Northern Ontario Rye

Living in the nordic climate of northern Ontario, I was pleasantly surprised a few years ago when a local flour mill started operation.  Brule Creek Farms takes locally-grown grain and stone grinding it.  I've enjoyed using the whole wheat, partially sifted and other BCF products, but I was VERY happy to see rye flour join the range of products being sold.  I like making rye, so I thought I'd try out an "all local flour" rye recipe.

My general approach:  60-40 split of regular (in this case, partially sifted instead of all-purpose) to dark rye flour, starting with a poolish to get some pre-ferment flavour, and long, slow proofing in the fridge (to allow me to bake in the evening during the work week).   Here's the final formula for a 750g/24 oz. loaf (PDF).

I prepared the poolish and let it grow for 12 hours at room temperature, then slowed down in the fridge for another 8.  Next, I mixed the poolish with the other ingredients, autolysed for ~25 minutes, then kneaded and let the dough ferment in the fridge for 12 hours.  Finally, shaped the loaves and let them proof for about 90 minutes before baking them in a 425F oven for 45 minutes (internal temperature to 200F).  I do the longer bake in a medium oven because I like my rye with a softer crust and a somewhat finer crumb.

The results (yeah, I blew it by proofing the loaves too close to each other):

Here's the "crumb shots":

Softish rye, with a very hearty taste.  Loved it!

I'm working on a liquid levain using the dark rye, so maybe the next version will be a TOTALLY local (including the yeasts) rye.