Mix whole dark rye flour and water with your hands, and you’re immediately plunged into an intense sensory experience. Earthy aromas swirl about as a dough texture that’s not unlike wet concrete starts to form. When the gray paste squishes and squashes through your fingers, you begin to hear whispers from somewhere in your head: How can this dense, shreddy coalescence make a cohesive, airy, and crusty loaf of sourdough rye bread?
This bread steals your attention—it’s all you’ll think about at breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
The answer, as is the case with many of the recipes you’ll find here, is fermentation. But also, while all rye flour lacks the same glutenous characteristics of wheat flour (especially high-protein white flour), it has pentosans. Pentosans are polysaccharides that absorb copious amounts of water, which steam in the oven during baking, puffing up the dough. They also form a gel network that helps trap the gaseous byproducts of fermentation. Finally, pentosans help the starches gelatinize during baking, which sets the soft, airy structure of rye-based bakes.
But the stars of the show with rye bread (as I’ve come to sincerely appreciate over the years I’ve baked it at home), are its captivating aroma and robust malty flavor. This bread steals your attention—it’s all you’ll think about at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. If you work from home, be prepared to hear its call from the kitchen when you least expect it. You’ll want it sliced thin and topped simply with good salted butter. You’ll want it to accompany your smoked salmon. You’ll begin to want it with just about anything you have in the fridge.
Here are a few important details I’ve found when making any sourdough rye bread:
- Use a large preferment; at least 40% of the total flour is fermented ahead of time
- When using whole-grain rye flour, increase the hydration dramatically for the best texture
- Employ a short bulk fermentation and short final proof
Instagram Walkthrough
Click play below to watch me make this sourdough rye bread on Instagram.
Why is a Large Preferment Necessary with Rye Bread?
One thing you’ll notice with this sourdough rye bread, and with almost every sourdough rye bread, is the incredibly large preferment relative to the total flour in the recipe. When making proper rye, it’s necessary to ferment a large percentage of the flour in the recipe beforehand.
Why? The large preferment ensures that when the dough is mixed (either by hand or machine), it has a high acidity (low pH) from the start. This low pH inhibits excessive amylase enzyme activity, preventing excessive starch breakdown, especially during baking. If rye doughs are not properly acidified with sourdough, this starch breakdown will result in bread with a gummy interior and a separation between the top crust and interior of the loaf.
In this recipe, I call for 45% of the total flour in the levain, and while this may seem like a lot compared to other sourdough recipes here at The Perfect Loaf, it’s actually rather moderate compared to other rye recipes such as a multi-stage vollkornbrot or 100% whole-grain rye like the roggenvollkornbrot in my cookbook.
Finally, the large preferment also means that much of the flour in the recipe has fermented for a long period of time, which gives it time to build up copious amounts of organic flavor compounds. This flavorful mixture directly translates into the final dough.
Flour Selection
This sourdough rye bread calls for whole dark rye (the same flour you might find in rugbrød, Danish rye bread). This means the flour is not sifted and contains the entire rye berry. Keeping the bran and germ brings increased flavor to the final loaf, specifically, a more earthy and robust flavor profile that’s a touch nutty. Additionally, by keeping the bran and germ, the resulting sourdough rye bread will have more fiber, be richer in nutrients, and keep you full longer.
In addition to the whole rye, I call for 10% high-protein white bread flour to help lighten the loaf just a bit. This higher protein flour brings a touch of airiness and openness to this rye, making for the perfect counterbalance to the dark, heavy rye. If you don’t have any high-protein white flour on hand, feel free to use medium-protein or all-purpose flour.
For a closer look at what makes rye so great (and so delicious), see The Whys of Ryes →
Baking Schedule
The incredible thing about making sourdough rye bread with lots of rye flour and a large preferment is that the schedule is relatively short and the loaf is easy to make. The preferment (levain) runs overnight for 12 hours; the next day, after a short mix, fermentation time, and bake, you’ll have a loaf of rye bread cooling on your countertop.
Sourdough 90-Rye Bread Recipe
This 1,200-gram loaf is large, but it’s the perfect size for a week of eating. If you want to scale the recipe up, including doubling the recipe, use baker’s percentages.
