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).