Author Notes
A basic, hearty rye loaf, naturally leavened.
If you don't have a dedicated rye starter, just use 2 tablespoons of wheat starter and mix it with the rye to make the levain. Maybe make a little more and then you have a dedicated rye starter. —Vera Kern
Ingredients
- Levain & Soaker
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1 - 2 tablespoons
rye starter
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165 grams
rye flour
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165 grams
water
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225 grams
mixed rye, wheat, spelt, einkorn berries, pumpkin, sunflower, flax, sesame seeds
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300 grams
water
- Dough
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185 grams
rye (or other whole) flour
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2 teaspoons
barley malt syrup
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12 grams
salt
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2 teaspoons
bread spice mix
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1 teaspoon
seeds for sprinkling
Directions
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There are two things to prepare the day before you make the dough. A starter/levain and a soaker.
The soaker fits well into a large Weck jar.
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Mix the water, rye and starter in a bowl big enough to hold all your dough. Cover and let ferment over night.
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In a large jar, cover the mixed grain berries and seeds with 300g water. Cover and let soak over night.
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The next morning, mix the levain, the soaker (with all its water) and the rest of the ingredients. Make sure there is no dry flour left.
Cover and let ferment for 12 hours.
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Line a loaf pan (I use a 5x10 in, 44 oz volume/26x12 cm 1.3 liter volume one from IKEA) with parchment paper.
Quickly stir through the dough and fill it into the pan.
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Preheat oven to 500F/260C for at least 30 minutes. Let the dough rest in the pan while you preheat. If you're oven is slow and takes longer to get to temperature, don't worry. The dough can rise in the pan for up to an hour.
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Just before you put the loaf in the oven, spray the top with a little bit of water and sprinkle some seeds on top. The loaf doesn't rise too much so steam baking is not essential but the water will help keep the top crust moist at first.
Bake loaf at 500F/260C for 10 minutes, then turn temperature down to 350F/180C and continue baking for 50-60 minutes.
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Take loaf out of the oven and out of the pan and let cool on a wire rack. You should let it rest and cool overnight before you cut into it.
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