Great River Milling Organic Dark Rye Flour | Whole Grain, Non-GMO, Kosher, Unbromated | Earthy Flavor for Rye Bread, Sourdough Starter, Bagels, Crackers & Artisan Baking | 25 Lb

I just realized this is the 10th bag I purchased of 25 lb of dark rye organic flour. I think it deserves a review. I started making my own sourdough rye bread in 2017 after our German bakery closed. For months the results were a bit disappointing but certainly edible. I read a lot of recipes and watched a youtube video. Rye flour is dense and has less gluten than wheat flour so it helps to use recipes specifically for rye flour. King Arthur's website has some good recipes that call for adding a small portion of rye flour which I thik helps you learn to use this whole grain healthy flour. However, this flour really benefits from the addition of sourdough a long slow rise or preferment. Over the years I have gradually increased the amount of rye flour I use so the only white flour in my bread is the amount in 1 cup of my white sourdough starter. The German bakery told me they had to use some yeast to their bread dough but wouldn't tell me how much so I experimented and I use 2 tsp instant yeast. Here's my recipe if you want it. 1 cup white sourdough starter 1 cup rye sourdough starter 1 c water( I use spring water because our city water has chlorine and flouride which retard yeast) 2 c dark rye flour I mix this together and cover with plastic and leave for 12 to 24 hours at room temp It's bubbly and double in size after the 12 to 24 hours I add 1 Tbsp caraway( optional or use a different seed) 3 cups rye flour 2 tsp instant yeast 1 cup apple or orange juice 1 Tbsp molasses 1 tsp salt( we are on low sodium diet) Mix on setting 2 on my kitchen aid mixer for 6 to 7 minutes scraping bowl to incorporate all of the flour although for years I kneaded it by hand I pour this into an oiled 3.5 quart dutch oven Let rise about 2 hours till it comes almost to the top of the pot Carefully place in oven on a large cast iron skillet, pizza stone or pan so it doesn't burn the bottom cover with lid or tented aluminum foil if it's risen too much Bake at 425 for 30 minutes then reduce temp to 375 for 15 to 25 minutes till internal temp 210 F(important to invest a few dollars in an instant read thermometer) Remove from oven. Turn pot upside down while cooling. Store in a paper bag This dense bread is best the next day and for about a week though I put the paper bag in a plastic bag after a day or two and if it's still around after 4 days I store it in the fridge or slice and freeze I believe every recipe is flexible so make adjustments as desired. I have for the last 5 years!

The grain is wholesome and good.

Makes great tasting bread!

I love rye bread and Fred Meyers near my home stopped selling it from their bulk bins a few years ago. I could sometimes find Bob's Red mill organic rye at the market, but it is much more expensive in the small 24 ounce bags. I was glad to buy Great River Organic Rye again in bulk at a reasonable price and I will continue to bake rye bread at least once a month (I have the big, 7 quart Kitchen Aid stand mixer and usually make 3 or 4 loaves at a time). Obviously, I'm happy with Great River's Organic Rye, I get great results consistently with it, and I heartily recommend it. Last year thru this summer I baked mostly Swedish Limpa, sometimes Danish Rye with Caraway seeds, and now the last three times I've baked Danish Dill Rye Bread. I also used the rye flour to make a sour dough starter and it was ready for use in about 5 days. For the Swedish Limpa, I use ground Cardamon, Anise seed, and orange zest (or, I substitute orange extract for the zest). For the Danish Dill, I use both dill seeds and dill weed. I love to bake. I also love tuna salad on toasted rye bread! Most of the store bought rye, especially the lower cost stuff, is too fluffy and will not stand up to an open face sandwich. You can moderate the density of the crumb by adding some dry non-fat milk powder. For four loaves (16 ounces of flour by weight per loaf) I usually use 3 or 4 tablespoons of canola oil and 2 tablespoons of milk powder if I want to soften the crumb a little. Though the Great River Rye is not coarse ground, it can be used for pumpernickel bread, add either molasses or dark brown sugar if the molasses flavor is too strong for your tastes.

I have purchased this flour a few times already and baked great loaves with it. To prevent spoilage, I have been dividing the bag into separate gallon ziplock bags to keep it sealed and fresh, and it lasts a long time this way.

Update (12/8/25): After speaking with seller, they told me that this was 100% dark rye but they are processing this flour in a finer grind. Unfortunately, this is not what I wanted and it did destroy my sourdough starter that I had going for over a year. Luckily the seller was willing to work with me on a solution so I’m changing the 1 star to 4 star for great customer service. The lost of 1 star is because the product is no longer the quality I was used to. Previously noted: I have ordered this product many many times previously and it has always been great. A very dark rye color flour at almost dark grey. But this time, the product came in looking like whole wheat flour and ruined my sourdough starter consistency as I have always made only rye flour starter. The rise on the sourdough starter collapsed easily compared to previous flour used. Very disappointed with this order. Not sure what happened to this mill. Is it no longer 100% dark rye flour?!

Very good dark rye, quick shipment, bread tastes great. Will buy again.

We have ordered flour from here before and were pleased with times. Good strong packaging, good flour.