rye vs. rye

As promised, a delayed side-by-side assessment.

So on Monday I baked a Chleb Sandomierski

And today I baked a NY-style deli rye.

Verdict: The Sandomierski may well be one of the old-world precursors to the contemporary deli rye, but, in comparison to deli rye, I would call it an austere bread. It's dense and the flavor is complexly and tastefully acidic. For some reason -- slightly lower hydration? all the prefermented flour being light rye with whole rye added to the final mix? the acids built up by the 3-stage levain at different hydrations? stepped down temperature for the 2nd part of the bake? -- it simply does not get a caramelized crust. 

I baked the deli rye -- 45% whole rye flour/55% bread flour with all the rye flour prefermented -- at 232C/450F for 20 minutes covered/20 minutes uncovered/4 minutes out of the dutch oven altogether. The crust was almost fully caramelized when I pulled the top off the DO after the first 20 minutes. The finished bread bursts with sweetness and has a lively rye flavor and springy, juicy crumb. 

Both are delicious. But the deli rye is simply more fun to eat.

Rob