Whole Wheat Rye Sourdough Bread

I absolutely adore sourdough bread, and this whole wheat rye sourdough definitely tops the list. If you’re looking for a forgiving, flexible-schedule sourdough loaf, this recipe is for you. 

Why This Whole Wheat Rye Sourdough Is A Favorite

I’ve experimented with different sourdough recipes, changing up the hydration and testing different flours. I’ve tried pillowy ciabatta and dense rye-and-molasses loaves, classic baguettes and sandwich breads. Yet I always come back to this recipe. 

My family and I have come to the conclusion that if we could only eat one type of bread for the rest of our lives (and we like bread a great deal), this whole wheat rye sourdough bread would be the one to choose. 

It’s that good. 

It’s the perfect all-around loaf, with tangy depth of flavor from the sourdough starter and a nuttiness from the whole wheat and rye flours. Even better, it has a consistent crumb that makes it ideal for spreading with any sort of toppings you might want, without anything dripping through the holes. 

Freshly baked, this bread is good all on its own, or lathered with butter or dipped in olive oil.

The next day, I like to enjoy it as toast with breakfast, or as a side to soup and salad. It’s sturdy and can hold a mountain of toppings if you want. Think mashed avocado and thinly-sliced radish, or creamy goat cheese drizzled with honey and chili flakes.

After a few days and the bread is a bit dryer, it’s perfect for hearty slabs of French toast or buttering up for a grilled cheese sandwich. To be honest, I don’t get to use this sourdough bread for French toast all that often. The bread is long gone before it gets even slightly stale!

The best part is that it’s a forgiving recipe, and I can fit bread baking around my (often busy) schedule without worrying about rise and fermentation times. Typical of sourdough, no two loaves are exactly the same–but they all taste delicious anyway.

The Method | Whole Wheat Rye Sourdough

The night before, or more often in the morning, I’ll feed my sourdough starter to get it nice and bubbly. Sometimes I have more or less starter based on how much I’ve fed it, so I’ll simply adjust the recipe ratios for what I have. 

Once the starter has doubled in size, I’ll weigh it out and calculate my rations. My baseline recipe starts with 450 grams of sourdough starter, but if I have 350 I’ll just divide 350 by 450 to get 0.77. Then I’ll multiply all of the other listed weights in the recipe by 0.77 to make sure all of the rations align with the amount of starter I have.

Mix all the ingredients together (remembering the salt! I have a bad habit of leaving this out) and knead until combined before letting it rest for about 20 minutes. I used to add the salt after this autolyze period. However, after forgetting the salt one too many times, I’ve started adding it in with the flour and water. It hasn’t affected the outcome at all. 

Stretching & Folding

Once the dough has rested a bit, I’ll go ahead and knead it more to make sure all the flour is fully incorporated and to start that lovely gluten development. I probably knead a couple minutes, but this sourdough isn’t super fussy or particular. If you knead less, don’t worry–you’ll still do a couple of stretch-and-folds throughout the bulk fermentation process. 

Once kneaded, cover the dough with a damp tea towel and place it in a warm area. In the summer, this might be your kitchen counter, but in the winter, I prefer to use the oven with the oven light on. It keeps it a balmy 70 degrees or so, and it’s the perfect incubation area. 

Every hour or 90 minutes after that, I’ll do a quick stretch and fold of the dough and tuck the seams underneath. Do this 2 to 3 times, for a total of about three hours in this bulk fermentation stage. Again, I’m not super particular about this. The conditions of the day dictate whether your dough will rise faster or slower, so the best thing to do is keep an eye on it. You’re looking for dough that stays indented when you press a finger into it, and that has a nice lattice-work underneath when you dump it onto a floured surface for the shaping stage. 

I’m admittedly not the best at shaping my dough. But as I’ve mentioned, this sourdough bread is incredibly forgiving and will taste good no matter what. 

Proofing & Shaping The Dough

Normally I make enough for two loaves, so I cut the dough in two, shape it into two round balls, and cover it with a damp towel again to let it rest for another 20 minutes. After that time is up, I’ll stretch the dough back out, and start folding it over, braid-like, into an oval shape. My bannetons are oblong, so this is what works for me. Dust the banneton with flour, and place the loaves seam side up in them. 

Here, you have two options–let the dough proof in a warm environment for another hour or two before baking for fresh bread the same day. Or, tuck the bannetons into the fridge for an overnight rise. I’ve had more consistent success with oven spring with an overnight rise. This also tends to work better with my schedule, but both methods work fine. 

Baking Your Whole Wheat Rye Sourdough

Preheat the oven to 450 during the last hour of the final rise period, or in the morning when you’re ready to bake after an overnight rise. See below for my baking schedules! This whole wheat rye sourdough tastes delicious no matter when you decide to bake. Give yourself some grace and allow the process to meld with your schedule.

Slash the loaves neatly with a sharp knife, spritz them with water (or if you’re lazy like me, flick some water on them with your fingers!), and place them into the oven. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the crust is golden.

The last part is the hardest–wait until the bread is fully cool before slicing into it. Yes, I know it’s tempting to enjoy warm sourdough fresh out of the oven. But! It really does need to cool completely so that the insides aren’t soggy when you start slicing. Instead, enjoy the scrumptious aroma of baking bread filling your kitchen. Know that when you finally dig in and enjoy a slice with a bowl of soup, a skillet of shakshuka, or just on its own, it will be well worth it.

Baking Schedule for Same-Day Bread

Night before – Feed starter.

8 am – Mix dough.

8:20 am – Knead dough.

9:30 am – Stretch and fold.

10:30 – Stretch and fold.

11 am – At this point I’ll evaluate whether the dough needs more time to rise in this stage, or if it has risen enough for shaping. If it needs more time, give it another thirty to sixty minutes and then check back. If not, I’ll cut the dough into sections and leave it to rest. 

11:20 am – Shape the dough and place into bannetons.

12 pm – Preheat the oven

1 pm – Place loaves onto parchment paper, slash them, and place them into the oven.

1:40 pm – Your bread is done! Pull it out to cool completely to room temperature–and then enjoy.

Baking Schedule for an Overnight Rise

Night before – Feed starter.

8 am – Mix dough.

8:20 am – Knead dough.

9:30 am – Stretch and fold.

10:30 – Stretch and fold.

11 am – At this point I’ll evaluate whether the dough needs more time to rise in this stage, or if it has risen enough for shaping. If it needs more time, give it another thirty to sixty minutes and then check back. If not, I’ll cut the dough into sections and leave it to rest. 

11:20 am – Shape the dough and place into bannetons, then cover the bannetons with a damp towel and stick them into the fridge for an overnight rise. 

Let the loaves rise at least 6 hours in the fridge or overnight. When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven and make sure it’s fully up to temperature. Then turn out your loaves onto parchment paper, slash them, and bake them. No need to have the dough come to room temperature; you can bake it straight from the fridge!