50% Dark Rye Sourdough with Dark Malt and Aromatics

Finally, I shared a bread recipe with no crazy combinations.

I feel like I was experimenting with some rather uncommon sourdough for too long. Not that they didn’t taste good but I’m suddenly craving a slice of plain and simple dark rye bread. Though I love the aroma of rye, I prefer the texture of wheat so 40% whole wheat and 10% whole spelt were included. 

 50% Dark Rye Sourdough with Dark Malt and Aromatics

Dough flour:

150g     50%      Dark rye flour 

120g     40%      Whole wheat flour 

30g      10%      Whole spelt flour

For leaven:

10g       3%      Starter

12g       4%      Bran shifted out from dough flour

12g       4%      Whey

For dough:

288g     96%      Dough flour excluding bran for leaven (including soaked bran)

255g     85%      Whey (including that for soaking)

34g      11%      Leaven

6g        2%      Salt

5g       1.7%      Dark barley malt powder 

Add-ins:

3g        1%      Aromatics (1 tsp each of whole coriander and fennel seeds, 1/2 tsp cumin, toasted and crushed)

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310g     100%     Whole grain

272g      88%     Total hydration

Shift out the coarse bran from the dough flour, reserve 12g for leaven and soak the rest in equal amount of whey taken from dough ingredients for a minimum of 4 hours.

Combine all leaven ingredients and let sit until doubled, about 6-10 hours.

Roughly combine all dough ingredients including the soaked bran and let ferment overnight for 10 hours. Fold in the aromatics and let the dough rest for 20 minutes. Construct 3 sets of stretch and fold over a 1.75 hour proofing period, shape the dough after the last set of stretch and fold and let rise untouched for at least 30 minutes (part of the 1.75 hour). At the same time, preheat the oven at 250°C/480°F and pre-steam at the last ten minutes.

Score the dough and bake at 250°C/480°F with steam for 15 minutes then at 230°C/446°F without steam for 15 minutes more or until the internal temperature reaches a minimum of 205°F. Let cool for at least 5 hours before slicing.

This bread had great oven spring but the crumb is rather close with some large holes  due to over-proofing. The slash in the middle should be cut deeper for better spring.

The smell of this bread is lovely with the aroma of the aromatics coming through. Overall, this sourdough is very moist with a slightly chewy but thin crust. It has deep and rich flavour with a slight tang.