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Sprouted Rye Classic Sandwich Bread

The softest, fluffiest sprouted rye bread, with a wonderfully rich taste.

Calling all rye lovers! This Sprouted Rye Bread recipe is a great place to start if you are new to working with sprouted rye and want to add more whole grains into your diet. It’s a simple soft and squishy everyday bread, with a wonderfully rich flavour. It’s perfect for toast, sandwiches and dunking in soups.

If you’ve never worked with rye, it is much lower in gluten than wheat, so breads tend to be denser and stickier. Sprouting rye enhances it’s rich, buttery taste and results in a lighter, fluffier texture. So, while Sprouted Rye flour is 100% whole grain, it’s texture is more like a light rye. In this recipe, we’ve paired it with some strong bread flour to help it rise, plus a “secret” ingredient – instant mashed potato flakes! The starch from the potato is what gives this dough it’s beautifully soft and silky texture. If you’ve never had potato bread before, trust us, you’re missing out.

If you’re not a fan of the flavour of rye bread, it’s probably actually caraway – most rye breads are spiced with it so people tend to confuse the taste of rye and caraway. Rye on it’s own tastes like rich, buttery wheat. This recipe is still delicious without the caraway so feel free to leave it out.

If you’re brand new to making bread we encourage you to read through the recipe and all the tips before you begin. This bread is a hybrid (not 100% whole grain), so it’s a good transition into sprouted whole grains. If you’re looking for an 100% whole grain sprouted rye bread, a recipe is in the works, feel free to drop a comment below to let us know you’re waiting for it! As always, feel free to reach out to us with any questions.

tips for making sprouted RYe bread

  • The kneading times are a good general guideline, but also pay attention to the consistency of your dough. Every loaf is a little different, so don’t be afraid to make adjustments. 
  • Windowpane Test: to check that your dough has developed enough gluten, pinch a small piece in your hands and gently stretch it out. You should be able to stretch until it’s transparent without the dough ripping. 
  • Resist the urge to add extra flour! Sprouted flours benefit from higher hydration. Because of this, your dough will be quite sticky. Don’t add too much flour when shaping and instead use a dough scraper or spatula if the dough sticks to your counter. If you’re still having trouble, try lightly wetting or oiling your hands.

tips for A good rise

  • Bread loves a warm place to rise! A cold oven with just the oven light on works well for this, just remember to remove it before preheating the oven!
  • Rising time can vary depending on room temperature, the yeast you use, etc. To tell when your dough is ready, do a poke test rather than relying only on the times provided. Give the dough a gentle poke. If it springs back quickly, give it a bit more rising time. If it springs back slowly, it’s ready to go.

How to shape bread

For a round shape: grab an edge of the dough, stretch it towards the center and stick it down. Rotate the dough and continue all the way around until you have a roundish package. Flip the dough over to the smooth side and use your hands or a bench scraper to drag it across the counter several times to smooth out the top and create surface tension. 

For a loaf (batard) shape: there are quite a few ways to shape a batard, but we find the easiest way is to start with a rectangle. Fold one of the long ends towards you about halfway, then fold it again, this time folding down the corners as if you’re making a paper airplane. Now roll the dough tightly towards you. Once it’s rolled to the end, use the heel of your hand to seal the seam firmly. Rock the dough back and forth to even out the shape and create a smooth top.

ingredient tips and substitutions

  • Bread Flour: can be found at any grocery store and many bulk stores. All purpose flour can’t be substituted in this recipe. Rye flour is very low in gluten and it needs to be paired with a stronger flour to get the fluffy sandwich bread texture.
  • Warm Water: can be straight from the tap, no heating necessary. Simply let the water run until it is warm to the touch. 
  • Instant Yeast: you can substitute active dry yeast but it must be dissolved in the liquid first. The rising time may also need to be increased.
  • Molasses: you can use honey, but it doesn’t give the same rich flavour that pairs so well with rye.
  • Butter: Swap for 2 tbsp of oil for vegan sprouted rye bread.
  • Potato Flakes (also called instant mashed potatoes): these are the not-so-secret star ingredient! Potato flakes give this bread an incredible soft texture, you don’t want to skip it. Just make sure you’re buying plain and not flavoured. They are inexpensive and can usually be found near pasta and rice in the grocery store.
  • Caraway: the spice that gives a classic rye flavour, but it does have a distinct taste (similar to fennel) that not everyone loves. Sprouted rye bread is delicious with or without it!

how to properly measure flour

A kitchen scale is recommended because it is the most accurate way to measure flour. However, if you are using cup measures the best method is spoon and level. Fluff up the flour with a spoon then spoon it into a measuring cup (don’t pack it down) until it’s over filled. Sweep the excess flour off the top with a straight edge. This should get you pretty close to the gram weight, but pay attention to the textures described in the recipe and adjust if necessary.

