Rye/Wheat Dark Beer Bread

Rye sourdough bread with cracked wheat soaked in dark beer, which gives the bread a nice color and - as always - full flavor. Main dough is 50/50 rye/wheat flour plus a lot of rye sourdough, which I always make from whole grain flour, so the final result is about 2:1 rye:wheat.

Sourdough

• 150g (5 1/4 oz) whole grain rye flour
• 120ml (4 oz) water
• 15g (1/2 oz) rye sourdough starter

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl or glass jar and stir well. Cover with lid or plastic wrap and let prove at room temperature for 14-16 hours.

Soaker

• 50g (1 3/4 oz) cracked wheat
• 150ml (5 oz) dark beer (Guinness)

Pour beer over cracked wheat in a jar or pot and cover with lid. Place in refrigerator over night.

Main Dough

• Sourdough
• Soaker
• 150g (5 1/4 oz) light rye flour
• 150g (5 1/4 oz) wheat bread flour (or all purpose wheat flour)
• 10g (1 1/2 tsp) salt
• 8g (1/4 oz) fresh wet yeast or 1 1/4 tsp Active Dry Yeast, 1/2 tsp of sugar and 26ml (7/8 oz) of water, mixed and let stand for about 10 minutes
• 120ml (4 oz) water
• 1 tsp rye malt powder (optional, for coloring)
• 1 tsp diastatic malt powder (optional, feeds the yeast)
• Rye flakes for decoration

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and give it a stir. Knead with the dough hook on low speed for 15 minutes, then increase speed to 2 and knead for another 3 minutes. Cover with lid or plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

On a floured surface form doug into ball shape and brush outside with water. Then roll in rye flakes and place in floured round banneton. Cover with plastic wrap and let prove at room temperature for 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, fill a rectangular backing sheet with ~ 300ml (10 oz) of water and place on bottom rack of the oven. Preheat oven to 235°C (455°F). Try to time it so the oven is just preheated when the dough is ready - with my oven preheating to that temperature takes about 15 minutes.

Turn dough over onto a with parchment paper covered backing sheet and place on middle rack of the oven. Bake for 10 minutes then briefly open the oven door to release remaining steam and reduce temperature to 220°C (430°F). Bake for another 50 minutes.

Let cool on a cooling rack.

Roughly 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 and made a few changes.