover both bowls and leave 10–12 hours.
- Day 2 — mix. Add everything else, and the soaked seeds, to the leaven and stir with a spoon for a couple of minutes. Rest 10 minutes.
- Pan. Oil and line a loaf tin and dust it with rye flour. Spoon in the dough and smooth the top. Scatter with seeds and dredge heavily with rye flour.
- Proof 1½–3 hours, until the floured surface cracks.
- Bake. Heat the oven to 230 °C (fan) for 30 minutes with a tray of water. Bake 40–45 minutes, turning halfway, to 95 °C in the centre.
- Rest. Turn out and cool. Do not slice for 4–5 hours, or overnight.
Notes
Source Adapted from Louise, “Danish Sourdough Rye Bread (Rugbrød),” Nordic Kitchen Stories (28 October 2020).
Not in the source The loaf-tin size is not given.
Why this flour Every gram of flour is rye. Rye cannot build a gluten network; its structure comes from arabinoxylans and starch, and the sourdough’s acid slows rye’s strong amylase, which would otherwise turn the crumb gummy. The long rest before slicing lets the crumb set. (The collection’s Army Rye Bread is only about 20% rye.)
The Flour section of the Food site covers the history, the science, milling, label systems and every flour used here.