The Fresh Loaf

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nicodvb's 100% Rye

ehanner's picture
ehanner

nicodvb's 100% Rye

Last week nicodvb posted his most recent trial of 100% Rye flour bread. He declared it as good so I thought I would try it out and see if I could follow his steps.

I did stray off the green line just a wee bit when I used boiling coffee to scald the rye the night before. I also added some rye meal and some boiled rye berries that had been rinsed and strained after a 30 minute softening on the stove. And I just couldn't help myself from adding 2 T of German bread spice. So my version is a little darker than nico's due to the coffee.

There was so much going around the house today that I missed the step where he covers the dough for the first 20 minutes. I gave it an extra steam injection to help move the bar in the right direction. It smelled wonderful during baking. Rye has a deep full healthy smelling aroma when baking. I checked the internal temp once at 45 minutes and found 160F so I gave it an additional 15 minutes at 350F.

My loaf doesn't look as pretty as nicodvb's but let me tell you, it is tasty. A very sweet and full flavor. I think once the moisture settles down it will be perfect but slightly dense. Thanks nico for posting your results.

Eric

Proofed and ready to bake.

Just out of the oven. It isn't as dark on the top as this.

The crumb is a little dense, but delicious never the less.

Comments

nicodvb's picture
nicodvb

Hi,
I'm really very happy you tried my recipe! It came out very well and attractive. Generally sweetness and blackness increases over the days, so you will probably find it even darker, possibily resembling a chocolate cake.

You even used boilig coffee to make the soaker, very unusual.

I'm always very surprised at the richness of flavours that you can obtain just mixing water and rye flour:)

P.S. very nice your pyrex;)

benjamin's picture
benjamin

great looking loaf eric... I've never tried to make rye... i should!

ben

ehanner's picture
ehanner

Ben,

Rye doesn't handle anything like Wheat so you can't expect it to be easy to shape. If you sprinkle water on the counter and keep your hands wet you might be able to shape this dough by hand. Honestly I would stick to keeping the dough in a bowl and mix with a big spoon. There is no need to knead and develop the dough. There isn't any gluten to be developed for all practical purposes. Just follow the steps for aging the rye sour and soakers and mix the ingredients well and spoon it into a bread pan. You do need to give a proofing time and watch for a small rise. Bake as suggested and check the internal temp at the end. 195F is the point I shoot for to remove the pan. You will be amazed at how nice it tastes.

I hope you try this. There is nothing like it available in stores or any bread shops I have been to. Let us know how it goes.

Eric

nicodvb's picture
nicodvb

There's a very straightforward method to handle the dough: knead it in the air with wet hands stretching and folding it: it doesn't stick to the counter and you can sense the right hydratation with your hands.
You don't need to knead it a lot of time (just enough to get it homogeneous) and you won't even have the dough (actually a paste) stick to your hands as long as they are wet.

Actually making a rye bread may end up being easier than doing a wheat bread;)

ehanner's picture
ehanner

I think you may be right that this is actually easier to put together than a wheat bread. And, there is a wide range of hydration that will work to some degree. I think my hydration might have been a little higher than necessary due to the berries and the attendant moisture.

Eric

benjamin's picture
benjamin

Thanks for the tips Eric... I can't really remember encountering rye breads during my upbringing in england, hence why I have never been inclined to make them. I'm not sure whether this was just my personal experience or whether Rye breads are truly not common in the UK. Does anyone have any insight into the origins of Rye breads?

I'm putting this on my 'to bake list'... I'll let you know how it works out.

 

ben

ehanner's picture
ehanner

Thank you nicodvb, I appreciate your kindness at my first attempt. The flavors from this loaf this morning have become even more pronounced. I placed the loaf in a plastic bag overnight. My wife and I have had 2 thick slices and the dog is persistent in demanding a share. That's a good sign actually. He has a good nose for full flavor.

As with most recipes using natural yeast, things look better if you make a point to have the starter very active before use. I think next time I will elaborate one step prior to using the starter. The over all crumb quality would benefit from an improvement in volume.

I can't taste the coffee directly but I think it lends to the general aroma experience somehow. I do like the softened rye berries too. It's like a seeded loaf where every so often you get to chew a few berries.

Shaping this was made possible with the use of a plastic scraper. It's more like molding stiff concrete. I used 2 scrapers from opposing sides to lift the "log" into position. The Pyrex pan had been sprayed with oil and dusted with rye flour. I did have some sticking and a minor tear when de-panning around the upper edges.

I think some people are shy to try 100% Rye breads due to the difficulty of handling the dough. Using your procedure I think anyone can make this bread, even if you just spoon the dough into the pan and smooth it out on top and forget the handling issues. I don't know how you could NOT like the flavor and goodness of 100% Whole Rye Bread. Thank you my friend.

Eric

nicodvb's picture
nicodvb

I agree that having the starter very active before using it will do a big difference.
Maybe refreshing a small amount of it before preparing the sour? I think I'll do so the next time.