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How To Bake Perfect Sourdough Bread With Pecan Nuts
Sourdough bread is one of the most rewarding things you can bake at home. It has that irresistible aroma, a chewy crumb, and a crisp crust that makes every slice special. When you add pecan nuts into the mix, you take sourdough bread to another level. This sourdough bread recipe with sifted rye flour, high protein wheat flour, and a touch of natural sweetness from lingon syrup, maple syrup, or honey is both rustic and elegant. If you love sourdough bread, nuts, and hearty flavors, this combination is worth trying.
See how to make the recipe in this video.
Choosing The Right Flour For Sourdough Bread
One of the most important decisions when baking sourdough bread is choosing the flour. This recipe uses a mix of sifted rye flour and strong wheat flour. Sifted rye flour is slightly lighter than whole rye, which gives the bread a balanced texture. If you cannot find sifted rye flour, you can replace it with whole rye flour for a denser, more earthy loaf. Another option is to use a blend of whole rye and regular wheat flour to mimic the same result. The wheat flour should be high protein, often labeled as bread flour, because that is what builds the gluten network that makes sourdough bread rise beautifully.
Preparing Your Sourdough Starter
Whether you have a rye starter or a wheat starter, either will work in this sourdough bread. The key is making sure your starter is active before you begin. Feeding it in advance gives it the strength to raise the dough. If you are new to sourdough bread and do not yet have a starter, I recommend watching the video below. Once you have a bubbly, healthy starter, you can use it for every sourdough bread recipe you want to try.
In this video, you’ll learn how to make sourdough starter.
Sweetness And Flavor Options
In my version of this sourdough bread I use lingon syrup, which is very Swedish. Lingon adds a subtle berry sweetness that pairs beautifully with the nutty flavor of rye and pecans. Outside of Scandinavia it can be tricky to find, so maple syrup or honey work just as well. They both add a gentle sweetness and also help the crust caramelize. This small addition makes the bread taste more complex without making it sweet like cake.
Adding Nuts, Seeds, And Fruits
Pecan nuts are my favorite choice for this sourdough bread because of their buttery flavor and crunch. Walnuts are also fantastic, and hazelnuts can bring a slightly sweeter taste. Seeds like sunflower or pumpkin seeds make the bread extra hearty, and if you want to push it in a more festive direction, add dried fruits. Figs are amazing in sourdough bread; they add a chewy sweetness and go well with cheese. Apricots or cranberries are also delicious. The beauty of sourdough bread is that once you master the base, you can vary it endlessly.
This bread has pecans, but you can add any nuts (or even dried fruits) that you like. Or, if you don’t want nuts at all, just skip them.
Kneading The Dough
I usually like kneading by hand because it makes me feel connected to the dough, but there is nothing wrong with using a baking machine. If you want to make the process easier, I recommend this stand mixer. Whether you knead by hand or with a machine, the goal is to build gluten until the dough is elastic.
One of the best ways to check is the window pane test. Take a small piece of dough and stretch it gently between your fingers. If it stretches thin enough that you can almost see light through it without tearing, the dough has been kneaded enough. If it tears quickly, knead longer until it develops more strength.
Tools That Make Baking Easier
A dough scraper is a small tool that makes handling sourdough bread so much easier. Because sourdough can be sticky, a scraper helps lift the dough from the bowl, shape it on the counter, and keep your work surface tidy. I recommend using a sturdy one like this; it will quickly become one of your most-used tools.
Another tool I love is a proofing basket, also known as a banneton. It helps the dough hold its shape as it rises, and it leaves a beautiful pattern of flour on the crust. If you do not have one, you can line a regular bowl with a floured kitchen towel. This works fine, but proofing baskets give more consistent results and are worth adding to your kitchen. If you’re looking for a good set, I’d recommend these.
Why You Should Score The Dough
Right before baking sourdough bread, you need to score it. Scoring means cutting lines into the dough with a razor or sharp knife. This is not only for decoration; it helps control how the bread expands in the oven. Without scoring, the bread might split randomly. A clean score allows the steam inside to escape in a controlled way, giving the loaf a nice shape and crust.
