Hi!
My bread adventure started just few months ago. I gained some experience in wheat breads but rye bread is still a bit of a mystery to me. I'm trying to perfect Hamelman's 65% sourdough rye bread and I'm wondering what, in case of rye breads, should be the signs of finishing bulk fermentation (2x rise?) and proofing (finger test?). That's my problem of constantly wanting to know the grounds so I can modify the recipe easily. :D
I will appreciate any help!
Rye is really mercurial stuff and timelines are only a rough guide at best. For sourdough sponges, look for lots of bubbles and a sharp, pleasing sour smell. Doubling is a pretty easy determination for sponges and bulk fermentation of final doughs; for proofing, I look for the first signs of cracking and/or broken bubbles on the surface. Those will tell you that the bread will be ready for the oven in 5-10 minutes. Hope this helps.
Stan Ginsberg
theryebaker.com
So as I guess rye is more intuitive than wheat and more of what comes out of the oven is a combination of sharp senses and some etherical knowledge?
Thank you very much for your advice, practice, practice and again practice. ;)
as much as a different kind of sensitivity to your sponges and doughs. Because of its chemistry, rye can be less forgiving than wheat, and so it demands somewhat closer attention. I'd say experience is the great teacher: the more rye you bake with, the more comfortable you'll become with its idiosyncrasies.
S
Yes I have to agree with the trial and error method as there are so many variables, but I like my rye going in to the oven slightly under proofed like 90 - 95% there and that way it collapses less and gets a tiny bit more height. You get used to what works after a while, use your senses :)
And how do you know your loaf is proofed?
well, in this case - size, no really, thats how we know. we have a loaf @ 60% whole rye, free form loaf- not in a tin:
410g whole rye
290 white bakers flour
305 leaven (about 140 - 156% hydration, like a thick pancake mix, depends on season)
485 water
44 molasses
13 salt
5 caraway
5 fennel
5 cocoa
We divide @ around 782g , and put it into a medium round banneton about 16cm x 9cm high and we know that if it domes up in the center to reach the top edge it is almost there but can go as far as the sides of the dough reaching the top edge doming up above. Anything beyond there it will start to weaken. Somewhere between these 2 levels is when the broken bubbles come and dimpling on the surface, too long will bring collapse, it will still bake perfectly and taste great but it will lack the strength to push up.
hope that helps, Amber :)
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After all your posts I think I just need more confidence :) Thank you, I'll keep practising.