Pure Rye Bread

The last entry looked at how sourdough can be made with different types of flour. In order to delve deeper into everything using one recipe, I’ve chosen to look at a 100% rye bread. 

The “Detmolder two-stage method” is perfect for this. You can better and more precisely control the flavor through the flour content in the individual steps, as well as by mixing the flour.

The first stage (foundation sour) is started in the early evening hours. The work process that takes the foundation sour into the second stage (full sour) can be done at any point within the foundation sour’s 12-18 hour maturation time. Here you’ll quickly see that shortening or extending the foundation sour stage by several hours barely affects the bread’s taste. 

It’s much more important to adhere to the full sour stage! The temperature in this stage determines when it will reach maturity and the subsequent processing of the sourdough into the main dough. 

Maturation time of full sour:

  • 34°C / 2.5 hours maturation time
  • 32°C / 3.0 hours maturation time
  • 30°C / 3.5 hours maturation time
  • 28°C / 4.0 hours maturation time

The amount of rye flour that needs to be soured depends on the flour mixture (wheat / rye) in each recipe. 

I have put together the following table to provide an overview of how much rye flour needs to be soured during the two-stage method of a recipe. 

Flour mixture – Rye /Wheat:

  • 100% R :   0% W / =   45% rye flour soured
  •   90% R : 10% W / =   45%
  •   80% R : 20% W / =   50%
  •   70% R : 30% W / =   50%
  •   60% R : 40% W / =   50%
  •   50% R : 50% W / =   50%
  •   40% R : 60% W / =   55%
  •   30% R : 70% W / =   60%
  •   20% R : 80% W / =   70%
  •   10% R : 90% W / = 100%

Recipe

For a dough weight of 2070g 

Stage 1: Foundation sour: 

  • 160g rye flour type 960
  • 130g water
  •     5g starter (3%)

Dough temperature: 25-27°C   Rise/rest time: 12-18 hours (in this recipe it was 12 hours)

Stage 2: Full sour:

  • 295g mature foundation sour
  • 520g water

My tip: Use a whisk to completely dissolve the foundation sour in the water!!

  • 270g rye flour type 960
  •   50g rye flour type 2500

Mix in the flour with your hands.

Maturation temperature  & rise time: 32°C / 3 hours

Main dough:

  • 1135g mature full sour
  •   500g rye flour type 960
  •   100g rye flour type 2500
  •   270g water 35-40°C
  •     25g salt
  •     20g bread spice
  •     20g pork lard (soft) or sunflower oil

Instructions:

  • Mix all ingredients slowly for 5 minutes.
  • Let the dough sit covered for 15 minutes in the mixing bowl. 
  • Then shape it into a round loaf and set it in the proofing basket seamside-down.
  • Once the dough is 2/3 proofed (around 45 minutes), tip it out of the proofing basket and let it rise for 15-30 more minutes. 
  • Once it has fully risen, put the loaf into the oven at 260°C  with light steam. As soon as the cracks have formed on the crust as desired, release the steam from the oven (this usually happens after 5-7 minutes).
  • To release the steam, crack the oven door open for at least 5 minutes (closing the door too soon leads to uncontrolled cracks on the bread’s surface.)
  • After the steam has been released, reduce the oven temperature to 190°C.
  • Baking time c. 75-80 minutes