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Baking recipe · from the recipe book

Thyme Parsley Walnut Rye Country Boule

A dark, tangy rye boule with a crackling crust, earthy dried thyme, fresh parsley and toasted walnuts, rounded out with a whisper of molasses.

Thyme Parsley Walnut Rye Country Boule

Ingredients

  • 3¼ cups330 gRye flour, mediumdivided: 310 g for the dough, 20 g for dusting
  • 1¼ cups170 gBread flour
  • 1½ cups360 gWaterlukewarm, divided: 340 g, then 20 g
  • 4 oz120 gActive sourdough starter (100% hydration)
  • ¾ cup chopped100 gWalnutstoasted and roughly chopped
  • 1½ tbsp4 gDried thyme
  • ¼ cup chopped15 gFresh parsleyfinely chopped
  • 2⅛ tsp15 gMolasses
  • 1¾ tsp10 gSalt

Steps

  1. Night before (about 9 pm): feed your sourdough starter from your own supply, with equal weights of fresh rye flour and water kept separate from this recipe's amounts, and leave it at about 75°F (24°C). It should peak, doubled and bubbly, in 8 to 12 hours, by morning.
  2. Toast the walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes until fragrant, cool, then chop roughly. Finely chop the parsley. Set aside 20 g of the rye flour for dusting.
  3. Morning: in a large bowl, stir the first 340 g of the water with the molasses, then mix in the remaining 310 g of rye flour and all the bread flour until no dry patches remain. Cover and rest 30 minutes.
  4. Add the sourdough starter, the salt and the last 20 g of water; squeeze and fold with a wet hand until fully combined. The dough is about 75% hydration and 2% salt (starter not counted).
  5. Fold in the walnuts, the dried thyme and the parsley until evenly spread.
  6. Bulk rise at about 75°F (24°C) for 4 to 5 hours. Rye dough is sticky, so do 3 sets of gentle stretch-and-folds with wet hands, 30 minutes apart, in the first 1.5 hours, then leave it covered. It is ready when about 50% larger, domed and dotted with small holes.
  7. Shape: dust the counter with half of the reserved rye flour, turn the dough out and gently form a round boule. Dust a banneton or towel-lined bowl with the rest of the reserved rye flour and set the boule in seam side up.
  8. Cover and cold proof in the fridge overnight, 10 to 14 hours. It is ready when it has risen slightly and shows small cracks across the dusted surface.
  9. Place a lidded Dutch oven in the oven and preheat to 475°F (245°C) for 45 minutes.
  10. Turn the cold dough onto parchment, score a shallow cross, and lower it into the hot Dutch oven. Bake covered 25 minutes.
  11. Uncover, reduce to 450°F (230°C) and bake 20 to 25 minutes more, until deep brown and crisp, and the center reads 205–210°F (96–99°C).
  12. Cool the loaf on a rack at least 3 hours, as rye crumb sets as it cools, before slicing into 12 slices.

Food safety: Don't taste raw dough or batter: raw flour and raw eggs can carry germs.

Contains: Tree nuts, Gluten.

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Saved in the Every Helping recipe book on October 24, 2026.

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