Susan has really done this recipe justice, and on the first try. It kills me that she can do this formula with better results than I have ever gotten. I guess that's the mark of a good baker, to be able to make minor adjustments that affect the outcome. Very nice Susan, a beautiful loaf!

The recipe is a result of my research in Rye mixes a while back. I wanted to find a NY style Jewish Rye that didn't take 3 days to make that had personality. I've looked at and baked Levy, Greenstein, Mike Avery's Bohemian and a fellow named chef John V from Good cooking. I took all of this and simplified the process into something I could do in a long day and get reliable results every time. My family and I like deli style rye with caraway seeds and since we have many friends who are so inclined, I need to have a good loaf that works as house gifts and sandwich bread during the Jewish holidays and also for St Patrick's day corned beef. My German butcher friend has the best corned beef ever and serves 3000# plus every year at Irish fest in Milwaukee in sandwiches. We have been playing with using my rye bread formula if I can find a way to do the volume. In the end I don't say this is the best rye bread you can make. If you like the sour rye that takes 3 days to build, this isn't going to satisfy you. If you want a great tasting rye that will make a great CB sandwich and you can do the process in a long day or overnight, give this a try.

RYE-ERIC’S 

This is my formula for rye bread in the NY Deli style. The crust is soft after it cools and will slice better the next day. If you need bread that will stand a few days, this mix is good for mailing across the country. Sealed in a plastic bag after cooling, this rye will be great 4-5 days later and freezes very well.

 Sponge:

100g Active Rye starter

275g Rye (Whole or White Rye)

275g water

Mix and set at room temp overnight. (If this stage will longer than 8 hours I suggest refrigerating after 3 hours and warming to room temp before proceeding)

 Final Dough:

All the sponge

484g water SEE NOTE BELOW

788g First Clear flour

1 Tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon instant yeast

22g Sea Salt

20g Caraway seeds

Mix, rest for 20-30 minutes, knead by machine or by hand for 8-10 minutes or stretch and fold several times. It is important to have well developed gluten. Do enough stretches to feel the gluten chains forming. Otherwise you may have trouble getting a good rise.   Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and ferment till double, about 1 hour or so at warm (80 F) temp. Be sure you get double.

Divide and shape into 2-2lb loaves, final proof for 45 minutes.

Bake @370 for 30-40 Minutes. (I steam for the first 10 minutes)I’m looking for 190+ F internal temperature.  When the bread comes out of the oven I brush with a glaze made from whisking 1T cornstarch into 1 Cup of boiling water and sprinkle with kosher salt lightly.

NOTE:I have been re hydrating dry onions in all of the water for the dough, and using that water in the mix. If you want Onion Rye, use the onions also in the dough mix. It is wonderful!

Measure the water in a microwave proof bowl and boil it. Add 1/4 Cup dry onions, mix around and let cool. Make the dough with this water.

Enjoy--

It is a javascript in Internet Explorer issue that I haven't figured out how to fix yet. In Firefox or Safari, it works fine.

I was stuck in IE a few days ago and sure enough the stars were like beachballs.

But not this time. Beautiful classic-looking rye, Susan. Just wants swiss cheese and mustard to finish it off.

Lisa, the rye is steamed 2 at a time on a heavy sheet pan lined with parchment. I steam the oven for 10 minutes and bake at 370 F for 30-40 minutes. I usually brush the crust with prepared corn starch hot out of the oven and sprinkle with Kosher salt.

The image at the top of this thread is from Susan from San Diego. The girl has the midas touch if you ask me. That's her first try and it's better looking than any of my attempts. That's the fun part of this hobby or passion. The outcome of the bread can be drastically changed by a few subtle changes in handling.

I hope you try this bread. Let us know how you like it if you do.

Eric

Thanks for the comments, it is a reliable formula it seems that a lot of people have liked. I like your fermenting schedule and I suspect the results are a fuller flavor. You certainly got a nice oven spring!
Glad you liked it.

Interestingly, the German gentleman who has been my friend for many years smokes meat in a small commercial operation near here was the inspiration to put this together. The public store front is only open 3 days a week, otherwise he is busy smoking delicious meats for the Navy to ship all over the world. He and his wife have been telling all about the breads from the old country for years. So every now and then I gift a couple loaves of this to them. They seem to like it.

Eric

Montreal Smoked Meat is awesome. My parents took me to Ben's 20 years ago and I still remember the taste.

I see that Ben's closed in 2006. Sadness.

I'm not sure about the water absorption rate of clear vs AP flour. The first clear gives the dough a developed feel which I am comfortable with kneading/stretching as the gluten in the clear lines up. I haven't had any trouble with the dough pancaking during proofing which is how I know if I got the hydration correct. In general I like to use the highest hydration I can get away with and still bake free form.

 That's a very nice hand blown vase btw. The color is extraordinary!

Eric

Thanks Eric. I will give it a try. I am a newbie in doing this.

You folks on this blog are wonderful.

Mitchell

What does 100% hydration mean?
Thanks, Mitchell

I look at the estimate for a long day or overnight and I can't help but think that this quick of a turnaround is only measured after the starter/sponge is ready. At least that was the case when I made the recipe for Deli Rye from the Secrets of a Jewish Baker.

Mitchell, you will find that a lot of recipes call for weighing the ingredients.  I would recommend trying it; you'll find your results are much more consistent from batch to batch.

That said, for purposes of refreshing your starter, you can get a close approximation measuring by volume.  One cup of water (8 oz) is roughly equivalent to 1 3/4 cups of flour and will result in a 100% hydration starter.

zolablue quotes Reinhart in another post as saying:

"...Professional bakers use the designations clear flour and patent flour for types of white flour (as opposed to whole-wheat flour, a category unto itself in which the entire wheat berry is preserved in the flour).  They indicate what part of the wheat berry has been sifted through and packaged.  Clear flour, which means the flour that clears the first sifting (to separate out the bran and germ), still retains some of the finer bran fiber from the outer endosperm of the wheat berry and is thus coarser and contains higher levels of ash.  This flour is often used in rye breads and is usually made from very strong, high-protein wheat.  Rarely is clear flour sold in regular markets, but it is a good value for professional bakers who can use it in whole-grain and high-fiber breads.

Patent flour, sometimes called "second clear," is flour that has passed through a second sifting, thus retaining only the pure inner endosperm, or white interior, of the wheat berry.  It is the purest grade and shows up in stores as bleached or unbleached all-purpose, pastry, bread, or high-gluten flour..."

You can buy 1st clear flour on the King Arthur site. I recently bought some and I think it was because of this recipe which I plan to make.

--Pamela