Is whole grain rye supposed to taste so coarse?

Is whole grain rye supposed to taste so coarse? - Top view of crop hand with pile of raw unpeeled almonds above table with ingredients

I've been making various white wheat flour breads for a while now and decided to try making a rye bread for the first time. What I didn't notice at the grocery store though is that the flour I bought was the whole grain variety. Ok, no problem I figured, can't be that different, the store bought whole grain breads here all pretty much taste the same as ones made of regular flour, maybe a bit drier and more boring.

The recipe I followed was pretty basic, 50% wheat flour, 50% rye flour, 65% hydration, yeast, salt, caraway seeds, 2 rises overnight.

Now having grown up eating rye bread, any rye bread with less than 100% rye is usually something I scoff at but I figured I'd ease into it and transition from something I know. Anyway, the dough preparation and baking all went nicely, the end result however was pretty damn awful.

For one, it just tastes like sadness, a mere shadow of the rye bread I'm used to. The worse part though - texture, its like I had added a handful of actual sand in the dough. You have to chew it for 10 minutes before swallowing so it doesn't feel like swallowing sandpaper. After eating a couple of slices, I could feel my throat scratchy for hours. Worst bread ever.

Anyway, am I missing something here? People can't actually be eating that stuff as is, why is it so coarse?






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Is whole grain rye supposed to taste so coarse? - Ripe whole and halved pomegranates with red seeds placed on gray background in studio
Is whole grain rye supposed to taste so coarse? - Person Holding Rice Grains
Is whole grain rye supposed to taste so coarse? - Fresh bread loafs on table in bakery



What is rye supposed to taste like?

Rye bread should taste like rye. A touch of sour, though nowhere near that of say, San Francisco sourdough or even the German rye breads. Rye has a deep flavor, a flavor of the earth, a flavor full of character, a flat feel on the back of your tongue that gradually fills your whole mouth. And it should be chewy.

What does 100% rye bread taste like?

The taste of rye bread is not at all like white or whole wheat bread. It's flavored with caraway seeds, so it has a vibrant, earthy flavor a little like a strong herbal tea.

Why does my rye bread taste bitter?

Rancid Seeds and Grains in Sourdough Bread The addition of seeds, nuts and grains is a great way to add vitamins, minerals and great flavor to your sourdough bread, but because these seeds, nuts and grains contain a high proportion of oil, they can also go rancid and produce a bitter tasting bread.

Which rye bread has the strongest taste?

Some liked the mild taste of the lighter rye bread, while others preferred the stronger flavors of dark rye and pumpernickel. If you have trouble choosing, consider marbled rye, the swirled bread made with light rye dough and either dark rye or pumpernickel dough.



How to Cook Whole Grains: Rye Berries




Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Images: LEONARDO VAZQUEZ, Any Lane, icon0.com, Gil Goldman