1939 Rye Sour with Sunflower Seeds
Sending this to Yeastspotting [1].
First saw this formula from Shiao-Ping's blog post [3], which is adapted from Mariana-aga's blog post here. [4] I stuck to the original version pretty closely but added 20% of toasted sunflower seeds for extra flavor. I was a little wary of baking an 100% rye in free form, but as long as fermentation is managed well, I can still get decent height and volume.
Noticably sour with strong rye flavor, this is a complex and delicious loaf. Very easy to make too.
I followed the original method of bulk fermenation for 2 hours, then shape and proof for 35-50min (40 for me). While some say bulk fermentation is not necessary for rye breads, I find bulk rise +shape +proof helps to redistribute the air bubbles, leading to a more even crumb.