Dark Rye Sourdough

Instructions

1. The rye flour used is categorized by extraction rates: 70, 85, 130, and 170. The higher the number, the darker and more whole grain the flour. A unique hot water technique is used to achieve the bread. During mixing, the dough has the consistency of sticky paste.

2. Make a day or two before. Fermented dough, known as pâte fermentée, can be made intentionally or reserved from leftover white bread dough from daily production. Mix the water, fresh yeast, flour, and salt on low speed for 3 minutes, then on medium-high speed for 7 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Shape the dough into a tight ball, place it in a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for 12 to 48 hours.

3. Take the amount of starter required for the recipe, then refresh and store the remainder for future use.

4. In the mixing bowl, combine the hot water with salt. Add the flour, and mix on low speed for two minutes, until a thick, cohesive paste forms. There is no gluten network here, not like wheat. Add the natural starter and the fermented dough cut into pieces. Mix on low speed for 10-12 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. The dough will be very sticky, so use wet hands and wet tools when handling or scraping it. After mixing, the dough should reach a temperature of approximately 90-95°F (30-35°C).

5. Wet your hands and dough scraper with water. Transfer the sticky dough in the large bowl. Smooth out the surface of the dough with a wet dough scraper. Cover and let it undergo bulk fermentation at room temperature for 60-80 minutes until it begins to crack on the surface.

6. Flour proofing baskets with bread flour. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface (do not degas/deflate), and divide it into three equal portions (1230g each). Lightly flour the dough, then fold it over a few times to form a loose round. Because the dough is fragile and tears easily, be sure to handle it gently. Only add extra flour when necessary. Use your dough scraper to lift the round from the work surface. Place the round seam-side down into the floured bread proofing basket. Repeat with the remaining dough.

7. The proofing time will take about 40 minutes. Dark rye sourdough wont rise that much, just about 2-inches (5cm). It should look bubbly and begin to crack on the surface.Since we can only bake one loaf at a time at home, leave one basket out to proof and refrigerate the other two. If they seem to be rising too quickly, you can freeze them (2 hours max) to slow down the fermentation more rapidly.

8. About 40 minutes before baking, preheat your conventional oven to 250°C (480°F) with a pizza stone placed on a rack in the lower third. The stone must be heated to 250–260°C before flipping the bread.