Looking for a German Rye Bread - Does Rye Flour Need a Sourdough for Best Result

While my husband likes the darker loaf for the flavor of the molasses, the Hamelman loaf appears to be more like the rye bread everyone is looking for. The crumb is dense, but not as crumbly as the other two loaves. The flavor, from the sourdough and the salt, is very pleasing. The Reinhart loaf is very dense, especially when we consider that it is 50% white flour.

The final percentages of all three loaves by weight (approximately) were:

• 50% white flour
• 25% whole wheat flour
• 25% rye flour

• The Problem with Rye Breads
• The Original Recipe - Rye Bread
• After the First Rise - German Rye Bread
• Panning or Shaping the Bread - Rye Bread
• Baking the Loaves - Rye Bread
• Yeasted Rye from "Crust and Crumb" - Second Rye Bread
• Hamelman's Rye Bread with Sourdough Starter
• Picture of the Crumb of Three Loaves
• The Crusts of Three Loaves of Rye Bread