Sourdough rye bread is commonly used for sandwiches. It is a dense, slightly spicy bread that uses sourdough starter, as opposed to yeast, for leavening. Using sourdough in combination with rye makes a particularly tasty bread, because the acidity of the sourdough breaks down the rye, creating a chewy texture. Rye is a grain, and is ground into light, medium, or dark rye flour. The darker the flour, the stronger the flavor.
Sandwiches are the most common use for sourdough rye bread, especially those containing pastrami, corned beef, and other flavorful meats. It also makes a good accompaniment for meals, sliced thick and served warm. Sourdough rye bread and rolls have a unique taste and texture that enhances many hearty dishes. Sourdough rye is light gray in color, and is also known as bohemian rye and deli rye.
Sometimes called natural leavening, Sourdough is a mixture of lactobacillus bacteria and wild yeast. Sourdough starter can be started from scratch or purchased. After the starter matures for at least two weeks, it is ready for use in a recipe. The baker simply measures out the amount of starter called for in the recipe, and adds it to the other bread ingredients, typically a combination of rye and bread flour, salt, and caraway seeds. Unlike traditional yeast bread, which can be mixed up and baked in a few hours, sourdough rye bread needs to sit for up to 24 hours after the ingredients are combined.
Aside from the longer preparation time, sourdough rye bread is not more difficult than traditional bread recipes. For someone who has not worked with sourdough starters in the past, the process of making sourdough rye can seem overwhelming, but as long as the starter is healthy, there should not be any problems with the bread. One way to gauge how healthy sourdough rye bread is, is to watch how it multiplies. A healthy starter will roughly double in size each day. If it does not do this, it may not have enough strength to raise the bread.
The sourdough starter needs special care as well. The starter contains living organisms that must be fed. To feed the sourdough starter, add a combination of flour and water to the mix two times a day. This keeps the starter healthy and ready for use. Sourdough starter that is not maintained properly can develop mold, go rancid, or not be strong enough to raise bread dough.