Finnish Sour Rye Bread
Submitted by krisah
Finnish sour rye bread with a four-day natural starter, rye and white flour blend, and an egg wash finish. A dense, tangy, traditionally fermented loaf.
This Finnish sour rye bread is the real thing. A four-day natural starter ferments before you even mix the dough, building the tangy, complex flavor that makes Scandinavian rye bread so distinctive.
The starter begins with just rye flour and your choice of liquid: flat beer, buttermilk, or potato water. Each option produces a slightly different character. Beer adds a malty depth, buttermilk brings tanginess, and potato water gives a softer crumb. Stir it once or twice daily for four days. When it bubbles and gives off a strong sour smell, it’s ready.
The dough itself is a mix of rye flour and white flour, kept soft enough to hold its shape but not sticky. Ten to twelve minutes of kneading develops a smooth, velvety texture. Two rises (the second one shorter) give the bread its structure, and a hot oven produces a sturdy crust with a dense, chewy interior. An egg wash brushed on in the final minutes adds a glossy sheen.
Pro Tips
- Keep the starter in a warm spot (around 70-75°F/21-24°C). Too cold and fermentation stalls. Too hot and bad bacteria can take over.
- Rye flour absorbs liquid differently than wheat. Add the white flour gradually and stop when the dough is firm but still slightly tacky.
- Knead on a lightly floured surface and resist the urge to add too much extra flour. Rye dough is naturally stickier than wheat dough.
- Cool the finished loaves under a towel as directed. This traps steam and keeps the crust from becoming rock-hard.
Variations
- Use all buttermilk for the starter and liquid for the tangiest version.
- Add a tablespoon of caraway seeds to the dough for a classic Scandinavian flavor.
- Shape into round boules instead of balls and score the tops with a razor blade before baking for a bakery-style finish.
Ingredients
Directions
four days ahead of bread making, prepare the starter: combine 1 cup rye flour with 1 cup liquid, cover loosely and set in a warm place.
Stir once or twice each day, adding more liquid if the mixture becomes too dry.
it should bubble and give off a strong odor.
when ready to prepare the dough, put the starter in a large mixing bowl, add 2 more cups of whatever liquid was used and stir.
Dissolve the yeast and salt in ¼ cup warm water and stir in.
Then beat in the remaining rye flour and up to 4 cups of the white flour one cup at a time to make a somewhat soft biscuit like dough firm enough to hold it’s shape.
It should not be too sticky.
turn out on a lightly floured board and knead until smooth and velvety, about 10- 12 minutes.
Divide the dough into two equal parts and shape into balls.
Place in two buttered bowls, turning to coat the dough with the butter.
Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1½ hours.
Place on a buttered baking sheet, cover and let rise again until doubled in bulk, about 40 minutes.
Bake in a preheated 400o oven about 45 minutes or until the loaves sound hollow when tapped with the knuckles.
Ten minutes before the loaves are done, brush the tops with the egg wash. cool, covered with towels to prevent the crust from hardening.
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