Vitals
| Total dough weight | 1,200 grams |
| Pre-fermented flour | 45.0% |
| Hydration | 90.0% |
| Yield | 1 loaf |
Total Formula
This total formula table shows all the ingredients you need to make this sourdough rye bread. In the Method, below, the ingredients will be broken down into exactly what you need for each step.
Desired dough temperature: 82°F (28°C).
| Weight | Ingredient | Baker’s Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 544g | Whole rye flour (Central Milling Organic Whole Dark Rye) | 90.0% |
| 60g | High-protein white bread flour (~12.7% protein, King Arthur Bread Flour) | 10.0% |
| 544g | Water | 90.0% |
| 11g | Fine sea salt | 1.8% |
| 41g | Ripe sourdough starter, 100% hydration | 6.8% |
Sourdough 90-Rye Bread Method
1. Prepare the levain – 9:00 p.m. (the day before mixing)
| Weight | Ingredient | Baker’s percentage |
| 272g | Whole rye flour | 100.0% |
| 272g | Water 1 (levain) | 100.0% |
| 41g | Ripe sourdough starter, 100% hydration | 15.0% |
Mix the ingredients in the chart above in a large jar or medium bowl and leave them covered with a lid or reusable plastic bowl cover at a warm temperature, 74-76°F (23-24°C), to ripen overnight.
Note that this is a very large levain, so be sure your container can hold the ingredients plus a little room for expansion overnight. My favorite container for this size levain, seed soakers, and other large preferments, are 1-quart round Cambro Camwear containers.
2. Mix – 9:00 a.m. (the next day)
| Weight | Ingredient |
| 272g | Whole rye flour |
| 60g | High-protein white bread flour |
| 272g | Water |
| 11g | Fine sea salt |
| 585g | Ripe levain (from Step 1) |
In the morning, the levain should have risen and aerated significantly (see below). The aroma of the levain will almost be earthy with fruity overtones, similar in a way to dark red wine.
With this rye dough, it’s important to hit the desired dough temperature (DDT) of 82°F (28°C). This is warmer than typical bulk fermentation temperatures here at The Perfect Loaf, so warm the mixing water as necessary to ensure the dough ends up at that temperature (see the guide to dough temperatures for a handy chart and calculator for figuring out this water temperature).
Hydration Note: As with any bread recipe, you might need to adjust the dough’s hydration to suit your flour (especially if baking in a humid environment. When mixing, hold back a little of the water and add it only if the dough feels like it can handle it (look at the images below to help judge the consistency).
Place the flour, water (see note above), salt, and levain in a large bowl. With wet hands (or, my preference, using a sturdy dough whisk), mix thoroughly until no dry bits remain (see below, left). Rye does not benefit from mixing and kneading in the same way as wheat due to its low gluten content. Therefore, it’s only necessary to mix this dough until no dry flour remains.
Gather up the dough into a ball in the center of the mixing bowl (see below, right). Take the dough’s temperature to record the final dough temperature, and then cover.
3. Bulk Fermentation – 9:15 a.m. to 9:35 a.m. (20 minutes)
At a warm room temperature, 74-76°F (23-24°C), bulk fermentation should take 20 minutes (yes, it’s short!). Because this dough is primarily rye flour, it doesn’t benefit from strengthening and therefore does not require any stretches and folds during this time.
4. Shape – 9:35 a.m.
Note that if your final dough temperature was below 82°F (28°C), you might need to extend bulk fermentation. The dough is ready to shape when it has expanded (about 20%), has smoothed, and feels slightly puffy to the touch (see below).
Prepare an 8-inch round proofing basket or banneton by liberally dusting on whole rye flour. Be sure the entire surface area of the basket’s interior is covered with flour.
This dough is very sticky, so it’s important to use enough rye flour on your work surface and handle the dough as little as possible. The more you handle the dough, the faster it absorbs the dusting flour and becomes sticky.
Flour your work surface, the top of the dough in the large bowl, and your hands. Scrape the dough onto the floured work surface with the floured top of the dough facing down.
Using your bench scraper, fold the left side of the dough over to about the middle. Then, use the scraper to fold the top (twelve o’clock) down to the middle. Repeat for the right side and bottom. You should now have a folded-up shape that loosely resembles a square in front of you.
Using your floured hands, flip the dough over and quickly and confidently round it until it gets into a rough ball shape. It does not have to be a perfect ball. Just do your best to gather it with as few motions as possible.
Using your bench scraper, scoop up the dough and place it seam-side-down into the prepared proofing basket.
