This weekend's baking: a couple of my current favorites 9-25-16
This weekend, I wanted to make a rye bread to go with smoked fish, and, since I was refreshing my rye sour anyway, I also made a pain au levain with a rye starter. The rye is another Berliner Landsbrot (thank you Stan Ginsberg). The Pain au levain is a formula posted quite a while back by Hansjoakim. Formulas for both are available on TFL.
This is a delicious bread. It is 90% rye, and the dough has almost no gluten to help form a loaf. It's really sticky. Yet, for some reason that totally escapes my understanding, it is really easy to handle and shape, considering. Did I say it's delicious?
This is another bread with a delicious flavor and a classically crunchy crust. (Ooooo! I just noticed the crust crackle in the loaf behind this slice!) It made a fine sandwich with some white meat from the chicken roasted for dinner last night.
Happy baking!
David
Comments
I usually add a bit of rye to my breads but I haven't had the courage to try a high percentage of rye. I guess that will be the next thing after I get back into baguette mode.
I envy the crumb on your loaf. Well done!
Thanks for your kind words.
High-percentage ryes can be scary sticky, if you are accustomed to wheat breads. I think the easiest approach is to sneak up on 'em. That is, start out with a 40% rye, like a typical "deli rye." Then go for 60%, which is going to be quite different. Then make a 70% rye, which will be not that different from a 90% rye.
Handling a high percentage rye requires some of the same special skills we use for high-hydration wheat breads. Handle them with a light touch and keep your hands "lubricated" with either flour, oil or water.
Be brave! ;-)
David
The 90% rye looks awesome!! I wanted to make a high rye for my next bake, but now i've been distracted by another idea.
I'm a huge fan of rye and yours looks great, the crumb is very nice! The highest i've managed is 70%, but one of these days i'll be brave enough to try 100% rye.
Happy baking
Ru
David
I can't get over the rye crumb at that high of a percentage! I did dabrownman's Deli Rye with 40% rye and 60% bread flour. My crumb was nice and soft, which I like, but the holes where much smaller.
I like your idea on sneaking up on the rye percentage and I very much like the flavor of the deli with all the seeds added in. The seeds kind of mask the flavor of the rye, though, but I sure do like that flavor! :) No seeds in yours, right? Also, did you score it or did it just open up naturally like that?
Nicely done. How was the chew?
Murph
No seeds. Just earthy mellow rye flavor.
The loaf was proofed in a brotform, smooth-side up. So, when you invert it onto a peel, the side that is gathered is up. You put your faith in chaos. The folds open up willy nilly for a nice rustic look.
The crust is chewy but not hard. The crumb is very tender. (Remember: almost no gluten.)
David
Hi, David!
I loves me some chaos! :) So thaaat's how you got it to open. I never would have thought of that!
Oh, and the lack of gluten. Of course! I really don't like how chewy a sourdough (for me, at least) can be. I bookmarked I shredable recipe but I tend to the dark side and rye was it!
What do you suppose makes sourdough so chewy? Do you think it's my technique?
Murph
The rye bread looks awesome and just looking at it I imagine how it tastes. Last week I was in San Francisco and had "Dark Mountain Rye" bread from Josey Baker's The mill. It's a 100% rye wit seeds and I must say that was the best rye bread that I have ever eaten. The recipe is published in his book and Josey told me that the bread I was eating was prepared according to the recipe from his book. Rye bread is on my to-do list after I do some seeded oat porridge SD.
Well done and happy baking David!
David: The bread looks wonderful. Look at that crust! I have been traveling and missed this when you first put it up. Get height and crumb, too. You must have been pleased. Love the wrinkles on the first one. Looks like a piece of art. Congrats and thanks for sharing. Best, Phyllis
screams out for pastrami or corned beef. Very well done and happy baking David