Updated: March 2023

By Bake with Paws

If you’re after a naturally leavened rye bread that’s soft, moist, and anything but dense, this Soft Sourdough Rye Bread is worth trying. Made with a blend of bread flour and rye flour, and enhanced by a Sweet Stiff Starter and the Yudane method, this loaf delivers the hearty flavor of rye with a light, tender crumb—perfect for those who love rye but prefer a softer texture.

This recipe brings together the earthy, slightly tangy taste of rye with the softness of enriched sourdough bread, making it ideal for sandwiches, toast, or simply enjoyed with butter.

Why Bake with Rye Flour?

Rye flour is rich in nutrients and fiber, and it has a distinctive flavor that pairs beautifully with natural fermentation. However, rye flour has lower gluten strength compared to wheat flour, which can often lead to denser loaves. In this recipe, I blend rye with high-protein bread flour to strike a perfect balance—resulting in a loaf that is both soft and structured.

What Makes This Bread Special?

• Soft, not dense: Rye tends to make bread compact, but the combination of sweet stiff starter and Yudane method helps keep the crumb light and moist.
• Rich in flavor: A subtle tang from sourdough combined with the nutty, earthy notes of rye.
• Healthier choice: Rye flour is high in fiber and nutrients, and this loaf has no added yeast or improvers.
• Naturally leavened: Fermented with a sourdough starter for better digestibility and a longer shelf life.

What is Yudane?

The Yudane method is a Japanese technique where a small amount of flour is scalded with boiling water. This pre-gelatinizes the starches and helps the dough retain moisture, resulting in a softer crumb that stays fresher longer. It’s particularly helpful when working with drier, denser flours like rye.

For more details on this technique, click "Bread Making Method".

Step-by-Step How To Make Soft Sourdough Rye Bread

Yields: 1 loaf

INGREDIENTS:

Yudane Dough:

70g bread flour (I used Japan High Gluten Flour)

70g boiling water

Sweet Stiff Starter):

60g sourdough starter (100% Hydration), preferably use at its peak 

180g bread flour (I used Japan High Gluten Flour)

75g water

30g sugar (I used organic brown sugar)

Main Dough:

65g dark rye flour (I used Bob's Red Mill, Organic Dark Rye Flour)

5g bread flour (I used Japan High Gluten Flour)

All stiff starter (above)

All the yudane dough (above)

5g brown sugar

1 tsp (5.5g) salt

45g egg, whisked (from 1 medium egg)

15g water 

25g butter, room temperature

Egg Wash: 

1 egg + 1 tbsp water, whisked

Utensil:

450g loaf pan (21.3 X 12.2 X 11.5 cm  /  8.4" X 4.8" X 4.5")

1. Yudane Dough
1. Add bread flour in a bowl, pour the boiling water and mix well with spatula or spoon until no dry flour.
2. Cover and rest for at least 4 hours or overnight in the fridge. I prepared the night before.
3. Take out from the fridge 30 minutes before using to return to room temperature.
2. Sweet Stiff Starter 
1. In a bowl of stand mixer, dilute starter with water, stir in sugar and add in bread flour.  Mix with paddle attachment until well mixed and all come together.   It can be done by hand mixing too.
2. Cover and let it ferment until tripled. I prepared a night before and leave it in aircond room (approximately 24 - 25C room temperature) overnight until tripled.  It took about 8 - 9 hours depending on your starter.  It should take around 4 - 6 hours to get triple at room temperature at 28C - 30C. The starter should look smooth and round dome.  It shouldn't collapse.
3. Main Dough:
1. Put all ingredients (except butter) into a bowl of stand mixer.  I usually torn the stiff starter and yudane dough slightly first.
2. Slightly combine the mixture by hand with the paddle attachment before turning on the machine so that the flour will not splash out.  Using the paddle attachment, mix for about a minute or until all incorporated.  This step is critical to prevent  an uneven mixed dough as the stiff starter is rather hard and a dough hook may not be able to mix it well enough.
3. Change to hook attachment and knead for another 3 minutes at low speed #2 (KA) or until the dough comes together. Add in butter and continue knead for  about 10 minutes at low speed #2 until the dough become smooth.  The dough quite soft and extensible because of the rye flour.    The whole kneading process, I stopped few times to scrape down the dough from the hook to be sure it is evenly kneaded and also to prevent the motor from overheating.
4. 1st Proofing/Resting:
1. In the same bowl, let the dough rest for 30 - 60 minutes. Keep it covered with clingfilm or use a lid.  This dough I rested for 45 minutes at 30C room temperature and the dough rose slightly in 45 minutes.  
5. Shaping:
1. Transfer the dough to a clean floured surface. 
2. Flatten with rolling pin to a rectangle. 
3. Fold right to centre and fold left overlap it.  Roll out with rolling pin.  Roll up the dough like Swiss Roll until a log is formed. 
4. Place the dough in the loaf pan.   
6. Final Proofing : 
1. Let it proof in a warm place until the dough reaches the height of the pan.  This one took approximately 3 hours at room temperature of 30C.  The duration of proofing depends on your ambient temperature and starter.
7. Baking:
1. Preheat oven at 190C (top & bottom heat) or 170C (fan-forced) for 10 - 15 minutes.
2. Brush with egg wash (optional) and bake in a preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until golden brown.
3. Remove bread from oven and let them cool on rack completely before slicing.

Sweet Stiff Starter Recipe

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