So...do you have a sourdough starter bubbling away on your countertop yet? Many of you must because I've had several recent requests for a sourdough version of rugbrød, the dense Danish rye bread that is often used as the base for smørrebrød. So I figured it was probably time to get this recipe up on the blog!
I've been making this sourdough rugbrød for several years now, long before I created this easy overnight version that I posted on the blog last fall. At the time, I figured that a lot of people don't keep sourdough starters at home, and they might appreciate a version that relies on commercial yeast for leavening. But, there is something to be said for making the real thing with your very own sourdough starter. Not only is it satisfying to use wild yeast for leavening, it also creates a delicious bread with a subtle tang that you will only get through the sourdough process. Sourdough bread also lasts longer than bread leavened with commercial yeast thanks to its acidic nature. So let's get started with the basics, shall we?
WHAT IS RUGBRØD?
Rugbrød simply means “rye bread” in Danish. It is a sturdy, dense loaf that is comprised of rye flour, chopped rye grains and is often studded with sunflower, pumpkin and/or flax seeds. It is almost always baked in a 13 x 4 inch pullman pan with a lid. This helps the rye bread bake properly and gives it its characteristic square shape.
Rye breads, particularly those baked here in America, often have a variety of ingredients added to them to enhance their color (making them darker in appearance) and flavor. Common additions include caramel coloring (no thank you), stout beer, cocoa powder, espresso powder and molasses. Rugbrød, in contrast, has very little additional flavoring, perhaps just a little molasses for sweetening. It is meant to be a very straightforward bread so that it can serve as a neutral base for a variety of different sandwich toppings. Sometimes I will come across a rugbrød recipe that calls for flavor enhancers such as caraway, fennel or anise seed in the dough, but this seems to be more of an exception than the rule. Again, simple is the name of the game here.
When it is served, Rugbrød is typically sliced thin (a little less than a quarter of an inch) and buttered liberally with salted butter. There is actually a word in Danish, tandsmør, which means “tooth butter”. It refers to buttering your bread generously enough so that when you bite into it you can see your teeth marks in it. You butter lovers know what I’m talking about. It may be enjoyed as is, simply slathered with butter, or it can be piled with additional ingredients to form the base of smørrebrød, the famous Danish open sandwich.
WHAT MAKES RYE SO SPECIAL?
Rye has many unique qualities that make it quite different from wheat, both as a whole grain and in flour form:
- Rye has historically been important for the Nordic region as it is a hearty plant that can tolerate poor soil and weathers cold and wet conditions better than most grains. It was the primary grain relied upon for bread-baking in the north for centuries and is still popular today.
- Rye flour has less gluten than wheat flour. Gluten strands form the structure of bread and trap gases produced by the yeast so that your bread leavens properly. Because gluten doesn’t form well when rye flour is mixed with water, rye breads are always more dense in structure and have a closer crumb that wheat breads.
- Rye flour holds more water than wheat flour and contains certain enzymes that convert starch to sugar. This can cause rye breads to be overly moist and have a gummy texture if not handled and baked properly.
- Your sourdough starter will help your loaf of rye bread succeed. While rye's unique qualities can make it challenging to use in a bread recipe, your sourdough starter can help counteract some of those challenges. Using a sourdough starter contributes certain acids to the dough which help neutralize some of the negative effects of the enzymes that can cause the bread to have a gummy texture.
- Rye breads get better with a little age. Unlike wheat breads which are best eaten shortly after cooling, both the texture and flavor of rye bread improves after a rest of 24-36 hours.
- An interesting fact: There is a fungus called ergot that can attack rye plants causing the grains to become highly toxic to humans and trigger hallucinations if ingested. Some historians believe that ergot-infested rye was the cause of the hallucinations that led to the Salem witch trials in Massachusetts in 1692. Fortunately, modern industrialization has all but eliminated any risk of ergot-infected rye as any diseased grains are removed prior to processing.
