This easy recipe for Rye Sourdough Starter requires only four ingredients and a few days of hands-off activity to produce a starter essential for the best rye bread, muffins, pancakes, and cookies.
With this recipe’s simple instructions, you’ll discover how easy it is to make your own rye sourdough starter from scratch.
What is Sourdough?
Sourdough is a term for bread, muffins, and other bakery products that utilize a sourdough starter to produce their strong, tart (or sour) flavors. Sourdough starters are technically made with wild, air-borne yeasts trapped in a flour, water, and, sometimes, sugar mixture, then left to ferment for a few days to achieve its trademark flavor.
Many of us have all kinds of filters in our homes, so trapping enough wild yeast to produce the proper leavening and fermentation takes a few days longer than in bakeries that produce bread in bulk or in an Eastern European countryside home. As a result, getting a little help from store-bought yeast is a widely accepted alternative, especially for home bakers.
Where Does Rye Flour Come From?
Rye comes from a pesky weed that was the bane of European wheat farmers’ existence. It’s a cereal grain, as wheat is, but it grows much quicker and in less-than-ideal soil conditions. Rye is plentiful because of how easily it grows. So much so that farmers stopped trashing it and started cutting their wheat flour with it to produce a more flavorful bread variety.
Rye flour contains secalin, which, though a gluten protein, provides a very weak structure. Using rye flour on its own leads to flat, dense bread. To achieve the proper gluten structure which bread needs, rye flour must be cut with a stronger flour: usually bread flour, hard wheat flour, whole wheat flour, or a combination of flours.
What Do I Need to Make This Rye Sourdough Starter?
To make a rye sourdough starter, you need rye flour, filtered water, active dry yeast, and cane sugar or honey.
The type of rye flour you use determines how flavorful your starter is. Rye flours range from light to dark and also include pumpernickel flour. Pumpernickel is milled from the entire rye grain, similar to whole wheat flour. The most common type of flour is medium, but if you can only get light, dark, or pumpernickel, they will also work in this recipe.
You also need a medium bowl, a clean, wide-weave kitchen towel (or cheesecloth), and a few days.
How Long Does It Take to Make a Rye Sourdough Starter?
It takes between 5 to 7 days to make this rye sourdough starter. That classic sour flavor comes about around day 5, but day 7 is where the flavor really peaks. However, you can ferment for 48 hours if you aren’t a big fan of the sour flavor.
Combine the flour, yeast, and sugar in a tall mason jar or ceramic mixing bowl. I prefer to add sugar to my starters even though it’s not required because yeast feeds off the sugar and gets things moving quicker.
Add the warm (110°F/43°C) filtered water to the jar and stir the mixture with a rubber spatula or spoon until it forms a thick paste.
You can use regular tap water for this starter recipe, but I find it gives the mixture a funky taste. I’m also very particular about water, so I might just be telling stories. Who knows?
Is It Safe To Leave the Starter at Room Temperature?
Cover the jar or bowl with a clean kitchen towel with a wide, open weave or cheesecloth. The larger holes in the cheesecloth allow the wild yeasts in the air to settle into the mixture and add more leavening power to the starter.
Allow the starter to sit, covered, at room temperature for 24 hours. The yeast will begin feeding on the sugars and activate. In that time, it will expand to almost double, then fall back on itself inside the bowl. You can actually hear the starter coming to life after a few hours. The twins and I would make this recipe in a clear glass bowl and watch the yeast begin to bubble and move the mixture around. I had to transfer my starter to a larger bowl because the yeast was showing out. It grew so fast that it started oozing out of the jar, LOL!
It’s important to ferment rye sourdough starter at room temperature since cold air causes the active yeast organisms to go dormant (or sleep). That causes the yeast to stop reproducing and growing, defeating this entire recipe’s purpose. Nothing in the starter will “go bad” unless you leave it for a month at room temperature for no reason.
What Does It Mean to “Feed” the Starter?
After 24 hours, stir the starter together with a spoon or a rubber spatula. Depending on the warmth and humidity in your kitchen, you might see a layer of liquid on the surface of the rye sourdough starter. That liquid is the “hooch,” indicating that your sourdough needs to be fed. Stir in the hooch or, if you don’t have any liquid, but a crusty top, stir that in as well.
