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–+ servings

Finnish Ruisleipa Rye Bread

Print Recipe
Prep Time 3 hours
Cook Time 45 minutes
Sourdough Starter 4 days
Total Time 4 days 3 hours 45 minutes
Servings 2 loaves
Calories 1457

Ingredients

For the starter:

  • ½ cup water
  • ½ cup stone ground dark rye flour

For the bread:

  • ½ cup rye sourdough starter
  • 2 cups warm water
  • 1 cup rye flour
  • 1 packet of dry yeast
  • ¼ cup warm water
  • ½ teaspoons kosher salt
  • 2 ½ cup stone ground dark rye flour
  • 3 cups white bread flour

Instructions

To make the starter (2-4 days ahead of time):

  • Place the water and rye flour in a small bowl. Whisk together.
  • Pour the starter into a large glass jar (mason jar). Remove the lid from the ring.
  • Place a paper towel or thin towel on top of the jar and secure just the ring on top to hold the towel in place.
  • Place the starter in a warm, dry area. Ideally you want it to be at a temperature between 70-75F. The starter is ready when it starts to bubble and smell sour. This may take a day or two. Once it’s ready, you can use it for the next step for the bread or store in the refrigerator.

To make the bread (1-2 days ahead of time):

  • You’ll need to “feed” the sourdough starter. Place about ½ cup of the starter in a medium bowl. Add the two cups of warm water. Stir together.
  • Add one cup of rye flour. Stir well.
  • Place a damp towel over the bowl and place the bowl in a warm place for one day.

On the day you’re ready to make the bread:

  • Put ¼ cup warm water in a small bowl. Pour the yeast into the bowl and dissolve in the warm water. Add the yeast and water into a mixing bowl (of a standing mixer) with the sourdough starter.
  • Add the salt to the mixture and use a dough hook to blend on low speed. Simply stir by hand if you don’t have a standing mixer.
  • Add the rye flour and white bread flour. Increase the speed slowly and mix until the dough forms.
  • Let the dough rest in the bowl for about ten minutes before kneading.
  • After ten minutes, you can knead in the mixing bowl until the dough becomes smooth or you can knead by hand.
  • Oil a large bowl and place the dough in the bowl. Place the bowl in a warm place and let the dough rise until it’s doubled in size.
  • Form the dough into the shape that you’d like the bread to be. Ideally, with this amount of dough, you can form two loaves or four mini loaves.
  • Preheat the oven to 375.
  • While the oven is preheating, place the loaves on a tray lined with parchment paper and let them rise for another 30 minutes.
  • Prick the loaves all over with a fork. You can bake the loaves on the tray lined with parchment paper or you can bake on a baking stone.
  • Place the loaves in the oven and bake for about 45 minutes.
  • Remove the bread from the oven and let the loaves cool on a cooling rack before slicing and serving.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 1457kcal | Carbohydrates: 303g | Protein: 48g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 608mg | Potassium: 984mg | Fiber: 30g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 4IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 88mg | Iron: 7mg