Corn Rye Sourdough
This is an adaptation of the Corn-Rye Rounds in Daniel Leader's Local Breads. I’ve had my eye on this one for ages, but never got around to making it. It sounds more "cakey" than "bready", using rye flour and a large percentage of fine corn flour. In this version I use coarse rye meal and polenta, aiming for an equally substantial, but more "bready" loaf. I veered a bit further in that direction than I meant to, but the result was absolutely delicious.
The rye flavor is particularly noticeable in the crust – there is nothing quite like that flavor. It combines very nicely with the slightly sweet flavor of the polenta. The only downside to this bread is that, right out of the oven anyway, the polenta in the crust can be little hard on the teeth.
The hydration is the trickiest part of this formula. Consider the numbers here a guideline. I know that’s the caveat in any formula, but I think it is especially true here. I ground the rye in a coffee grinder to about the same consistency as the polenta. It isn’t really noticeable in the finished bread the way the polenta is.
For next time I would like to try adding a little fine corn flour and more rye flour for an even heartier loaf.
Oh, and it makes a spectacularly delicious French toast!
And, the Family Grain Mill attachment for my mixer just arrived so I have some serious experimenting to do!
Marcus