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Parve
Easy
24 Hours
Diets 
Every household in Denmark has a recipe for rye bread, usually with a long history to it. This one is from my little sister Ulla, who got it from her best friend, who got it from her mother, who got it from her aunt… and so the tradition carries on. If you don’t have a sourdough starter, follow the instructions to make one from scratch. Read the recipe first – note that it will take over a week if you’re making the starter from scratch.
Makes 1 loaf
1.8-kilograms/4-pound traditional rye bread pan, greased and lined (or split the dough between 2 loaf pans and adjust the time accordingly, using a thermometer to check it is baked)
100 milliliters/1/3 cup water
100 grams/1 scant cup rye flour
4 tablespoons sourdough starter
150 milliliters/2/3 cup water
150 grams/1 cup plus 2 tablespoons rye flour
1 liter/4 cups lukewarm water
2 tablespoons Gefen Salt
750 grams/5 and 1/3 cups dark rye flour
250 grams/1 and 3/4 cups white strong/bread flour, such as Glicks
500 grams/1 cup chopped rye kernels/rye grain
100 grams/3/4 cup sunflower seeds
100 grams/3/4 cup flaxseeds/linseeds
1 tablespoon dark syrup or dark corn syrup
2 tablespoons barley malt syrup
1 teaspoon barley malt powder
300 milliliters/1 and 1/4 cups lukewarm water or malt beer
Mix the Day 1 ingredients together and leave in tub on the kitchen counter, lightly covered. Stir daily. Within four to five days, it will start to bubble.
On Day 6, add the Day 6 ingredients to four tablespoons of starter (discarding any leftover starter) and stir with a non-metal spoon. Leave for another 12–18 hours and the starter should be ready to use (you should see some serious bubbling action – if not, wait a bit longer).
Take 300 milliliters/1 and 1/4 cups of the starter (discarding any leftover starter) and mix it with the Day 7 ingredients. Leave in a bowl on your kitchen counter, covered with clingfilm/plastic wrap, for 24 hours.
Remove 300 milliliters/1 and 1/4 cups of the dough and place in a tub in the fridge for the next time you bake (this is your starter going forward). Mix the rest of the dough with the Day 8 ingredients in a stand mixer on low speed for around 10 minutes. The dough will be sticky and gloopy, like a thick oatmeal porridge.
Grease and line the rye bread pan. Fill the pan no more than three-quarters full, cover with clingfilm/plastic wrap and leave for another eight hours on the kitchen table.
Preheat the oven to its hottest setting, around 250 degrees Celsius (475 degrees Fahrenheit) Gas 9.
With a fork, prick the top of the rye bread all over. Brush with water and pop into the oven, immediately turning it down to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit) Gas 4. Bake for one to one and a half hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 98 degrees Celsius (208 degrees Fahrenheit) – the baking time will vary depending on your pan and oven.
Remove the loaf from the pan and cover with a damp tea/dish towel to ensure that a very hard crust does not form as it cools.
Store in a plastic bag to keep the loaf soft. Leave for another 24 hours before eating as the bread needs to settle.
From SMØRREBRØD Scandinavian Open Sandwiches: More than 50 Recipes, from Traditional to Modern By Brontë Aurell, published by Ryland Peters & Small
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