Dust the top of the dough with more whole rye flour in an even layer. This will eventually crack open as the dough proofs. Cover the basket with a reusable plastic cover for an air-tight seal.
5. Proof – 9:45 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.
At room temperature, this rye sourdough bread will take 1 hour to proof.
During this time, preheat your oven with a baking stone or steel on a rack in the bottom third to 450°F (230°C).
6. Bake – 10:45 a.m.
The rye dough is ready to bake when it is puffy to the touch and has cracks that are at least ½-inch wide all over the top (see below).
Place a piece of parchment paper on a pizza peel or inverted baking sheet. Tip the dough out of the basket into your hand and quickly invert it over the parchment paper seam-side down.
Slide the dough onto the preheated baking surface, steam the oven, and bake for 30 minutes. After this time, reduce the temperature of the oven to 400°F (205°C) and bake for 30 to 35 minutes longer, until the crust is deep golden brown and a knock to the bottom sounds a bit hollow.
Let the bread cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Then, to ensure the interior is fully set, place it inside a plastic bag or cover it with baker’s linen and let it rest for 24 hours before slicing.
Print
Sourdough 90-Rye Bread Recipe
- Prep Time: 14 hours
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 15 hours
- Yield: 1 loaf
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Cuisine: German, Danish
Description
This freeform rye is made with 90% whole-grain rye flour for an intensely aromatic and flavorful loaf of bread. Perfect for open-faced sandwiches or topped with good salted butter, it’ll be an instant favorite and a new staple in your baking quiver.
Ingredients
Levain
- 272g whole rye flour
- 272g water
- 41g ripe sourdough starter (100% hydration)
Main Dough
- 272g whole rye flour
- 60g high-protein white bread flour
- 272g water
- 11g fine sea salt
- All the levain
Instructions
- Prepare the levain – 9:00 p.m.
Mix the Levain ingredients in a large jar or medium bowl and leave them covered with a lid or reusable plastic bowl cover at a warm temperature, 74-76°F (23-24°C), to ripen overnight. - Mix – 9:00 a.m. (the next day)
Warm the mixing water to 82°F (28°C). Place the flour, water, salt, and levain in a large bowl. With wet hands (or, my preference, using a sturdy dough whisk), mix thoroughly until no dry bits remain. Gather up the dough into a ball in the center of the mixing bowl (see below, right). - Bulk fermentation – 9:15 a.m. to 9:35 a.m.
At a warm room temperature, 74-76°F (23-24°C), bulk fermentation should take 20 minutes (yes, it’s short!). No stretches and folds are necessary. - Shape – 9:35 a.m.
Prepare an 8-inch round proofing basket or banneton by liberally dusting on whole rye flour. Be sure the entire surface area of the basket’s interior is covered with flour. Flour your work surface, the top of the dough in the large bowl, and your hands. Scrape the dough onto the floured work surface with the floured top of the dough facing down. Using your bench scraper, fold the left side of the dough over to about the middle. Then, use the scraper to fold the top (twelve o’clock) down to the middle. Repeat for the right side and bottom. You should now have a folded-up shape that loosely resembles a square in front of you. Using your floured hands, flip the dough over and quickly and confidently round it until it gets into a rough ball shape. Using your bench scraper, scoop up the dough and place it seam-side-down into the prepared proofing basket. Dust the top of the dough with more whole rye flour in an even layer. Cover the basket with a reusable plastic cover for an air-tight seal. - Proof – 9:45 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.
At room temperature, this rye sourdough bread will take 1 hour to proof. During this time, preheat your oven with a baking stone or steel on a rack in the bottom third to 450°F (230°C). - Bake – 10:45 a.m.
Place a piece of parchment paper on a pizza peel or inverted baking sheet. Tip the dough out of the basket into your hand and quickly invert it over the parchment paper seam-side down. Slide the dough onto the preheated baking surface, steam the oven, and bake for 30 minutes. After this time, reduce the temperature of the oven to 400°F (205°C) and bake for 30 to 35 minutes longer, until the crust is deep golden brown and a knock to the bottom sounds a bit hollow. Let the bread cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Then, to ensure the interior is fully set, place it inside a plastic bag or cover it with baker’s linen and let it rest for 24 hours before slicing.
