Seeded Rye Loaf
Dark and deeply flavored from a rye sourdough starter that's made 10 days in advance, this earthy loaf is easily customizable depending on what seeds and grains you have on hand and want to add to the dough. This recipe first appeared in our May 2012 issue along with William Alexander's story American Bread.
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Credit: Todd Coleman
INGREDIENTS
6 cups (16 oz.) rye flour3 ¼ cups plus ⅓ cup (1 lb. 12 ⅔ oz.) tap water, heated to 115°
¼ tsp. active dry yeast
2 ¼ cups (12 ⅓ oz.) bread flour
1 ½ tsp. (3/8 oz.) kosher salt
Canola oil, for greasing bowl
¼ cup each sunflower, pumpkin, or sesame seeds, cracked wheat or rye (any combination), mixed together in a bowl
½ cup ice cubes
INSTRUCTIONS
1. In a bowl, stir ½ cup rye flour, ¼ cup water, and yeast until a smooth paste forms. Cover with plastic wrap, and let sit for 24 hours. Repeat this process for the next eight days, adding the same amounts of rye flour and water, to make starter (which you can keep alive, in the fridge, by adding the same amounts once weekly.)
3. Uncover culture, and add remaining 1 cup rye flour and ½ cup water, along with bread flour, salt, and half the seed mix (Figure A). Stir until dough forms (Figure B); let dough sit for 20 minutes. Transfer to a floured work surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes (Figure C). Transfer to a greased bowl; cover with plastic wrap. Place in a cold oven; let sit until slightly inflated, about 1 hour. Transfer to a work surface and flatten. Fold top and bottom edges toward middle. Return dough to bowl, seam side down; cover, and return to oven. Let sit until doubled in size, about 3 hours.
4. Transfer dough to surface. Positioning your hands on outside edge of dough, rotate dough over surface to form a taut dome, pinching edges underneath. Transfer, seam side up, to a floured kitchen towel in a colander. Cover loosely with plastic wrap; let sit until doubled in size, about 3 hours. One hour before baking, place a cast–iron skillet on bottom rack of oven; position another rack above skillet; place a baking stone on top of it. Heat to 400°.
5. Invert dough onto a parchment paper sheet on a rimless baking sheet. Spray with water, and cover with remaining seed mix (Figure D). Using a razor, slash a hash tag pattern in top of dough. Using paper, slide loaf onto stone. Place ice in skillet. Bake until dark brown, about 1 hour; let cool before serving.
I made the recipe as written and found that there were many unnecessary or unclear steps. This makes far more starter than is useful or necessary- start with a large container. The rye flour began turning vaguely pinkish-red as it broke down. Not mold/bad bacteria, just a very different shade than I was expecting from previous sourdough experiences. The description of the seed mix is also unclear. I assumed it meant 1 cup mixed seeds, 1/2 cup in the bread, 1/2 cup sprinkled on top of the finished loaf. I saw no point in the reforming of the loaf after a 1 hour rest in step 4, nor did I bother with the colander for the final rise.
I also question the combination of ice and cast iron in a hot oven. This seems like a good way to crack a nice pan. I just used a metal cakepan. This is the third bread recipe I've tested from this issue and they all come out just like the picture but none have been significantly better than the breads I usually make. I bake bread 1-2 times each week
Scassid2, I'd leave the starter at room temp until it is established. Then put it in the fridge.
Surely the instructions should read to add the yeast to the starter only once. And I'd be inclined to use less yeast and a LOT less rye flour if only 1/4 cup (weight please!) of starter is required for the final bread.
Also, the weight for the rye flour appears to be off. Every other online conversion page says that 6 cups rye flour weigh 612gm (21.5oz).
This bread looks pretty fabulous though. Too bad the instructions are a little on the iffy side.