Rye Bread with Spelt Berries

100% rye flour bread with sourdough and spelt berries to add a little crunch. Spelt has been very popular recently but most recipe I made before also have some - if not all - spelt flour as well. This is the first time spelt is add just like other grains usually are.

Sourdough

• 200g (7 oz) whole grain rye flour
• 160ml (5 3/8 oz) water
• 20g (3/4 oz) rye sourdough starter

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir well. Cover with lid or plastic wrap and let prove at room temperature for 12-16 hours.

Soaker

• 125g (4 3/8 oz) rye berries
• 125ml (1/2 cup) boiling water
• 7g (1 tsp) salt 

Combine ingredients in a bowl or jar and stir well. Cover with lid or plastic wrap and let soak at room temperature for about 2 hours. Then transfer to refrigerator and let soak for another 12 hours (or over night).

Main Dough

• Sourdough
• Soaker
• 250g (8 3/4 oz) light rye flour
• 50g (1 3/4 oz) whole grain rye flour
• 170ml (5 3/4 oz) water
• 7g (1 tsp) salt
• 7g (1/4 oz) fresh wet yeast or 1 tsp Active Dry Yeast, 1/2 tsp of sugar and 26ml (7/8 oz) of water, mixed and let stand for about 10 minutes

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix with the dough hook at low speed for 15 minutes. Increase speed to 2 and mix for another 3 minutes. Cover and let rest at room temperature for 1 hour.

For into rectangular shape and  place in a 10" rectangular baking pan and let rest until oven is hot.

Fill 300ml water into a large deep baking dish and place on bottom rack of the the oven. Preheat oven to 235°C (455°F).

Transfer bread into oven and bake for 10 minutes. Then open the oven door briefly to let out all remaining steam and reduce temperature to 215°C (420°F). Bake for another 45 minutes.

Let cool on a cooling rack.

Based on a recipe by Peter Kapp in "Mein Brot", published by HEEL Verlag. I reduced the amounts to half since the recipe was meant to make two breads (or 4 really small ones to be exact).