Rye Sourdough bread

From the Cooking It kitchen · 7 May 2020

This recipe produces a rich, dark loaf that is packed with flavour. As it contains only rye flour, it won't rise like a wheat loaf, and its dense structure means it's best served in thin slices.

Dark rye has the bran and the germ from the grain (like whole wheat) Light rye does not contain the bran or the germ and as a result produces a bread that is lighter in both colour and texture than breads made with dark rye. You can, however, use dark and light rye interchangeably, to test these recipes, I used dark rye flour.

Note: once the loaf is in the proving basket, it can be kept in the refrigerator up to 8 hours before baking.

RYE BREAD

20g of sourdough starter, pure rye (if possible) otherwise go with 1/2 & 1/2

300g of rye flour, dark or light

260ml of water

5g of salt

oats, or rye flakes, to cover

1, Put the sourdough starter in a large bowl and return any remaining starter to the refrigerator

2 Add 75g rye flour, and 120ml water and stir gently to mix. Cover with plastic wrap and leave on the counter for 8 hours or overnight

3 The next day, add the remaining ingredients, except the rolled rye, to the refreshed starter and mix well with a spoon – you do not need to knead this as the gluten in rye will not 'develop' further

4 Pick up the dough with wet hands and shape into an oblong loaf. Pour the rolled rye or oats onto a plate and gently roll the loaf in them to coat it completely (use your fingers to coat the ends of the loaf).

5 Place in a very well-floured proving basket and cover with oiled plastic wrap. Prove at room temperature for 3–4 hours

6 Preheat the oven to 220°C/gas mark 7

7 Carefully invert the proving basket to gently roll the loaf onto a floured baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 200°C (gas mark 6) and bake for a further 20–25 minutes