Sourdough Rye with Walnuts

The sourdough rye with walnuts has very high percentage (over 60%) of rye flour. It’s great tasting, nutty and light with the addition of walnuts. This also shows that high-percentage rye bread does not have to be dense. I got the recipe from Jeffrey Hamelman’s Bread as I tried to gain more experience baking with rye flour. You can make the bread with or without the walnuts. Since I prefer the texture of grains and nuts in my bread, walnut leaven bread is one of my all-time favorites.

Adding rye to wheat flour and the resulting enzymatic activities speed up the fermentation process quite a bit. The recipe calls for one teaspoon of dry yeast. Consequently, bulk fermentation takes only 30 to 45 minutes. The dough does not rise significantly. The second rise takes another hour. That gives you enough time to preheat the oven for the final bake. From start to finish, you can get the bread baked in less than three hours.

Of course, we have not counted the time (12 to 16 hours) to get the rye starter lively and happy to make the dough. The reward in making the sourdough starter is the exceptional keeping quality and the complex flavor of the bread. Besides, like all sourdough breads, they offer superior nutritional benefits for our guts. If you like rye breads, it is not the one to miss.

Print Recipe

Sourdough Rye Bread with Walnuts

Serves: Makes 1 loaf

Ingredients

• RYE STARTER:
• 152g medium rye flour
• 113g room-temperature water
• about 21g ripe (fed) sourdough starter
• DOUGH:
• 128g medium rye flour
• 149g unbleached bread flour
• 170g room-temperature water
• 1 teaspoon instant yeast or active dry yeast
• 7.4g salt
• 100g walnut pieces

Instructions

1

To make the starter: Mix all of the ingredients together in the bowl of an electric mixer. Cover and let sit for 14 to 16 hours at room temperature.

2

To make the dough: Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl. Using the dough hook, mix and knead for 3 minutes on first speed, and about 2 minutes on second speed; the dough will be shaggy, and won't look kneaded.

3

Cover the dough and let it rest for 30 to 45 minutes; it won't rise significantly.

4

Gently shape the dough into a ball, and place it into a stoneware bread-baking bowl, or onto a parchment-lined or lightly greased baking sheet.

5

Cover the loaf and let it rise for 50 to 60 minutes in a warm place.

6

Preheat the oven to 450°F.

7

Uncover the loaf, and slash a cross, or other designs, onto the top, to allow for expansion.

8

Bake the bread for 15 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 425°F, and continue baking for 20 to 30 minutes, until the loaf's surface is golden brown.

9

Remove the bread from the oven and, after 5 minutes, transfer it to a rack to cool completely. The baked bread should rest for 24 hours before slicing, for best quality.

10

Store bread at room temperature, loosely wrapped, for up to 5 days or so; freeze for longer storage.

Notes

https://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/jeffreys-sourdough-rye-bread-recipe