Remove half of the rye sourdough starter from the bowl and transfer it to a clean glass jar. This is the sourdough discard, which you must remove if you don’t have a massive container to store tons of sourdough starter in.
What Do I Do With the Rye Sourdough Discard?
Replace the discard with a half-cup of warm water and a half-cup of rye flour. Stir these into the starter and repeat the process of allowing it to ferment for 24 hours.
This is a step you’ll repeat over 5 to 7 days. Always remember to stir the starter and remove the discard before feeding it. If you have friends who are into baking, you can gift them the discard with instructions on feeding it.
You can also use the rye sourdough starter discard in recipes that don’t require a ton of leavening, like cookies, pancakes, waffles, or muffins (after adding baking soda or baking powder).
How Do I Know If the Rye Sourdough Starter Is Ready?
The rye sourdough starter is ready to use after 5 days of fermentation at room temperature. You’ll notice the starter develops wrinkles on the surface around day 4. This results from the expansion and falling it does as it rises.
Stir the starter and transfer the entire amount to a jar to store in the refrigerator. You can also use the sourdough starter at this point. Be sure to feed the starter again after removing the amount you need for your recipe.
How Do I Store the Starter?
Store the rye sourdough starter in a glass jar with a lid or a similar container. I avoid plastics and metal because this starter can live as long (or longer) as I do. I know folks who have starters that their grandmothers began. Over time, metal rusts and plastic breaks down, but glass is a sure bet for storing your sourdough starter for long periods.
Be sure to refrigerate the rye sourdough starter when you’re not using it. Unlike during the fermentation process, we want the yeast to sleep and rest until we’re ready to wake it up for a feeding.
Can I Freeze My Starter?
You can freeze rye sourdough starter after you ferment it. To freeze your starter, transfer it to a freezer-safe jar or container and freeze it for up to a month. Slowly thaw the frozen rye sourdough starter in the refrigerator, then feed it and allow it to warm up before using it.
You can also dry rye sourdough starter if you have the time.
- Spread the fermented starter out over parchment paper or a silicone baking mat in a thin layer. Leave the starter in a dry area of your kitchen until it cracks.
- Once it cracks, crumble the rye sourdough starter into a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid. For added protection against moisture, add a food-safe silica packet to the jar with your rye sourdough starter.
- To use a dried sourdough starter, rehydrate 1-2 ounces with equal parts warm water, then feed it with equal parts flour and warm water.
How Often Do I Need to Feed the Rye Sourdough Starter?
I’m a super-lazy and sometimes impulsive baker. On a random Tuesday, I’ll decide to make rye sourdough cinnamon rolls or something wacky. All of this to say, I have gone longer than I recommend between starter feedings. That’s good for you because it means this recipe is forgiving.
You can go up to a month without feeding your sourdough starter, but the recommended feeding time is once a week. That’s the optimum time between feedings since your yeast may not respond well to long periods without feedings.
You’ll know your starter is pissed off at your neglect if deep pink streaks appear inside it. The hooch can be dark grey, but that’s still good as long as it smells sour and not putrid.
What Recipes Can I Use This Rye Sourdough Starter In?
You can use rye sourdough starter in many bread recipes if they include different wheat to contribute the gluten necessary to give it the proper height and chew. My favorite recipe to use it in is this Country-Style Rye Bread. Add a rye flavor to these recipes by replacing the sponges in them with this rye sourdough starter instead:
Brioche Bread (you might use up all of your starter for this)
However you decide to use this flavorful Rye Sourdough Starter, you won’t be disappointed. It’s a great recipe to get in the kitchen with your friends or family. Have a sourdough starter-making party and see who’s comes out the best. Be sure to pin this recipe to your breads board and tell me what you think of it in the comments below!
