Wheat-Rye Bread (Weizenmischbrot)

Wheat/rye (70/30) mix bread that requires only very few ingredients. There are still different types of wheat and rye flour in there, but you can probaly reduce that to one type each (although the point is somewhat to get additional flavor from the use of multiple types). Making does require more steps than the recipes I usually make, the resting times alone on baking day sum up to 3 hours. Besides the long process a good every day bread.

Sourdough

• 100g (3 1/2oz) whole grain rye flour (light rye flour works too)
• 100ml water
• 10g (1/3 oz) rye sourdough starter

Combine in a bowl and stir until smooth. Cover tighly (either with plastic wrap or lid) and let rest at room temperature for 16 hours. I had enough sourdough (starter) available this time so I just used 200g (7oz) of rye sourdough.

Pre-Ferment

• 200g (7oz) wheat bread flour
• 200ml water
• 2g fresh yeast (or 1/2 tsp Active Dry Yeast, 1/4 tsp of sugar and 13ml of water, mixed and let stand for about 10 minutes); I used fresh yeast this time as I had a lot left from making the Sprouting Wheat bread.

 Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir until smooth. Cover either with lid or plastic wrap and get proofing started for about 2 hours at room temperature. Then transfer for fridge and let rest for another 14 hours. I used the mixing bowl for this as it has a cover and eventually all ingredients just get combined and mixed.

Main Dough

• Sourdough
• Pre-Ferment
• 100g (3 1/2oz) light rye flour
• 265g (9 3/8oz) Graham wheat flour (or wheat bread flour)
• 165ml (2/3 cup) water
• 2 tsp salt
• 8g fresh yeast (or 1 1/4 tsp Active Dry Yeast, 1/2 tsp of sugar and 26ml of water, mixed and let stand for about 10 minutes)

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl (I stirred the yeast into the water first to help it resolve) and mix with the dough hook for about 15 minutes. Cover (either with lid or plastic wrap) and let it rest for 30 minutes.

Now follows a sequence of "fold and stretch": On a floured surface press the dough into a square shape and fold the corners into the middle, first top and bottom, then left and right. Repeat this process 2 more times. Transfer back into the bowl, cover again and let rest for 30 minutes.

"Fold and stretch" again, let rest for 30 minutes.

"Fold and stretch" again, let rest for 30 minutes.

Form dough into a ball shape, transfer into floured fermentation basket, cover with plastic wrap and let rest at 90°F (32°C) for 1 hour. 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).

Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. Turn dough over onto the sheet, cut into the surface and transfer to oven. Spray in some water 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 on ketex.de.