NYC Deli Rye Bread

Thanks. I use the No Knead Rye bread recipe from Jim Lahey's book "My Bread." I also added something called "Deli Rye Flavor" from kingarthurflour's website. I also sprinkled hand crushed "Cypress Flake" salt on top. Kosher salt would work well too.

Here is my somewhat modified recipe of Jim Lahey's No Knead Rye Bread I call "NYC Jewish Deli Rye Bread"

Bread flour - 2 1/4 cups or 300 grams
Rye flour - 3/4 cup or 100 grams
Table salt - 1 1/4 tsp. or 8 grams
Instant or active dry yeast - 1/2 tsp. or 2 grams
Cool (55 to 65F) water - 1 1/3 cups or 300 grams
1 1/2 tsp. caraway seeds
Kingarthurflour's "Deli Rye flavor" - 1 tsp.
(Optional) Cypress Flake salt (hand crushed) or Kosher salt - to taste for top of crust

Mix the flours, yeast, salt, caraway seeds and deli rye flavor together in a bowl. Add the
water and mix until they are all combined. Do NOT overmix...remember this is a no knead rye
bread!

Cover with plastic and let sit for AT LEAST 12 hours...I let mine sit for 18 hours overnight in
my kitchen...the warmest spot in my home.

After 12-18 hours I gently pull out the dough with a rubber spatula or dough scraper onto a
floured piece of parchment paper.

I then gently fold the dough over itself bringing up all "four corners" of the dough North and
South and East and West over itself.

I then cover it with a linen towel for about two hours to let it rise. A half an hour before
the two hours are up I preheat my gas oven to 475F with a THREE quart dutch oven and lid inside the oven.

Once the oven is fully preheated, about a half an hour, (I use a standalone oven thermometer for accuracy) I take out the three quart dutch oven and lid and pick up the parchment paper containing the dough and carefully drop it into the dutch oven.

I like a LOT of caraway seeds on my rye bread so at this point I sprinkle more caraway seeds on
top of the dough and then lightly sprinkle the Cypress (or kosher) salt on top too.

I take a piece of aluminum foil and place it on top of the dutch oven and then cover it with the lid and put
it into the oven and bake for 30 minutes with the lid and foil on. After 30 minutes I remove
the lid and foil and bake for another 20 minutes. Since every oven is different, after you
remove the lid and foil you will need to watch your bread carefully. Make sure the crust is a
deep golden brown and has a "hollow" sound when you gently knock on it.

Take it out of the oven and put it on a cooling rack for two hours before slicing into it.

This is only the sixth loaf of bread I have ever made and my wife and I were very impressed
with how good and authentic it tasted. We are both life long New Yorkers and know what good New
York City Jewish rye bread tastes like.

Hope this helps!

 

The foil is used to help keep a tight seal on the dutch oven so less steam escapes giving your bread a better rise. I definitely get a better rise with the aluminum foil than without. Give it a try!

I also found, that for me, by using a three quart dutch oven instead of the typical five quart dutch oven I also get a better rise and a less wider and flatter bread.