Notes
Be sure to let the loaf cool at least overnight before cutting to ensure the interior isn’t gummy.
Hydration Note: As with any bread recipe, you might need to adjust the dough’s hydration to suit your flour (especially if baking in a humid environment. When mixing, hold back a little of the water and add it only if the dough feels like it can handle it (look at the images below to help judge the consistency).
Sourdough Rye Bread FAQs
Why did the top crust of my rye bread separate from the interior?
The top crust, also known as the “flying crust,” can separate if the levain (preferment) is not fully ripe when it’s mixed into the dough. Be sure the levain has a full 12 hours at a warm temperature to ripen, erring on the side of overly ripe than under. Another cause of the flying crust is dough that’s overhydrated. The dough should feel soft, wet, and sticky but not soupy or loose (more like hummus than pancake batter).
Can I use pumpernickel flour for this rye bread recipe?
My preference for this recipe is finely milled whole dark rye flour, but whole grain pumpernickel, which is usually milled a little more coarsely, will also work well. If using pumpernickel flour, consider increasing the hydration of the recipe by 2 to 5%.
Why is the interior of my rye bread gummy?
If rye bread is cut too early before it has had a chance to set fully, typically 24 hours or more, the interior can be gummy and stick to, or streak, the sides of your knife when slicing. Additionally, this can also happen if your dough was not properly acidified. This can happen if your levain was not fully ripe when it was used or your dough was not proofed long enough.
Is rye gluten-free?
No, rye is not gluten-free. While it does not have the same gluten content and characteristics of wheat flour, resulting in tall loaves of bread, it still contains gluten.
Can I bake this rye bread in a Dutch oven?
Yes, absolutely. Steam this dough the same way you would any other. This means keeping the lid on and tightly sealed for the first 20m of the bake. Keep an eye on the loaf near the end to ensure the bottom of the crust doesn’t get too colored in the Dutch oven (which can happen, especially with a longer bake time).
What’s Next?
For a rye pan loaf intended for Danish-style open-faced sandwiches, see my Rye Sourdough and Smørrebrød recipe.
Or, if you’re looking for a large freeform loaf with just a touch of rye, my Spelt, Rye, and Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread is loaded with flavor but light and airy.
Thank you to Michael Shulze (Brotbruder) for your help with this recipe!
224 Comments
I'd like to add caraway seeds. When should I do this?
Hey Sue, add caraway into the flour mix!
Do you have suggested time/temp for baking this bread in a pullman pan? I’ve done 400F for 35 min followed by 350F for 1.5 hr with lid on the entire time as suggested in your smorrebrod recipe. It ends up just a tad gummy (even though i always wait 24 hr before slicing).
Hmm. This is quite a bit of dough, I would say that it would be at least 1.5 hrs. I’m wondering if the gumminess was from another issue? You want the internal dough temp at end of baking to be around 204F, if you check that and bake till then you should be good!
Can I use a pullman pan?
Yes, see my advice above.
Can I use a pullman pan for this recipe?
You can make this bread, Dody! I wouldn’t be afraid of the hydration, most of the time you’re not handling the dough. I’m not exactly kneading it in the video, just getting it into shape. You don’t have to do this, you can just scoop it out and drop it right into the pan 🙂
Hi Maurizio! Is there any chance this recipe will work with normal dark rye flour instead of the whole rye?
They are one in the same!
Oh okay awesome! Thank you Maurizio!
Very surprised! The total weight for the contents of the levain is 585 gm (272 flour + 272 water + 41starter), yet in step 2 you call for 585 gm of the levain! Naturally, some will be eaten up overnight while it ripens. I have made this twice, and never have more than 570 levain in the morning. I have made this up with my ripe starter – is this what you intended, or should I just go with the 570?
It’s okay to be a little short, Andy. Use all the levain you have and do your best to scrape out all the bits from the container.
I was thrilled to find this recipe on your site. I have been making almost the identical bread for years and we love it at our home. My levaine has a higher hydration, but I use more flour in the final mixture, so it ends up being about a 50/50 rye to water ratio. Instead of white flour i use whole spelt and I bake it in a loaf pan simply because it makes it easier to slice. I slice the loaf placing parchment paper between each slice (so they don’t stick together) and freeze. We love it toasted to different intensities.
