Rustic Rye Bread
Rye requires patience and a gentle touch. It is a slow-rising, sticky dough that rewards those who stop worrying about a high, airy loaf and instead focus on deep, fermented character.
Manage your expectations on texture.
Rye dough will always be tacky and dense; don't be tempted to keep adding flour or you will end up with a brick. The stickiness is where the moisture lives.
- Large mixing bowl
- Dutch oven with lid
- Parchment paper
- Bench scraper
What goes in.
- 300gdark rye flour
- 200gbread flour
- 375gwarm water
- 10gfine sea salt
- 1/2 tspinstant yeast
Steam-trapping
Baking inside a preheated, covered Dutch oven creates a temporary steam room for the dough, keeping the crust soft long enough for the bread to expand fully before the heat hardens it.
The method.
Mix the dough
Combine both flours, salt, and yeast in a bowl. Pour in the water and mix with a sturdy spoon until no dry flour remains. It will be a shaggy, wet mess.
Bulk ferment
Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and leave it on the counter for 12 to 14 hours. You want to see bubbles on the surface and a slight collapse in the center.
Shape
Turn the dough onto a heavily floured surface. Fold the edges into the center to form a round, then flip it so the seam side is down. Let it rest on a piece of parchment paper for 60 minutes.
Heat the oven
Place your Dutch oven into the oven and heat it to 450°F (230°C) for at least 30 minutes before baking.
Bake
Carefully lower the dough, parchment and all, into the hot pot. Cover with the lid and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for another 15 minutes until the crust is a dark, burnt-coffee brown.
Other turns to take.
Caraway Rye
Add two tablespoons of toasted caraway seeds to the dry ingredients for a classic aromatic profile.
Dark Stout
Replace 50g of the water with a dark stout beer for a deeper, more bitter malt flavor.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Cool the loaf on a wire rack for at least two hours before cutting; rye continues to set its internal crumb as it cools.
If the dough feels impossible to handle, oil your hands instead of flouring them; it prevents the dough from sticking without adding excess starch.
Use a dark, heavy-duty rye flour if you can find it; it makes a significantly more flavorful bread than light or white rye.
The ones that keep coming up.
Why is my rye bread so dense?
Rye is naturally low in gluten. It is supposed to have a tight, dense crumb; it will never be as light or airy as a wheat sourdough.
Can I use a regular baking sheet instead of a Dutch oven?
You can, but you will lose the steam-trapping benefit. The crust will be thicker and harder, and the loaf will not rise as much.
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