This sourdough marble rye bread is as delicious as it is beautiful! Perfect for Reuben sandwiches (or any melt for that matter!). This recipe calls for rye flour and bread flour and combines with active bubbly sourdough starter for a nutritious and fermented loaf.

Loaf of sourdough marble rye bread on a cutting board with three slices cut out. A bread knife sits to the side and the other side is adorned by baby's breath flowers.

One of my favorite diner sandwiches is the Rachel, which is a version of the Reuben but with turkey instead of corned beef. If I’m at a new restaurant, it’s the first thing I search for on the menu.

The meat with melted Swiss cheese, tangy sauerkraut (yum!), and creamy thousand island dressing sandwiched between two grilled slices of rye bread is absolute heaven. Last week, I was craving one and decided it was time to perfect my sourdough marble rye bread recipe.

I used my simple sourdough bread recipe as a starting point and made some tweaks to it from there.

This homemade sourdough rye bread is so good! I will walk you through all the steps below, including splitting the dough in half and adding cocoa powder and molasses to achieve the dark contrasting part of the bread.

This recipe is a delicious work of art. I think you’re going to love it!

Looking for more sourdough recipes? Check these out:

Closeup picture of two slices of sourdough rye bread.

Ingredients

Rye Flour – The star of the show! I used organic rye flour. Use what you can find.
Bread Flour – This has significantly more gluten content than rye and helps the bread be softer, chewier, and less dense.
Warm Water – Not too hot, not too cold.
Active Sourdough Starter – You’ll want to feed your sourdough starter 6-12 hours before beginning this recipe.
Honey – I use regular flavored raw honey. Just make sure you don’t use any honey that is infused with additional flavors such as lavender. We just need sugar to help activate the gluten.
Salt – Every good bread recipe must include salt!
Cocoa Powder – Use unsweetened cocoa powder for this recipe. I used Dutch-processed cocoa powder, but that isn’t necessary if you don’t have it.
Molasses – Unsulfured, mild-flavored molasses is what you’re looking for in this recipe. Do *not* use blackstrap molasses. They are not the same and will produce different results.

Step-By-Step Instructions (With Video Tutorial)

This picture shows steps one through four. The first picture is the wet ingredients in a mixing bowl. The second picture has the lighter colored dough in a dough ball and the third is the darker colored dough in a dough ball. The fourth picture shows the lighter dough rolled out into a rectange.

Step 1: Prepare two bowls with a drizzle of olive oil. In a stand mixer bowl, combine sourdough starter, warm water, and honey. Then add the rye flour, bread flour, and salt. Mix with a dough hook for 7 minutes at low to medium speed, scraping the sides as needed. Without a stand mixer, mix by hand and knead on a clean surface for 7 minutes, wetting hands to prevent sticking.

Step 2: After kneading, divide the dough in half. Place the lighter half into a prepared bowl, cover with a kitchen towel, and set it in a warm spot.

Step 3: Mix the remaining dough with cocoa powder and molasses until combined. Place it in the second prepared bowl, cover with a kitchen towel, and set in a warm spot.

Let the dough rest for 30-60 minutes, then perform stretch and folds on each dough ball (4 folds per round). Rest for 30 minutes between rounds, repeating for 4-6 hours, depending on kitchen temperature.

Step 4: Line a loaf pan with parchment paper or use a banneton for overnight storage and baking. On a floured surface, roll the light dough into a 6×10-inch rectangle.

Steps 5-8 on how to make sourdough rye bread. It includes the dark dough rolled out in a rectangle, the dough rolled into a cylinder, the dough rolled into a large burrito shaped ball, and the dough sitting in the loaf pan after being shaped.

Step 5: Roll the dark dough into a 6×10-inch rectangle and place it over the light dough.

Step 6: Roll tightly from the short side into a cylinder, then roll again to create tension. I tried this the long way in this picture and it turned out fine, but I recommend rolling it tight if doing it this way!

Step 7: The final dough should resemble a large, stuffed burrito.

Step 8: Place the dough seam side down into the loaf pan. Cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and place in the fridge overnight for 8-24 hours.

Sourdough marble rye bread dough in a loaf pan straight out of the fridge.

Step 9: The next day, preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and remove the dough from the fridge. It should have bulked up a bit.

Sourdough marble rye bread dough in a loaf pan. The dough had just been scored.

Step 10: Score the dough deeply with your preferred design, and prepare for baking. I use a second loaf pan to cover the bread as it bakes. This helps create steam and prevents the top of the bread from baking too fast. You can also tent tinfoil over the bread.

You’ll bake the bread for a total of 40-45 minutes. Bake for 20 minutes covered, then remove the loaf pan or aluminum foil and bake uncovered for 20-25 more minutes. *Extending the bake time as it seems my oven bakes faster than others!

Use a kitchen thermometer to check when the bread is done. If the thermometer reads 205 degrees Fahrenheit (between 205-210 degrees), the bread is ready to come out of the oven.

Allow it to cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting into the bread and serving. If you cut into it when it’s still hot, the bread will have a gummy texture.

A loaf of sourdough marble rye bread sits on a wooden cutting board. A few slices are laid out in front of the loaf, which is adorned with baby's breath flowers and the other side has a serrated bread knife next to it.

Tips for Making the Best Rye Sourdough Bread

Cover the Loaf: Bake covered for the first 25 minutes. I use a second loaf pan as a cover and then remove it when there are about 10-15 minutes left of baking time.
Score Deep: Bread has a way of growing its own way and if you don’t score it deeply enough, it will decide where it expands for you. Make it easier on yourself (and the bread) by directing it where to expand. I go over each of my scores twice.
Mind the Temp: If you’re struggling to figure out if your loaf of bread is fully baked, use your kitchen thermometer to find out! Remove the loaf from the oven, stick the thermometer in the center, and if it reads at least 205 degrees Fahrenheit, it is fully baked and ready to come out. If not, let it bake a few more minutes until it gets there.