Rye sourdough

Here is my favourite rye sourdough with a few variations. When I am not trying out other recipes I bake two loaves every week for my family who won't have it any other way. The loaves can easily be stored for up to 10 days before they get too dry and hard, and I think that they improve in both taste and texture for the first 2-4 days. 

Top the slices with cheese, salami, ham, cucumber slices, boiled eggs and mayonaise, smoked fish, paté, or whatever you fancy.

Day 1, evening

Soaker

• 150g whole rye flour
• 50g whole wheat flour (rye will also do)
• 175g cracked rye
• 75g pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds
• 15g toasted rye malt (not enzyme active)
• 350g water

Mix the ingredients and leave the soaker at room temperature in a closed container.

Starter

• 120g whole rye flour
• 100g mature starter
• 200g water

Mix the ingredients and leave the starter at room temperature in a closed container (with a loose lid).

Day 2, late afternoon

Dough

• All of the soaker
• 10g salt
• 200g starter

Mix the ingredients until the dough is homogenous. This normally takes about 1 minute using a spoon.

Refrigerate the remaining starter.

Transfer the dough to a greased loaf pan (use butter) and smooth the surface with a wet tool (e.g. your hand).

Cover the loaf pan with aluminum foil or a lid.

Proofing

Proof the dough at room temperature until small holes appear on the surface and it has expanded to about 150% of the original volume. It normally takes 4-5 hours.

Baking

Bake at 200C with foil/lid for 45 minutes.

Remove the foil/lid, insert a thermometer, and bake until the center temperature is 98C (about 15 minutes).

Cooling

Carefully remove the loaf from the loaf pan and place it on a cooling rack with the loaf pan over it as a lid for 1 hour. This will prevent evaporation.

After 1 hour remove the loaf pan and let the loaf dry for about 15 minutes before wrapping it in wax paper. 

Leave the loaf alone for at least 24 hours before slicing it.

Variations and comments

For the wheat component I prefer purple wheat because of its beautiful color.

I have experimented with replacing the cracked rye with sprouted rye. It works very well but the sprouts should not be part of the soaker because the enzymes that are released will break down the starch of the flour. Also, the amount of water absorbed by the dry grain prior to sprouting should be subtracted from water that is added to the soaker.

I normally use a combination of dry toasted and wet toasted rye malt. Here is how to make it: http://howtobrew.com/book/section-4/experiment/toasting-your-own-malt

The recipe above gives an excess of starter. This is on purpose because I use it to create starters for wheat doughs as well. It is the only culture that I continuously keep alive.

Other seeds or combinations of seeds can be used. I sometimes add yellow flax seeds.

The greased pan and top of the dough can be covered with soaked rye flakes or sunflower seeds before baking.