Kassler Bread

Almost down to the gram 50/50 rye/wheat, this is a very easy bread recipe. Only flour, water, salt and yeast are needed. The original recipe only made use of 2 different flour types, the ones predominantly used in German breads (wheat type 1050, rye type 1150). But since I can't find good equivalents for those types in the US, I did what I always do: I replaced one batch with whole grain flour, another with light flour,  basically averaging the type numbers to the ones actually used.

Sourdough

• 165g (5 3/4oz) whole grain rye flour
• 150ml (1/2 cup) water
• 17g (1/2oz) rye sourdough starter
  
  

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl, stir until smooth, cover and let rest at room temperature for 16 hours. Since my sourdough is made from whole grain flour anyways, that's what I used instead of the type 1150 rye flour in the original recipe. If you want to use fewer flour types, you can replace by light rye also.

Poolish

• 170g (6oz) Medium whole grain wheat flour
• 170ml (2/3 cup) water
• 1/2 tsp Active Dry Yeast, 1/4 tsp of sugar and 13ml (1/2oz) of water, mixed and let stand for about 10 minutes (or 2g fresh yeast)

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir until smooth. Let proof at room temperature for about 2 hours, then transfer to fridge and let proof for another 14 hours.

Main Dough

• Sourdough
• Poolish
• 170g (6oz) light rye flour
• 170g (6oz) wheat bread flour
• 150ml (1/2 cup) water
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 tsp Active Dry Yeast, 4/8 tsp of sugar and 32ml (1oz) of water, mixed and let stand for about 10 minutes (or 8g fresh yeast) 

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and knead with the dough hook for 7 minutes. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.

Form dough into a ball and press it down a little bit and transfer to fermentation basket; cover with plastic wrap and let rest at 90°F (32°C) for 75 minutes. You get get to that temperature by putting the basket into the oven with just the light on.

Preheat oven to 485°F (250°C).

Place parchment paper on a baking sheet and turn dough over onto the sheet. Use a fork to pierce holes into the bread and brush the surface with cold water. Then transfer the sheet to the oven, on second rack from the bottom. Spray in some water to create steam and bake for 15 minutes. Then open oven door to let the steam out, reduce temperature to 360°F (180°C) and bake with falling temperature for another 40 minutes.

To check if the bread is done, knock on the bottom, it should sound a little hollow. Let cool on a cooling rack.

Original recipe (German language) on ketex.de.