Sourdough Discard Marble Rye Bread

Soft and springy is the only way I can describe this Sourdough Discard Marble Rye Bread. The flavor of this lightly spiced loaf is inspired by hearty German rye bread, but adding a little bit of all-purpose flour keeps it light and airy. Using a combination of sourdough starter and commercial yeast makes for a flavorful loaf that you can bake in about 2 hours from start to finish.

Why I love this recipe

• Mixed by hand, no stand mixer required.
• Show-stopping swirl!
• Great way to use up a lot of sourdough discard - 113 grams (½ cup).
• Nourishing rye adds a delicious malty flavor. 
• A little bit of all-purpose keeps this bread light and fluffy!
• Delicious sourdough flavor without the long rise times.

What is marble rye bread?

Marble rye bread is a deli favorite, available either as a free-form or sandwich loaf, perfect for making tuna salad or Reuben sandwiches. It’s known for its distinctive swirl created by layering two contrasting doughs. Incorporating rye and caraway makes this loaf nutty and flavorful. 

What makes this sourdough marble rye bread so delicious?

Adding whole grain rye flour gives this loaf a malty and earthy taste. Even though rye still has gluten, it has less protein than wheat, so bread made with it is usually denser. This recipe mixes rye with all-purpose flour to make the loaf soft and pillowy. Additionally, the inclusion of caraway, anise seeds, fennel seeds, and coriander complements rye, adding a burst of delicious flavor to this loaf.

Want to know more about rye? Check out my guide on the Best Flours for Sourdough. 

Ingredients and Substitutions

Rye flour: Both dark and light rye flour will work for this recipe. Although you can substitute whole wheat flour, it’s worth investing in whole grain rye flour for its malty flavor and texture.
All-purpose flour: Ensures this loaf has a tender crumb. Feel free to substitute bread flour but don’t leave it out of the recipe.
Active-dry yeast: You can also use instant yeast for this recipe, feel free to skip the blooming step if you choose to do so.
Cocoa powder: Adds a dark hue to half of the dough, allowing you to craft the beautiful swirl. Don't worry about the cocoa; it won't give this loaf a chocolatey taste! You can use both natural cocoa powder or Dutch-processed cocoa for this recipe.
Sourdough discard: Both active starter and sourdough discard work for this recipe. Starter made with white flour will work as well as a rye starter. If you don’t have a sourdoughs starter, add 56 grams flour and 56 grams water to your dough.

See recipe card for detailed ingredient information. 

Baking with sourdough discard

This bread is much quicker to make because the dough relies on commercial yeast as the primary leavening agent, bypassing the need for an active starter. 

The addition of sourdough discard contributes a rich and nuanced flavor to the bread. As the sourdough starter is used solely for flavor enhancement, there's no need to activate it; you can use it directly from the refrigerator. 

Love quick and easy sandwich bread recipes? Check out my Sourdough Discard Sandwich Bread, Sourdough Discard Whole Wheat Bread and Sweet Potato Sourdough Discard Bread.

Step-by-step instruction

STEP 1 Make the dough: Bloom the yeast in water and molasses (image 1). Mix the ingredients except the cocoa powder until a cohesive dough forms (image 2). Knead the oil into the dough (image 3). Divide the dough in half (image 4). 

STEP 2 Make the dark rye dough: Add the cocoa powder on one half of the dough (image 5). Knead until the cocoa powder is completely absorbed into the dough (image 6). 

STEP 3 First proof: Round each portion of dough into a tight ball and place them into separate bowls (image 7). Let the doughs rise, untouched until doubled in size (image 8). 

STEP 4 Shape the dough: Divide each portion of dough in half (image 9). Roll each portion of dough out into a long rectangle, about 4 inches wide (image 10). Layer the chocolate dough over the lighter dough (image 11). Roll the dough into a tight cylinder (image 12). 

STEP 5 Final rise: Nestle the dough in a 9 by 4-inch Pullman pan (image 13). Let the dough rise in a warm place until puffy and the dough fills the pan. Brush the top of the loaf with oil (image 14).

STEP 6 Bake: Score the dough (image 15). Bake at 400 F for 20 minutes. Turn down the heat to 350 F and continue baking for another 20 to 25 minutes or until the bread registers 200 F when probed with an instant read thermometer (image 16). 

Recipe FAQs

Sourdough Discard Marble Rye Bread Recipe

Hannah Dela Cruz

Soft and springy is the only way I can describe this Sourdough Discard Marbled Rye Bread. The flavor of this lightly spiced loaf is inspired by hearty German rye bread, but adding a little bit of all-purpose flour keeps it light and airy.