What I especially love about this rye bread is that it is very forgiving. It was the first bread I ever baked when I began my sourdough bread journey about 8 years ago. At first it turned out pretty flat and dense . But as my starter improved and I experimented with hydration levels and different rye flours, it became taller and lighter. But from the beginning it was delicious. I have also discovered that not everyone appreciates the special flavor of rye.
Sorry for getting carried away. Just love that rye!
Thank you for all your great recipes. I have learned so much from you!
I really appreciate all of this; thank you for your comments! I felt like I was on the journey with you 🙂 I agree with all you said; this is a very special bread and extremely delicious—if you like the robust flavor (which, by the way, even if you don’t like it, it’ll grow on you, and eventually, you’ll develop an even deeper appreciation).
Happy to help and happy baking!
Exactly what I wanted to know. I prefer to use a loaf pan and would love to substitute spelt for white as I mill all my own flour. Did you change the baking times and temps? Thanks
Making this loaf this weekend for St. Patrick’s Day to make reubens with. I have a baking stone and the equipment needed to steam my oven, but was wondering if using a Dutch oven would also work and if I should change the baking time?
That’ll work, too. Baking time should be very similar!
Hello Maurizio,
I’ll be making this tomorrow, so, my question to you is, what temp should I set my Brod and Taylor, to proof the dough? Just purchased it and not quite there in using it?🤪
I rely on your site heavily for my sourdough baking journey, and am constantly reading your recipes, directions etc! Thank you so much for a very well informed, detailed site.
Hey there! Sorry for the delay. I’d set it to 78F, this dough needs to be quite warm. Be sure to warm the mixing water to hit the final dough temp listed above in the recipe, too.
Awesome recipe! Turned out fantastic and sooo delicious! I didn’t quite follow your baking schedule and had to put my leavain in the fridge overnight because it was ready for mixing the dough, but too late in the day. The next day, I brought it back to room temperature and continued with your baking schedule. I used my Emile Henry bread baker with lid on for 30 min at 450 and then lid off at 400 for 30min. When it was done I took it out of the oven and put the lid back on and left it on for 12 hours. I have to say … I was too impatient to wait 24 hours so I cut into it at the 12th hour mark and I am happy to report that my loaf is perfectly baked without any gumminess! Thanks for sharing! I will definitely make this one again, even though it’s a sticky mess!
Amazing, so glad this worked out well for ya, Stephanie! It’s a sticky dough indeed. Part of the fun 🙂
So happy to hear that, Carol! Thank you and glad you liked it!
I was skeptical the whole time I was making this bread. It felt like I was trying to bake a massive amount of starter (I have a rye starter) but was happily surprised when it came out of the oven and even more so after tasting it following the 24 hour rest. I have a cold kitchen so I put the dough in the oven and set to “proof” for the bulk fermentation. I struggled the most with trying to shape the “dough” and put it in the proofing basket. It was a hot mess but after dumping it in, it did start to settle and rise, creating those rustic cracks in top. I watched the short video after the fact and noticed that Maurizio did a bit of kneading to shape the dough. I’m going to try that next time. But honestly, the bread came out exactly as pictured. It’s a denser bread which is to be expected. We had people over for brunch and served it with smoked salmon and cream cheese which was perfect! Another fantastic recipe!
Love your story and so glad the recipe worked out well for you. It’s a very different kind of bread and process that takes a little getting used too—it almost goes against bread instincts in a way! Yes, I knead it a bit to get it to come together, which may not have come across in the written instructions (will update).
Maurizio, firstly love the detail and complexity of your recipes. My loaf came out delish! I do have a question in general I’d like to ask. I live in upstate NY. We are at a considerably lower elevation than you, and of course a completely different climate. I’m wondering if I should be altering the hydration of recipes to compensate for the above factors. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I’m a pro at following a recipe, but a complete novice at bakers math!
Thanks for the comments, Ashley, appreciate that! Yes, always be ready to adjust the hydration to suit your flour. I live in a very dry climate but try to “even” the recipes out a bit for most people, but even so, paying attention to how your dough is feeling (and using the descriptions and photos/videos I post here) should help give you a sense for how the dough should feel. This is also why I recommend holding back some of the mixing water when mixing dough, that gives you a chance to adjust the dough’s consistency.
Hope that helps and happy baking!
