Sourdough Mischbrot with Freshly Milled Rye

Dense, earthy, flavorful German-style rye bread made with a mix of freshly milled rye and all purpose white flour and an overnight cold ferment.

Prep Time4 30

Cook Time35

Cold Ferment10

Total Time15 5

Course: Side Dishes

Cuisine: American

Keyword: sourdough

Servings: slices

Author: Michelle Marine

454 g active fed wheat starter about 2 cups
344 g freshly milled rye flour
343 g unbleached all-purpose flour
450 –475g room temperature water start with 450g; add more after autolyse if needed
2½ teaspoons Redmond’s Real Salt

Mill rye flour fresh and allow to cool a few minutes.
Combine starter, both flours, and 450g water in a stand mixer with a dough hook. Mix on low until a soft, sticky dough forms, about 1–2 minutes. Cover and rest 20 minutes (autolyse). Add remaining water after autolyse if dough feels too stiff.
Add salt. Knead on low speed for 3–4 minutes. Transfer to a lightly greased bowl and cover with a towel.
Let rise for one hour, checking at 50 minutes if your kitchen is warm.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and letter fold — pull one side up and fold over center, rotate 90 degrees, repeat on all sides. Return to bowl, cover, and let rise one more hour.
Turn dough out and divide in half. Shape each piece into a rough round ball, cover, and let rest 20 minutes.
Shape each piece into as tight a ball as the dough will allow. Place seam side up in generously rice-floured bannetons. Cover well.
Place immediately in the refrigerator. Cold ferment for 10–12 hours, no longer than 14.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 450°F with your chosen baking vessel for 45–60 minutes.
Remove loaves from fridge one at a time, keeping remaining loaves cold until their turn. Turn out onto silicone sling or parchment and score.
Bake using your preferred method (see baking methods section above).
Cool on a rack for at least 45 minutes before slicing — rye bread needs the full cooling time for the crumb to set properly.

Active hands-on time is approximately 45 minutes — the rest is rising, resting, and cold fermenting. This bread fits easily into a real life schedule across two days.
Freshly milled flour absorbs water differently than store-bought. Don't panic if the dough feels stiffer at first. Give it time during the autolyse to hydrate fully before adjusting water.
Hard white wheat is the mildest and most beginner-friendly freshly milled option. Hard red wheat gives a heartier, more robust flavor. For extra depth, swap 50–75g of the freshly milled flour for rye.
Cold dough scores more cleanly than room-temperature dough — enjoy it!
Store leftover bread in a loose bag at room temperature for about a day, or wrap tightly and freeze.