The Sourdough Process
Making sourdough rugbrød is really quite simple. Here is a quick overview of the process from start to finish:
Weighing Your Ingredients in Grams
The first thing you might notice about the recipe is that it is written in grams. Don't let that intimidate you. Most sourdough recipes are written by weight in grams and it is actually a really easy and accurate way to bake. Simply zero out your kitchen scale with the bowl you plan to use sitting on top. Set the scale to grams and start weighing! Seriously....easier than cups and spoons. Just remember to zero out your scale every time you add a new ingredient.
The Day Before You Bake: Refresh Your Starter
It's best to a use refreshed and ripe sourdough starter when you begin to build your dough. What does "refreshed and ripe" mean? Simply that you fed your starter about 8 hour prior to when you plan to use it. It should be bubbly, active and puffy throughout.
The Night Before You Bake: Create a Levain
This recipe calls for a levain, which is a term for a portion of the dough that will ferment overnight before we mix the final dough. A levain consists of water, flour and a bit of ripe sourdough starter.
The Night Before You Bake: Create a Soaker
This recipe also calls for a soaker. This is a mixture of rye chops (or Bob's Red Mill 7 Grain Hot Cereal Mix) and seeds that will sit overnight in water prior to adding it to the final dough. Soaking these ingredients overnight in water helps soften them so that they will have a pleasant texture in the final loaf. And there is no need to drain the soaker prior to adding it to the final dough.
The Next Morning: Build Your Final Dough
Your levain and soaker have been sitting overnight and it's time to put the final dough together. This couldn't be easier. Simply add all the ingredients for the dough to the bowl of a heavy duty stand mixer. Mix on low for a few minutes and then increase the speed to medium for a few minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally. That's it! There is no kneading of this dough by hand as it is far too sticky to do so.
The Rise
From here we scrape the dough into a greased and floured 13 x 4 pullman loaf pan with a lid. And then we wait. We let the dough rise and do its thing while we attend to whatever it is that we need to do. The dough should come within ½ inch of the top of the pan before we pop it in the oven. This will take anywhere from 1 ½ hours to 4 hours depending on the temperature of the dough and the temperature of your kitchen. Be patient and move your dough to a warmer spot if you want to speed things up a little. I will often turn the oven on and then let the pan sit on top of the stove while the oven preheats.
The Bake
So what's up with the different baking temperatures in this recipe? They really do have a purpose, I promise. This method of baking helps prevent the enzymes that produce a gummy texture in rye breads from developing by keeping the loaf from spending too much time in the temperature zone where enzyme formation is the most favorable. The texture of your your bread will be moist and cooked evenly all the way through....just like you want it to be!
If you make your own smørrebrød at home or would like to, please give this sourdough rugbrød a try. It is one of the most delicious and nutritious breads out there and a great way to dip your toe into the world of sourdough. And using it as a base for a Nordic open sandwich will give you a true taste of authenticity. If you are new to smørrebrød, there are several open sandwich recipes on the blog to get you started:
- New Potato Smørrebrød with Garlic Aioli and Crispy Shallots
- Roasted Beet Hummus Smørrebrød with Avocado and Pickled Onions
- Roasted Broccoli Smørrebrød with Whipped Ricotta
- Roast Beef Smørrebrød with Remoulade and Crispy Shallots
- Italian Salad and Ham Smørrebrød
- Balsamic-Glazed Mushroom Smørrebrød with Garlicky White Bean Puree (vegan)
- Easy Garden Tomato Smørrebrød
- Chickpea Salad Smørrebrød
- Caramelized Leek and Snap Pea Salad Smørrebrød
- Smoked Salmon and Fennel Salad Smørrebrød
- Roasted Salmon Smørrebrød with Creamy Mustard Dill Sauce and Pickled Beets
- Beet and Celery Root Cake Smørrebrød with Herbed Skyr Sauce
- Roasted Butternut Squash Smørrebrød with Spicy Harissa Mayo and Pepitas
Recipe
Sourdough Danish Rye Bread (Rugbrød)
Ingredients
Special Equipment Needed:
Ingredients for the Night Before:
For the Levain:
- 300 grams dark rye flour
- 100 grams bread flour
- 350 grams water
- 70 grams ripe sourdough starter
For the Soaker:
- 75 grams rye chops or 7 grain hot cereal such as Bob’s Red Mill
- 1 cup raw sunflower seeds (131 grams)
- 1 cup raw pumpkin seeds (142 grams)
- ½ cup flax seeds (65 grams)
- 285 grams water
Ingredients for the Day of Baking:
- All of the Levain
- All of the Soaker
- 200 grams dark rye flour
- 130 grams bread flour
- 180 grams water
- 18 grams salt
- 2 tablespoons molasses
Instructions
- The night before, make the Levain and the Soaker: Combine the ingredients for the Levain in a medium bowl. Stir with a spoon to combine (mixture will be thick and the texture of wet cement). Cover with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature overnight, approximately 12 hours. Combine the ingredients for the Soaker in a small bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature overnight, approximately 12 hours.