Rye Sourdough Starter
at Sense & EdibilityEquipment
- cheesecloth or clean kitchen towel
- glass jar with tight-fitting lid for storing (at least 16-ounces)
Ingredients
- 4 1/2 cups (630 grams) rye flour
- 1 tablespoon (12 grams) cane sugar
- 1 tablespoon (9 grams) active dry yeast
- 4 1/2 cups (1 litre) filtered water warmed to 110°F (43°C)
Instructions
Combine the Ingredients (Begin 5 Days Ahead)
- Add the rye flour, active dry yeast, and cane sugar to a tall (32-ounce or larger) mason jar or ceramic mixing bowl. Stir the warm filtered water into the flour mixture with a rubber spatula or spoon until it forms a thick paste.
Ferment, Then Feed the Rye Sourdough Starter (For 4 to 6 days)
- Cover the jar or bowl with a clean kitchen towel with a wide, open weave or cheesecloth. Allow the starter to sit, covered, at room temperature for 24 hours. The yeast will begin feeding on the sugars and activate. In that time, it will expand to almost double, then fall back on itself inside the bowl.
- After 24 hours, stir the starter together with a spoon or a rubber spatula. Depending on the warmth and humidity in your kitchen, you might see a layer of liquid on the surface of the rye sourdough starter. Stir in the liquid or, if you have a crusty layer on top, stir that in as well.
- Remove half of the rye sourdough starter from the bowl and transfer it to a clean glass jar. Replace the discard with a half-cup of warm water and a half-cup of rye flour. Stir these into the starter and repeat the process of allowing it to ferment for 24 hours.
- Repeat this step for 3 to 5 more days for a total of 5 to 7 days.Always remember to stir the starter and remove the discard before feeding it.
Store and Care For Your Rye Sourdough Starter
- The rye sourdough starter is ready to use after 5 days of fermentation at room temperature. Stir the starter and transfer the entire amount to a jar to store in the refrigerator. You can also use the sourdough starter at this point. Be sure to feed the starter again after removing the amount you need for your recipe.
- Store the rye sourdough starter in a glass jar with a lid or a similar container. The recommended feeding time is once a week. That's the optimum time between feedings since your yeast may not respond well to long periods without feedings.
- You can use rye sourdough starter in many bread recipes if they include different wheat to contribute the gluten necessary to give it the proper height and chew.
Notes
Swaps and Substitutions:
- You can use light, dark, or pumpernickel rye flour in this recipe.
- You can omit or replace the cane sugar with an equal measure of honey, brown sugar, molasses, or agave syrup.
- Replace the filtered water with distilled, tap, or spring water warmed to 110°F (43°C).
Tips and Techniques:
- You can ferment the rye sourdough starter for 48 hours if you aren't a big fan of the sour flavor.
- It's important to ferment rye sourdough starter at room temperature since cold air causes the active yeast organisms to go dormant (or sleep).
- You can use the rye sourdough starter discard in recipes that don't require a ton of leavening, like cookies, pancakes, waffles, or muffins (after adding baking soda or baking powder).
- If you have friends who are into baking, you can gift them the discard with instructions on feeding it.
- Over time, metal rusts and plastic breaks down, but glass is a sure bet for storing your sourdough starter for long periods.
- Be sure to refrigerate the rye sourdough starter when you're not using it.
- If deep pink streaks appear inside the rye sourdough starter it has gone bad and needs to be thrown away.
- The hooch can be dark grey, which is okay, but should smell sour and not putrid.
Storage Instructions:
Freezing Instructions:
You can freeze rye sourdough starter after you ferment it.- Transfer the rye sourdough starter to a freezer-safe jar or container and freeze it for up to a month.
- Slowly thaw the frozen rye sourdough starter in the refrigerator, then feed it and allow it to warm up before using it.
How To Dry Rye Sourdough Starter For Storage:
- Spread the fermented starter out over parchment paper or a silicone baking mat in a thin layer. Leave the starter in a dry area of your kitchen until it cracks.
- Once it cracks, crumble the rye sourdough starter into a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid. For added protection against moisture, add a food-safe silica packet to the jar with your rye sourdough starter.
- To use a dried sourdough starter, rehydrate 1-2 ounces with equal parts warm water, then feed it with equal parts flour and warm water.
I’ve never had much success with my sourdough starters in the past, but finally I found a recipe that works! Thanks for all of the helpful tips to ensure a strong starter for my sourdough bakes!
You’re welcome, Britney!