Is a Rye bread recipe possible without soughdough?

Laurel's Kitchen has a recipe for rye bread that uses cider vinegar instead of sourdough.

I just ran across something in Maggie Glezer's 'Artisan Baking' quoting George Eckrich of Dutch Regale Bakery in Houston saying that "rye bread made without sour or caraway seeds has a weak, grassy flavor that is rather unpleasant."

The biggest benefit of using sour aside from it's flavour, is the keeping quality it gives the bread.

Franko

I make "Levy's Rye Bread" from Rose Levy-Barenbaum's book ("The Bread Bible") and it's WONDERFUL--my most requested bread.  It does NOT have a "weak, gassy flavor" and is NOT unpleasant at all.  It's not particularly sour, but it's really tasty--it has a long fermentation with plenty of time to develop good flavor and texture.   And it has great keeping qualities, too, much more so than my all wheat breads. 

in a dough are honey with a pH commonly between 3.2 and 4.5. and molasses with pH 4.5 to 5.  Also lemon or orange zest lower pH to get the best from the rye.

there are lots of excellent recipes that use yeasted starter as opposed to sourdough. 

starter 1 pkg yeast, 1.5 cups water, 2 cups rye flour

after 1-3 days: 1 pkg yeast; 1 tbsp salt, shortening, molasses; 2 cups rye flour; 1+ cup white flour; 1 cup water. 

Knead 5 min.

bulk proof 30 min; shape and proof for 25.  Bake 45 min at 400F.

this recipe can be tweaked with  more molasses, caraway, cumin, whatever trips your trigger.

The following is a link to an excellent sour rye using commercial yeast. http://artisanbreadbaking.com/bread/sour_rye

I have made it several times & it is very good.

You might try this recipe, adapted from Berenbaum's The Bread Bible, which uses yeast rather than sourdough starter.  I have had great success with it.  Good luck!

http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/01/new-york-deli-rye-bread/

Here's the link to my "Lübecker", a yeasted German whole grain and rye bread that I bake regularly for my little bakery. It's very tasty, and can also be made as free-standing hearth bread.

The typical German bread spices are optional, but they add just a hint of spice, and are not in any way as overpowering as in some of the (caraway loaded) Jewish ryes.

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/20007/l%C3%BCbecker-whole-grain-yeasted-sandwich-bread

Karin

I have a recipe for sweet rye that my Grandma makes.  I am the only one in the family that has it.  He He.  If you would like to try it let me know.  I will send you the recipe.

This is a NY-Style Rye Bread that my father taught me to make more than 50 years ago. (He was a baker in New York and Miami for his entire life).

Murry's Jewish Rye Bread
Sponge: 14 oz. Clear Flour
3-1/2 oz. White Rye Flour
13 oz. Water
2 tsp. Yeast
Dough: 1 recipe Sponge
10 oz. Clear Flour
3 oz. White Rye Flour
6-3/4 oz. Water
1 tsp. Yeast
2 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Sugar
1/4 tsp. Rye Flavor *(see below)

Glaze:  Bring 1 cup Water to a boil. Dissolve 2 Tbs. Cornstarch in 1/4 cup cold water and
stir it into the boiling water until it thickens. Cool to room temperature before using.

Make the Sponge: In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle, proof the Yeast in the
Water for 5 minutes. Add the Clear Flour and White Rye Flour and mix, at low speed,
to form a soft dough. Cover and allow to ferment until sponge drops, about 3 hours.

Make the Dough: Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and, with the paddle, mix
at low speed to form a smooth dough, about 3 minutes. Install the dough hook and
knead, at medium speed, for 10 minutes. Allow to bench rest for 15 minutes. Form into
two loaves, about 10” long. Brush with Glaze; Cover with plastic wrap; and allow to proof until almost double, about 1 hour. Preheat oven to 425°F. Brush with Glaze and bake with steam about 20 minutes. (195°F). Immediately upon removing from oven, brush with Glaze.

* Rye Flavor: This is generally just crushed Caraway Seeds. Or, if you like seeded Rye, also add some Caraway Seeds. I have also used KA's " Deli-Rye Flavor" with good results.