- The next morning, grease a 13 x 4 inch pullman loaf pan (with a lid) and dust it with rye flour. Set aside.
- Combine the Levain and the Soaker (no need to drain) in the bowl of a heavy duty stand mixer. Add remaining dough ingredients. Using the paddle attachment, mix on low speed for 3-4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally. Increase speed to medium and continue to mix and periodically scrape down the sides of the bowl for another 4 minutes.
- Using a sturdy spoon or spatula, transfer the dough to the prepared loaf pan, distributing it evenly across the length of the pan and smoothing out the top with a rubber spatula (if you are having trouble smoothing out the top, dampen the spatula slightly with water). Dust the surface of the loaf generously with rye flour. Put the cover on the loaf pan and let it rise until it comes to within a ½ inch of the top of the pan. This may take anywhere from 1 ½-4 hours depending on the temperature of your kitchen and the dough.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Place the covered loaf pan in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature of the oven to 400 degrees. Bake, covered, for an additional 15 minutes. Pull the loaf pan from the oven and remove the lid. Reduce the temperature of the oven to 325 degrees and continue to bake, uncovered, for an additional 45 minutes. Remove loaf from the oven and tip out onto a wire cooling rack. Let cool completely before slicing. Rye breads improve after a bit of resting time. If you can wait until the following day to slice into it, wrap the completely cooled loaf loosely in foil and let it cure until the next day. The bread will keep for about 4 or 5 days at room temperature wrapped loosely in plastic wrap and a layer of foil. For longer storage, wrap tightly and freeze.
Jane says
PS Can I leave out the rye chops and hot grain cereal as I have no idea where I would source those items in a small Australian town!
Kristi says
Could you find steel cut oats? I have had other people use those instead of the rye chops or hot grain cereal with good results.
Jane says
Hi there! I'm new to this - have made 4 sourdough rye loaves using a "beginner friendly" recipe and they came out really well taste wise! I'm here because my big problem was the loaves sticking to my non stick pans despite greasing well, coating with flour etc. I even used a partial lining with parchment altho my recipe cautioned against a full lining because of possible sogginess, and suggested a sling. Despite careful greasing and flour coating of the exposed corners, it stuck. I have now destroyed the non stick coating of those pans in my efforts to get them out so I arrived here looking for recommendations for quality pans. You've sold me on your recipe too! The whole lid thing seems like it will improve my bread. So I just need to purchase tins! I really don't want non stick as thousands of reviews on quality pans suggest non stick does not hold up well when baking sourdough. What about cast iron? Or do you have any other recommendations? Thanks so much for your recipe!
Kristi says
Hi Jane,
I have only every used the nonstick pullman pan from USA pans for this recipe so I'm not sure how other pans would perform. For what it is worth, I love my USA pan and actually have two of them!
Kristi
Michaela says
I bake this delicious bread every two to three weeks. And have been for about a year and a half since I was directed to this recipe by my sister, who also gave me the Pullman pan. Almost always it comes out perfectly. Sometimes there is a bit of a hole in the center, mainly if it has risen too quickly I think.
I use a tabletop nut/coffee grinder to chop up the whole rye berries since that is all I can buy locally. And I use Bob’s Red Mill flaxseed meal. I also add a heaping tablespoon of honey.
