Rye 100%er

A week after I made a 100% wheat bread I felt like making a 100% rye bread. It's made from only rye flour, water, yeast and salt. And - as most of my breads - is made with sourdough.

Sourdough

• 100g (3 1/2 oz)whole grain rye flour
• 100ml (3 3/8 oz) water
• 75g (2 5/8 oz) rye sourdough starter

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl, stir well, cover with lid or plastic wrap and let prove at room temperature for 12-14 hours. If you have enough sourdough starter you can just make the whole batch from the starter too, which was the case for me and reduced preparation time for this bread even more.

Main Dough

• Sourdough
• 250g (1/2 lb) whole grain rye flour
• 250g (1/2 lb) light rye flour
• 350ml (1 1/2 cup) lukewarm water
• 35g (1 1/4 oz) fresh wet yeast or 5 tsp Active Dry Yeast, 2 1/2 tsp of sugar and 130ml (4 3/8oz) of water, mixed and let stand for about 10 minutes
• 20g (3 tsp) salt

Dissolve yeast in water and mix with the sourdough. Then add the other ingredients and mix in with a spoon or spatula. Knead with the dough hook on low speed for 4 minutes, then increase speed to 2 and knead for another 4 minutes.

Place the dough on a floured surface and cover with linen cloth. Let rest for 30 minutes. Fold dough 2-3 times during that time: Each time go around the dough twice and fold the edge into the middle and slightly press in.

Meanwhile preheat oven to 240°C (465°F).

Form dough into elongated shape and place on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Transfer on middle rack of the oven, spray in a lot of water and let bake for 10 minutes. Then open the oven door to let out steam, close and reduce temperature to 220°C (430°F). Bake for another 35 minutes.

Let cool on a cooling rack.

Based on a recipe by Bernd Armbrust, published by GU in the book "Brot".