I am truly a sucker for really good rye bread. Especially if the rye bread has an extra little something in it to enhance the earthy flavor that rye flour imparts to bread. That’s where the tartness from the sourdough starter comes in, along with the savory goodness provided by a touch of onion and a tiny bit of dill seed. Altogether this combination is unbeatable. Now, something you should know right off the bat. This is not a dark, heavy on the rye, bread.

This bread is blessed with just a light touch of each of the strong flavors that intermingle to produce this delightful loaf. So no worries that the onion or dill will be overpowering. You might even wonder if they are really there at all. But that’s the beauty of this bread. It’s just perfectly balanced.

Now I have been very remiss with all of my recent postings for bread. A few years ago, I actually went so far as to create a post entitled “Bread Baking 101”. Now granted, I didn’t address baking with a sourdough starter in that instructional post. But I did provide a fairly brief but comprehensive overview of ingredients used and “how to” directions that should be of assistance if you are a novice bread baker.

But as helpful as my post might be, there are far better instructional sources out there that take you step by step through the process. My sister-in-law Katie clued me in to the video tutorials presented by Breadtopia. I have watched a couple now and they are very informative and very well done. And of course there are fabulous videos by my favorite chef – Chef John from Food Wishes. (The man’s a genius!)

Anyway, my point is – there’s no reason not to make your own bread. So please don’t be intimidated by bread baking even if you and your kitchen are not on a first name basis. Bread is very easy to prepare, and a lovely homemade loaf is so much cheaper than store bought. Plus you know exactly what goes into the preparation. Of course you might miss the flavor of preservatives or other additives with names you can’t begin to pronounce. And that’s too bad. But take my word for it – you’ll get over it! Remember – He/she who never undertook anything never achieved anything. Or in the common vernacular – nothing ventured, nothing gained! In other words – go for it!

And as always – peace, love, and happy baking to all.

1 T. extra virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing on dough before baking

1/3 c. finely chopped onion

2 c. sourdough starter

2 T. unsalted butter

¼ c. water

2 tsp. kosher salt

4 tsp. dill seed

1 c. rye flour

3 T. vital wheat gluten (I use Bob’s Red Mill)

2 c. white bread flour

fleur de sel or other coarse flaky salt, opt.

Slowly sauté the onions in olive oil until they become translucent. Meanwhile pour sourdough starter into the bowl of your stand mixer.  

When the onions are translucent, remove from heat and add butter, water, salt, and dill seed. Cool to lukewarm and stir into starter.

Add the rye flour and mix well. Add the white flour gradually, until you have a very satiny and soft bread, about 7-8 minutes. Shape into an elongated loaf.

Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and let rise, covered, in a warm place for 1½ to 2½ hours, or until about doubled in bulk. (Rising time will vary according to your starter, but rising always takes longer with breads made with just a sourdough starter than with breads made with active dry yeast).

Make 3-4 diagonal slashes on top of loaf with a razor blade or very sharp knife. Don’t press too hard. Let the cutting implement do the work. (You don’t want to deflate the dough.) Lightly brush with olive oil and sprinkle with fleur de sel. (Not too much.)

Bake in a pre-heated 375 oven for 40 to 50 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 205 – 210 degrees.

Remove from oven and let cool completely before slicing.