I cut it by hand with bread knife into about 44 slices, then freeze smaller packages to take out when needed.
How do you slice this bread? Have you ever used the chop blade rugbrød slicer? My mother had one and I have been considering trying to use it.
I also am curious about the nutritional values included at the end of the recipe. How big a portion are the measurements for?
Thank you
Trish says
I spent a couple of weeks in Denmark and Sweden in June/July and had rugbrod (topped with butter and lingonberry jam) every morning at the hotels. I missed it terribly when I got back home. The only place I could find in my area that sells it is a Danish bakery about 70 miles from here - a mere $23 a loaf. Plus shipping. No thanks. So I knew I'd have to make my own. I found this recipe and immediately ordered a Pullman pan and picked up a higher-end stand mixer (my basic model is fine with batters, but not so much with bread doughs), then went to town. No other recipe is needed - this one is absolutely perfect. It tastes exactly like the rugbrod I had in Scandinavia. I am thrilled! I been baking a loaf every five or six days now!
Kristi says
Wow! That is fantastic! Thanks so much for your feedback. Sounds like you are saving yourself some money in the long run, even with the investment in a mixer and pan. 🙂
Kirsten says
I have now made two loaves. The first was too gummy even with extra 40 minutes at 325. I kept checking te internal temperature and found it stayed at 94 c the whole 40 minutes.
For the second loaf, I added 2 taps of Malt powder, I baked it last night at 500 c for 20 minutes, then 20 minutes at 400 c, then 1.30 hrs at 325 c. The internal temperature after that time got up to 96 c. This morning I cut a slice and it looks exactly like your picture! It tasted wonderful. It is still a bit wet, I guess there is nothing I can do to make it dryer.
Thank you, tak, Kristi!
Kristi says
I wonder why that has been happening? But good trouble shooting on your part! Enjoy the bread!
David says
My problem using this recipe with the large Pullman loaf pan is that the oven spring results in the dough pushing up against the lid and oozing out at the corners. My starter is 100% hydration rye and seems very active as the dough gets to within a half inch of the top of the pan fairly quickly. Is it necessary to use the lid during the first stage of the bake? What problems would occur without using the lid? Also would it be a good idea to bake the loaf until it reaches an internal temperature of about 205F? It seems there can be a lot of variability in the accuracy of oven temps. Thanks so much.
Kristi says
You could certainly try it without the lid but you don't use it, you won't get the nice square shape. My lid has a very tight fit and I've never had any problems with my bread dough oozing out the corners, even with an active rise.
Richard says
I have made several different recipe of rugbrod. This is hands down my favorite. My mother was Danish and I was raised eating this bread. Highly recommended recipe. It will easily adapt to addition of different seeds.
Susan E Clarke says
I'm very impressed with this recipe; it's still wonderful 48 hours after baking. For the sweetener, I substituted a dark brown sugar syrup from Germany ( Goldsaft) because I had it in the cupboard. Thanks again.
Kristi says
Thanks so much for your comment, Susan! I'm so glad you enjoyed the bread.
Kristi
jean says
Hello! I made this recipe last weekend (first ever attempt at rugbrod) and it produced delicious results. I had to substitute medium rye since I already had that on hand. Mine also rose pretty quickly and was trying to escape my pullman pan. I want to try this recipe again and adjust to my preferences. Do you know how I could create a crunchier crust? I would say my results this first time were a firm crust, but not crunchy. For reference, there's a Danish bakery here in NYC that sells a cranberry variation of rugbrod and it has the most amazing, crunchy and deeply toasted crust. Should I try baking at a higher temp for longer? Bake without the pullman lid at all? Should I try removing the entire loaf from the pan for the final bake? Any other recipe tweaks you suggest? Thank you for this great and easy recipe! Will be making weekly for the foreseeable future.
Kristi says
Hi Jean,
Thanks for your comment! I think I would try removing it for more time during the final bake if you are after a crunchy crust. Let me know how it goes! I love the idea of adding cranberries to this recipe. Yum!
