100% Rye, Tourte de Seigle - Stanley Ginsberg
Apparently this bread is also known as tourte Auvergnate. It is a 100% whole rye loaf and mine was made without any commercial yeast although I’ve seen recipes that use it in as a sponge along with the rye sour. Those who are familiar with baking rye sourdoughs know that they ferment very quickly. From building the first stage of the rye levain until the loaf is out of the oven only took 18 hours. However, you’re also likely aware that rye breads need time to “cure” after baking so I think they are best if you wait 24-48 hours before slicing. Based on my first bake of a 100% rye loaf I will wait 48 hours because I found that the rye flavour was more pronounced at 48 compared with 24 hours, and if you’re baking a 100% rye sourdough you want to taste the rye, no?
When recipes for rye say to flour the countertop or your hands, they do mean generously. At the time of shaping I didn’t have quite enough flour down and was getting a ton of sticking. Fortunately if you have your dough scraper handy, and of course you would, it is easy enough to get more flour under that sticky dough. I use the word shape loosely because really you’re molding the dough into a boule. Forget trying to create any tension, there isn’t the gluten of wheat in this dough so really you’re moulding it like clay.
Rye %: | 100% |
---|---|
Stages: | Stage 1 sponge, Stage 2 sponge, Final dough |
Leaven: | Rye sour culture |
Start to Finish: | 14-16 hours |
Hands-on Time: | 25-30 minutes |
Yield: | Two 1¾ lb/800 g loave |
Stage 1 sponge (Day 1, Evening):
Ingredient Grams 2x800g loaves 1x900 g loaf (0.5625) Baker’s
Percentage
Wholegrain rye flour 118 66 g 100%
Warm (105°F/41°C) water 118 66 g 100%
Rye sour culture 14 8 g 12%
Mix the sponge ingredients by hand, cover and ferment at room temperature (70°F/21°C) overnight, 10-12 hours. The sponge will have tripled in volume and be very bubbly.
Stage 2 sponge (Day 2, Morning):
Ingredient Grams 2x800 g loaves 1x900 g loaf Baker’s
Percentage
Stage 1 sponge 250 140 g 100%
Wholegrain rye flour 250 140 g 100%
Warm (105°F/41°C) water 250 140 g 100%
Combine the Stage 1 sponge and the Stage 2 ingredients in the mixer bowl, cover and ferment at room temperature until the dough has visibly expanded and shows cracks or broken bubbles, 1½-2 hours.
Final Dough (Day 2, Midday):
Ingredient | Grams 2x800 g | 1x940 g loaf |
---|---|---|
Stage 2 sponge | 750 | 420 g |
Wholegrain rye flour | 500 | 281 g |
Warm (105°F/41°C) water | 425 | 239 g |
Salt | 10 | 5.625 |
Combine the Stage 1 sponge and the Stage 2 ingredients in the mixer bowl, cover and ferment at room temperature until the dough has visibly expanded and shows cracks or broken bubbles, 1½-2 hours.
Final Dough (Day 2, Midday):
Ingredient | Grams 2x800 g | 1x940 g loaf |
---|---|---|
Stage 2 sponge | 750 | 420 g |
Wholegrain rye flour | 500 | 281 g |
Warm (105°F/41°C) water | 425 | 239 g |
Salt | 10 | 5.625 |
In the mixer bowl, combine the final dough ingredients and use the dough hook at low (KA2) speed to mix until fully blended into a soft, sticky dough that gathers around the hook but doesn’t leave the sides of the bowl, 5-6 minutes.
Cover the bowl and ferment at room temperature until the dough doubles in volume and shows cracks or broken bubbles, 1½-2 hours.
Turn the dough onto a well-floured work surface. Use floured hands to gently shape into a boule, then place boule seam side up in a floured linen-lined banneton or cloth-lined proofing basket. Cover and proof at room temperature until the dough has visibly expanded and shows cracks or broken bubbles, 20-30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 445°F/230°C with the baking surface in the middle. Turn the loaf onto a well-floured peel, if using a baking stone, or a parchment-lined sheet pan.
Bake without steam for 15 minutes, then lower the temperature to 430°F/220°C and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature again to 390°F/200°C and bake until the loaves thump when tapped with a finger and the internal temperature is at least 200°F/93°C, 30-40 minutes. Transfer to a rack and cool thoroughly before slicing.
A704F41F-8DA8-48FE-ADD2-8B1837C4D4FA.jpeg