Can i make this recipe without a stand mixer?

Definitely, but be prepared for an arm workout! Take 5-10 minute breaks from kneading as needed, this will also help with the stickiness of the dough. To knead, fold the dough onto itself and use the heel of your hand to press it together. Move the dough a quarter turn and repeat. If the dough sticks to the counter, scrape it off with a bench scraper or spatula and add small amounts of flour as necessary. Careful, adding too much can make the dough dry. If you’re new to kneading, there are lots of great YouTube tutorials. Some electric hand mixers also come with dough hooks, you can use these like a stand mixer but it may require more kneading time.
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2 from 1 vote

Sprouted Rye Sandwich Bread

The softest, fluffiest sprouted rye bread with a wonderful rich taste.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Rising Time: 3 hours
Servings: 1 loaf

What You'll Need:

  • 2 ¾ cups (330g) Bread Flour
  • 1 ¾ cups (210g) Sprouted Rye Flour
  • ¼ cup (20g) Instant Potato Flakes
  • 3 tbsp (42g) Butter, room temperature (or 2 tbsp oil)
  • 2 tbsp (40g) Molasses
  • tsp (9g) Instant Yeast (one packet)
  • 2 tsp (11g) Salt
  • 2 tsp (5g) Caraway Seeds (optional)
  • 1 ⅔ cups (390g) lukewarm water

How To Make It:

  • Measure and combine ingredients and knead everything together until the dough is smooth, silky and elastic. By electric mixer this is about 3 minutes stirring, 10 minutes on speed 2, and 5 minutes on medium speed. By hand, knead for 20 minutes or more, taking 5 minute rests as needed. Dough should pass a windowpane test (see notes above).
  • Transfer dough to a large, lightly oiled bowl and shape into a ball. Cover the bowl and place it in a warm area to rise until doubled, about 1 ½ - 2 hours. Even if it takes longer in your kitchen, the dough should be visibly puffy.
  • Line a baking tray with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, shape dough into a loaf and place it seem side down on the tray. Cover and allow to rise again until visibly puffy and springs back slowly when gently poked, about 45 minutes - 1 hour.
  • While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 400°F. Fill a small oven-safe dish with at least a cup of water and place in the oven to create steam.
  • Lightly spray the loaf with water and sprinkle with additional caraway seeds, if desired. Score (slash) the top of the loaf with a lame or very sharp knife.
  • Bake for 30-40 minutes, until deeply golden, or to an internal temperature of at least 94°C/200°F. Remove the water dish after 15 minutes and rotate the bread if needed.
  • Transfer to a cooling rack and allow it to cool completely before slicing and serving.
Have you made this recipe? Tag @secondspringfoods on Instagram!
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5 thoughts on “Sprouted Rye Classic Sandwich Bread

  1. Why can’t I use sprouted wheat flour as substitution for bread flour? It‘s also high in gluten, isn’t it?

    1. Sprouted rye flour is very low in gluten and this bread uses a high percentage so we paired it with bread flour to achieve the fluffy “sandwich bread” texture and make the dough easier to work with. You can use sprouted wheat flour but it is whole grain so the bread will be denser and will likely need more liquid. You may also want to bake it in a loaf tin to hold its shape better. You can definitely give it a try it just won’t have the same texture as the photos.

  2. I would love a recipe for Rye bread using only Sprouted Rye Flour or a combination of Sprouted flours. Do you have one?

    Thanks!
    Gael

    1. Hi Gael, we’re currently working on both an 100% sprouted rye and a sprouted flour blend recipe and hoping to have them available soon (I actually just ate a slice of the latest trial for breakfast 😊)! If you’d like to be informed when the recipes are available feel free to add yourself to our mailing list.

      In the meantime if you wanted to experiment, I would recommend starting from this recipe https://secondspringfoods.com/sprouted-wheat-bread/ and replacing some of the sprouted wheat flour with rye (maybe 50g to start). It would also be delicious if you replaced the honey in the recipe with molasses (I find molasses goes very well with rye). I hope that helps!

  3. 2 stars
    I have tried making this bread 4 times now and as far as i can tell i am following the directions diligently. i am weighing the ingredients for accuracy and still every loaf i have made has collapsed in the middle. when i cut into it is is still moist in the middle, yet the crust is very dark brown – almost to the point of looking burned. i have a thermometer in my oven to verify the temp so i don’t know why this isn’t working. the taste of the bread is wonderful, but i don’t know how to fix the texture. do i need to add more flour?

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