Kristi
David says
Hi Kristi,
Back on February 27, 2023, I wrote to ask if it's possible to make this rugbrød recipe entirely with dark rye flour, and you explained that making a 100% rye bread is an entirely different project because of rye flour's particular chemistry, which is what I had understood for years. Recently, though, I noticed that mass-produced, plastic-packaged German rye bread made by Mestemacher (sold at World Market, on Amazon, and elsewhere) is made from 100% rye and uses yeast, rather than baking powder and baking soda like the Icelandic Rye Bread recipe you suggested on King Arthur Flour's website. I also found some recipes for rugbrød in Danish online, and when I Google translated them, they appear to use sour dough starter and 100% rye, with no baking powder or baking soda. And so I'm wondering: Do you know how Mestemacher does it? Do you know how traditional old-fashioned Danish rugbrød recipes managed to work with 100% rye? I'm eager to hear your pearls of wisdom. Many thanks!
David
Kristi says
Hi David,
I do not know their secrets, I am afraid! I do buy their bread sometimes and it's not bad :). It definitely can be done! I will keep my eyes out for recipes that be what you are looking for!
Kristi
David Agruss says
Many thanks, Kristi! I'll keep my eye out as well for anything that reveals the secrets of bread made from 100% rye flour and sourdough starter. And if I find anything, I'll report back!
David
Sherry says
For a 1 lb loaf (Pullman 8X4) would you cut the recipe in half and bakd for the same amount of time?
Kristi says
Hi Sherry,
Yes, that's exactly what I would do. Happy baking!
Kristi
David says
Hi Kristi,
If I understand correctly, rugbrød is traditionally made exclusively from dark rye flour. Is it possible to make this recipe entirely with dark rye flour? If yes, would one simply substitute dark rye flour for all the bread flour, or do you recommend different measurements? And if no, why wouldn't using only dark rye flour work? Many thank for your guidance.
David
Kristi says
Hi David,
Thanks for your question! Making a 100% rye bread is an entirely different kind of baking project, thanks to the fact that rye flour has very little gluten and contains certain types of enzymes that are activated during the baking process and can produce a gummy loaf if not handled properly. There is a good and reliable recipe for 100% Icelandic Rye Bread at the King Arthur Flour website that I've tried and had good results. I would suggest trying that as a starting point. Hope this is helpful!
Kristi
Mo Higgs says
Thank you so much Kristi, what a fabulous recipe! I have been making sourdough for the last five or six years but have always been a little nervous of rye bread. Your recipe has changed that. I followed your recipe, the only changes I made were to use steel cut oats instead of rye chops and I split the dough between 2 9x4 Pullman tins. They turned out perfectly, thank you so much! Now I’m going to bake the sourdough rye crisp breads, fortunately, I have discard in the fridge, I’m hooked. With love fruit m Cape Town, South Africa
Kristi says
Hi Mo,
Thanks so much for your comment! I'm so glad the bread worked well for you. It is one of my favorite recipes and always comes out great. Enjoy the crispbread!
Kristi
Scott Beethe says
I have made a number of different Rugbrod recipes now some being failures and some being really great. I found this recipe to be among the best. For me, It has a perfect balance of moisture, chew, and flavor. It also toasts up well, deepening the flavor a bit. I did allow the overnight levain to go 15 hours instead of 12 giving a little more sourness which I like. I truly enjoy the sour, sweet, and salty balance it has but what change would you suggest to get a little more malt flavor in it? Add malt syrup? Use beer in place of water? other ideas? Thank you for this excellent recipe and all you and your readers' suggestions.
Kristi says
Hi Scott,
Thanks for your comments and question! I like your idea about the malt syrup best. I think the beer might get lost with all of the other strongly flavored ingredients. Please let me know if you give it a try!
Kristi
Bobbie says
We love the bread this recipe produces. I changed the soaker to suit our tastes: no pepitas, added more flax seeds, sesame seeds and some rye berries to the Bob's 7 grain cereal. I put the sunflower seeds in when mixing up the dough on day 2, because we like them a bit crunchier. Perfect!
Kristi says
Hi Bobbie,
Thanks so much for your comment! I love how you've played around with the soaker to suit your own tastes.
Happy Baking!
Kristi