At a Glance
A rustic Roggenbrot enriched with toasted pumpkin seeds (Kürbiskerne). The recipe uses a seed soaker to prevent bitterness, increase hydration and extend shelf life. Techniques are adapted for high-rye doughs, prioritizing acid balance and gentle handling to avoid gummy crumb and collapse [1][2][10].
Not suitable if:
- • You have never baked with rye before → start with the beginner recipe
- • You don't have an active rye starter → create a starter
🛒 Recommended Products
We recommend the following tools for this recipe:
Digital Kitchen Scale
Essential for accurate flour and water measurements
Banneton Proofing Basket
Shapes the loaf and creates beautiful patterns
Dutch Oven or Cast Iron Pot
Creates steam for perfect crust without hassle
Dough Scraper/Bench Knife
Makes handling sticky rye dough much easier
Bread Lame/Scoring Tool
For clean, controlled scoring before baking
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Ingredients
Weigh all ingredients on a kitchen scale. For rye breads, accuracy and baker's percentages matter more than volume [3][6].
| Ingredient | Amount | % | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medium rye flour | 360g | 60% | Type comparable to German 997–1150 |
| Bread flour (or strong wheat) | 240g | 40% | Adds gluten for structure |
| Water (total) | 420g | 70% | Portion used for seed soaker included |
| Active rye starter (100% hydration) | 150g | 25% | Fed and active 6–12h after feeding |
| Salt | 12g | 2% | |
| Pumpkin seeds (Kürbiskerne) | 120g | 20% | Toast or soak per soaker instructions below |
Schedule
Weekend Version
Build flavor with cold retard and bake when relaxed
Weekday Version
Mix in the evening, cold-proof overnight, bake next evening
💡 Tips
- If bulk fermentation accelerates, move shaped loaf to fridge to slow activity [3].
- Shaped dough keeps well 24–48h refrigerated; this also improves scoring and flavor [10].
Step by Step
Prepare seed soaker (Quellstück)
Combine pumpkin seeds with 80g of the recipe water (hot or boiling water for a scalded soaker). Let soak 1–3 hours or overnight in a covered jar to hydrate and deactivate lipase that can make seeds bitter. Drain excess if much remains; keep seeds and soaking liquid for dough to retain flavor and hydration [1][10].
⏱ 1–12 hours
Mix flours and water (autolyse)
In a large mixing bowl combine all flours and most of the water (reserve ~40g). Mix until no dry flour remains and rest 30–60 min. Autolyse helps enzyme activity in rye without mechanical kneading [6].
⏱ 30–60 minutes
Add starter, salt, and soaked seeds
Add active starter, salt, and the hydrated pumpkin seeds (and soaking liquid if kept). Mix thoroughly with a dough scraper until incorporated. Rye dough will be sticky and looser than wheat dough — that's normal [2][6].
⏱ 5–8 minutes
Bulk fermentation
Cover dough and bulk ferment at 20–24°C. For higher rye content expect less visible rise; rely on surface doming and small bubbles. Perform 2 gentle stretch-and-folds (wet hands) during the first 60–90 minutes to orient gluten and evenly distribute seeds [2][3].
⏱ 4–6 hours (varies)
Shape and final proof (cold retard recommended)
Flour banneton generously with rye flour. Turn dough onto a floured surface using a dough scraper. Shape gently into an oblong or round and place seam-side up in the banneton. Refrigerate 12–24 hours for flavor and easier scoring [10][6].
⏱ 1.5–2 hours at room temp or 12–24 hours in fridge
Bake with steam
Preheat oven to 250°C/480°F with your Dutch oven or cast iron pot inside for 30–45 minutes. Turn loaf out onto parchment paper, score with a bread lame, transfer to the pot, cover and bake 15–20 min. Remove lid, reduce to 200°C/400°F and bake another 35–45 min until crust is deeply browned. Check internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer: aim for 96–98°C / 205–208°F [4][10].
⏱ 50–65 minutes
Cool fully
Remove loaf with oven mitts and cool on a rack at least 2 hours — ideally until fully room temperature. Cutting earlier traps moisture and yields gummy crumb in rye breads [6][2].
⏱ 2+ hours
Tips & Variations
Variations
Toasted-seed crust
Brush loaf with water and roll in toasted pumpkin seeds before final proof
→ Crunchy exterior and extra seed aroma
Mixed seeds
Replace half the pumpkin seeds with sunflower seeds (50g each)
→ More complex texture and nuttiness
Stronger lift
Increase bread flour to 50% and reduce rye to 50%
→ Looser crumb, more oven spring (less authentic Roggenbrot)
Pro Tips
- 💡 Always soak seeds or roast briefly; unsoaked raw seeds can release oil and taste bitter over time [1].
- 💡 Use a serrated bread knife to slice cooled bread — the crumb continues to set after baking.
- 💡 If dough is too sticky to handle, chill briefly (15–30 min) rather than adding flour.
Common Issues
Common issues and quick fixes when baking Roggenbrot with seeds:
Storage
Bread box or paper bag
5-7 days
Keep loaf whole; cut side down once opened
Cloth or linen bag
3-4 days
Allows breathable storage to preserve crust
Freezing
3 months
Slice and freeze; toast or warm slices from frozen
⚠️ Do not store bread in the fridge — refrigeration accelerates staling through starch retrogradation [6].
Sources
-
[1]
Not Just Food – Easy No-Knead Pumpkin Seed Bread – Link
-
[2]
Reddit / Breadit (user-submitted bakery recipe) – Roggenbrot All Rye Sourdough Loaf [Bakery Recipe] – Link
-
[3]
Cookpad community – Sourdough bread with 60% rye – Link
-
[4]
Food.com community – German Sourdough Bread Recipe (With Rye) – Link
-
[6]
hefe-und-mehr – German Rye Bread (Roggenbrot) Sourdough Adaptation – Link
-
[10]
Dirndl Kitchen – Sauerteig Roggenmischbrot mit Kürbiskernen – Link
-
[9]
German Culture (germanculture.com.ua) – Roggenbrot mit Kürbiskernen und Sauerteig – Link