5 from 2 votes

Print Recipe

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Rise Time 1 hour hr

Course Sides

Cuisine American

Servings 16 slices

Calories 145 kcal

Equipment

• ▢
  Kitchen scale
• ▢
  pullman pan
• ▢
  Rolling Pin

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Ingredients

 

MetricUS Customary

 

1x2x3x

Dough

• ▢ 300 grams water
• ▢ 7 grams active-dry yeast
• ▢ 28 grams molasses
• ▢ 113 grams sourdough discard
• ▢ 150 grams rye flour
• ▢ 240 grams all-purpose flour
• ▢ 120 grams bread flour
• ▢ 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
• ▢ ½ teaspoon anise seeds
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon fennel seeds
• ▢ ½ teaspoon coriander seeds
• ▢ 9 grams salt
• ▢ 28 grams vegetable oil plus more for brushing

Dark rye dough

• ▢ 10 grams cocoa powder
• ▢ 28 grams water

Click US Customary to view volume measurements

Instructions

 

• Bloom the yeast: Whisk the water, molasses and yeast together in a large mixing bowl. Cover the bowl and let the yeast bloom until foamy, about 15 minutes.
  300 grams water, 7 grams active-dry yeast, 28 grams molasses
• Make the dough: Using a stiff spatula or a wooden spoon, stir the sourdough discard, flour, spices and salt into the yeast mixture until no dry bits of flour remain. Switch to your hands and knead until a cohesive dough forms.
  113 grams sourdough discard, 150 grams rye flour, 240 grams all-purpose flour, 120 grams bread flour, 1 teaspoon caraway seeds, ½ teaspoon anise seeds, ¼ teaspoon fennel seeds, ½ teaspoon coriander seeds, 9 grams salt
• Knead the oil into the dough until completely absorbed. The dough should start greasy and gradually become smoother and less sticky.
  28 grams vegetable oil
• Make the dark rye dough: Divide the dough in half. Return half of the dough to the mixing bowl, add the cocoa powder and water into the bowl and knead until fully absorbed.
  10 grams cocoa powder, 28 grams water
• Strengthen the dough: Turn one portion of dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead the dough by folding it in half, then pressing and pushing with the heel of your hand. Continue this process until the dough becomes smooth and elastic, about 5 to 10 minutes. Repeat with the other half.
• Bulk fermentation: Round each portion of dough into a tight ball, and transfer it to a clean, lightly oiled bowl. Spread oil on top of the dough to prevent it from drying out. Repeat with the other portion.
• Cover the bowls with plastic wrap and set it in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Prep: Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line a 9 by 4-inch Pullman pan (see note) with parchment paper or brush liberally with oil.
• Final shape: Turn the dough out on a lightly floured work surface. Working with one portion at a time, divide the dough in half. Using a rolling pin, flatten the dough into a long rectangle about 4 inches wide. Repeat with the other portion of dough.
• Layer one portion of chocolate dough over one portion of light dough. Starting with the shorter end, roll the dough into a tight cylinder. Place dough into the Pullman Pan. Repeat with the remaining portions of dough.
• Final Proof: Cover the loaf pan with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise untouched in a warm place. The dough should fill your pan and rise about ½ an inch above the rim, about 30 to 45 minutes.
• Bake: Brush the dough with vegetable oil. Score four diagonal lines on top of the dough. Bake for 20 minutes at 400 F. Without taking the loaf out of the oven, turn the temperature down to 350 F and continue baking for another 20 to 25 minutes or until the loaf registers at 200 F when probed with an instant-read thermometer.
• Move the bread to a wire rack and let it cool completely, about 2 hours, before slicing.

Tips

These recipes were developed and tested using grams for precise measurements. To increase your chances of success, I recommend investing in a kitchen scale. I've included rough volume estimates (in tablespoons and cups), but they might not be totally accurate.

Remember all ovens are unique, these recipes were tested in my oven which runs cooler than others. You might need to lower the temperature if your bake appears to be browning too quickly. Monitor your bake closely and make adjustments if needed.

Notes

• Make sure your yeast is not expired before baking these rolls or your dough may not rise.
• Give your dough enough time to rise, waiting until it has doubled in volume before shaping or baking. Otherwise, your bread may be dense and gummy.
  Feel free to use active sourdough starter or sourdough discard to make this recipe.
• Both instant yeast and active dry yeast will work to make this recipe.
• You can bake this loaf in a 9 by 4-inch Pullman pan, an 8 by 5-inch loaf pan or make them into rolls. Use an instant-read thermometer to make sure your bread is fully baked. The center of the rolls should measure between 190 to 200 F when done.

Stand mixer instructions: If using a stand mixer, mix the dough ingredients except for the oil and cocoa powder. Once a cohesive dough forms, knead the dough with a dough hook and slowly stream the oil into the bowl until completely incorporated about 5 minutes. Divide the dough into two portions. Return the half of the dough to the bowl of the stand mixer, add cocoa powder and water. Knead with a dough hook until the cocoa powder is fully absorbed.

Nutrition

Calories: 145kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 221mg | Potassium: 102mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 1mg

I am not a nutritionist or dietitian, any nutrition information provided is an estimate.

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