I also live upstate. (Hello, neighbor!) I love Maurizio’s recipes; most of the bread I bake is taken directly or, at minimum, inspired by what I’ve learned here. You asked about hydration so thought I might mention that I am never able to add the suggested extra water, and often reduce the water from the “Mix” portion of the recipe by 20 -30 g, holding it off to the side until I see if it’s needed. I rarely need to add it.
Love this bread site. Been baking away here and I’m pretty confident now with my Tartine country boules and sourdough pointy sticks.
First bake with this rye turned out pretty good, tastes amazing anyway. Outside crust is excellent but the inside of the bread though is quite soft. It’s even beyond gummy, more like doughy and raw-ish. Like there’s some pilling when I cut it and the little pills are like soft putty. I did get fairly good rise and baked to 205° internal temp and waited 26 hours before cutting.
Maybe less water in the dough next time?
Yes, reduce the hydration next time to better suit your rye flour, that’ll help immensely! Glad the site has been helpful. Let me know how the next attempt goes!
I was so looking forward to this “taste of Germany” I grew to love living there BUT being the lazy Baker, that I am who refuses to let his starter rule his life, I over proved the preferment by about four hours, and then got busy after mixing it together, and let the loaf rise too long too. Thistle made handling this high hydration dough sloppy—the transfer to hot baking surface was all over the place. Of course, it tastes great, but it’s a little denser and lacking in oven spring, at least what I was looking for.
Ahh, bummer, Darryl. Yes, timing is super critical with this one… Small margin for error given the large preferment and temperatures.
For steaming the oven, I usually use a 9×13 pan of water. Do you leave the water/steam pan in the oven for the whole bake? For wheat bread, I usually remove the steam about half-way through the bake.
Yes, I vent after 20 mins. I’ll fix the instructions if not indicated!
I made the levain in the morning instead of at night and my timing is totally off. Can the levain stay in fridge til morning or can I bulk ferment in fridge overnight? Or do I just need to start all over and make my levain in evening so it’s ready to bulk ferment next day.
I just did that and my bread ended up heavy and flat
I wouldn’t try it, personally. I find the fridge never works for me in this way!
I tried it again following timeline and recipe much more closely. Excellent rye success!
Made this yesterday. Followed the recipe exactly. Baked it in a loaf pan and it turned out great. Thanks for this new way to make bread.
Thanks for the comments and super glad to hear that, Chris!
I got hardly any rise from the 1 hour proof – any ideas? Kitchen was about 70 degrees, and I gave it an extra 15 minutes. My levain expanded to the exact same size as your picture, so my starter seems to be ok.
You really need a high final dough temp and warm condition for this dough, as listed in the recipe, 82F is ideal!
Fantastic recipe! I’m fairly experienced baking with high percentages
of rye, and this worked like a charm. I used Janie’s Mill’s delicious
dark rye flour. One note: different brands/makers of rye flour may have
different qualities, which (I think) is due to the enzymatic qualities
of the particular variety of rye and it’s growing conditions. My loaf
came out a TINY bit on the gummy side, but I bet that has to do with the
flour I used. I’ve already eaten half of the loaf, so it’s not a
problem.
Here is another great visual explainer on all things sourdough rye: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4vv4CziJik
(I only speak a tiny bit of German, but with auto-translate, you’ll get the main points.)
Yes, enzymatic activity is super critical with rye bread! Using good quality flour is paramount. Glad you enjoyed this one 🙂
Hi can I use all rye flour and no white?
Yes, go for it, Bri! I have a recipe like that in my cookbook, 100% whole rye in a pan. It’s delicious.
https://www.theperfectloaf.com/cookbooks/
Very good. I baked it yesterday and just tried it this morning. Since I have never done steam in my oven I baked it in a dutch oven with the lid on for the first 30 minutes. Tastes good, crust is crispy and the inside is moist with a good sourdough tang. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Fantastic, Thomas. So glad to hear it worked out well for you. Other bakers said the DO works fine for them, too. Enjoy!
Convection or regular oven setting?
Regular oven (always regular unless stated otherwise)!
Excited to try this! I made the German Whole Rye pan loaf from your cookbook this week – any particular reason why the mixing phase of that recipe calls for 10-12 minutes in a stand mixer on low speed while this free form loaf does not?
That’s just a different style of bread, but mixing that way really helps aerate that 100% whole grain dough for a lighter result (or potentially lighter result). I find this method is very easy, too, and makes for a quick bread that is just as good—if not better.