Speaking of steam, you can also add a little water to the oven to create it. Either place a small tray of water at the bottom or toss in a few ice cubes. Steam helps keep the crust soft in the early baking stage, allowing the bread to rise higher before it sets.
This recipe is enough for two loaves. If you want to make more, just adjust the measurements.
Baking In Cast Iron Pots Or On A Tray
I usually bake my sourdough bread in cast iron pots. The pots are preheated along with the oven, which gives the dough a head start. They hold in heat and steam, which helps the bread rise taller and keeps the loaves from flattening. If you do not have pots, you can bake on a regular oven tray or baking sheet. It works well too, but I find that the pots give a more professional result.
How To Store Sourdough Bread
Once you bake sourdough bread, storing it correctly is important. Avoid plastic bags, as they make the crust soft and chewy in a bad way. Instead, wrap the bread in a clean kitchen towel or store it in a paper bag. This keeps the crust crisp while protecting the loaf from drying out too quickly. If you want to keep sourdough bread for longer, slice it and freeze the pieces in a bag. You can take out slices as needed and toast them straight from the freezer.
Why Sourdough Bread Is Worth The Effort
Sourdough bread is more than just a recipe; it is a practice. It takes time, patience, and a bit of care, but the reward is huge. You get bread that tastes far better than anything from the store, and you know exactly what went into it. From the nutty rye flour to the caramel notes from syrup, from the satisfying crunch of pecan nuts to the rustic crust, every bite is filled with character. Whether you keep it simple or add fruits and seeds, sourdough bread has a way of becoming part of your kitchen rhythm.
If you are just beginning your journey, start with your starter, watch it grow, and let each loaf teach you something new. With the right flour, the right tools, and the right patience, sourdough bread becomes less of a challenge and more of a joy.
Homemade sourdough bread with pecan nuts, rye flour, and natural sweetness from syrup or honey.
Total Time:Overnight + about 7 hours
Yield:2 loaves 1x
Ingredients
Scale
Day 1 (Evening)
100 g (3 ½ oz) sourdough starter
300 g (1 ¼ cups) water
50 g (scant ½ cup) rye flour
150 g (1 ¼ cups) sifted rye flour
Day 2 (Morning)
Sourdough from evening before
4 tbsp lingon syrup, maple syrup, or honey
320 g (1 ⅓ cups) water
500 g (4 cups) wheat flour
300 g (2 ½ cups) sifted rye flour
1 tbsp salt
200 g (1 ¾ cups) pecan nuts
Instructions
Day 1 (Evening)
Mix all the Day 1 ingredients in a large bowl.
Cover with plastic wrap and a towel.
Leave to sit at room temperature overnight.
Day 2 (Morning)
Mix the sourdough from Day 1 with the remaining Day 2 ingredients, except the pecan nuts. Knead until the dough is elastic, either by hand or in a stand mixer.
Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a bowl. Cover with a towel and let it proof for 3–5 hours, or until doubled in size.
Dust the work surface with flour. Turn out the dough, press it gently to release air, and reshape into a ball.
Divide the dough into two pieces. Divide the pecan nuts into two portions (100 g / ¾ cup each).
Flatten one piece of dough into a rectangle. Sprinkle over one third of the pecans (about 30 g / ¼ cup). Fold the dough, stretch slightly, and add another third of the nuts. Fold again, stretch, and add the remaining nuts. Fold together and shape into a ball.
Repeat with the second piece of dough.
Dust proofing baskets or bowls lined with a floured kitchen towel. Place each dough ball upside down in a basket or bowl.
Cover with towels and let proof for 1–1 ½ hours.
Preheat the oven to 250°C (480°F). If using cast iron pots, heat them in the oven as well.
Flip the doughs onto parchment paper. Score the tops with a razor or sharp knife.
Place the loaves on a baking sheet or into the hot pots.
If baking in pots: bake covered for 25 minutes, then reduce heat to 220°C (430°F) and bake uncovered for 25 minutes more. If baking on a sheet: bake for 30–35 minutes, lowering the heat to 220°C (430°F) after 15 minutes.
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