slowing it down to eat some rye bread
July 28, 2011 at 6:52 am 39 comments
Sourdough is not a quick process. It’s slow, likes to amble. Take its time. Focus it’s energy on the job on hand and then gradually release all of that sourdoughy goodness. Especially slow in winter. I don’t mind though. I’m in no hurry. The bread and I have no place special to be, and if I did…well the bread can wait. Sourdough is like that. Occasionally moody and a little flighty, but regularly reliable, and keen to just make peace with what ever is happening. I like that.
I had started with a 100% rye from Dan Lepard’s The Handmade Loaf. I took my time, didn’t hurry it along. It turned out ok, but I wasn’t thrilled. Mr Chocolate had mistakenly washed up my 2 tablespoons of crucial gelatinized mix to go on top of the loaf, and it all looked a little too floury. I had been nervous about putting the sticky mass dough in my banetton, so had floured a teatowel to line it instead. The loaf just came out looking like a floured teatowel though. Never mind. I’ll try a again.
Trial one
Second time around and I thought I would tweak the flavours a little. I wanted a more in-depth flavour, and also banished Mr Chocolate from my gelatinized mix at the crucial time. Flavour was better, and I didn’t bother with a banetton, just freeformed a rough round shape and pegged the sides of the baking paper to cradle and support it a little. It did rise, the top looked a little glossy, and several cracks developed while rising…. but it wasn’t quite there yet. What was missing?
- Trial Two
Third time around, and the weather was cold. It certainly was going to take longer than the 5 hours recommended to let it rise. Once baked, I left it for 48 hours wrapped in baking paper before I cut into it. This really did seem to help in the development of the flavour, but….
- Trial three- it’s getting there. The flavour was certainly there, but not quite there yet…
Fourth go. It tastes good.
I’m done.
Trialing and tweaking I’ve enjoyed doing, but I still find it a bit of a pain to make on account of it being so sticky. The taste is there though. It was really cold the day I made this one and it certainly didn’t double in size. It was a loooong cool prove, probably 12 hours on the bench all up plus 12 hours in the fridge. I’m still sticking with the hand shaping and laying on bakers paper rather than a banetton, I didn’t bother checking the temperature of the boiling water asper Dan Lepard’s instructions, (things aren’t that slow round here.) Just whisked when it’s boiled. I also think wrapping it afterwards is very crucial. The taste is a light sour, really tight crumb and I think the linseed and dark malt flour I added give a bit more depth, to which I like.
It’s filling, it’s good for you, The Monkeys won’t have a bar of it, and that suits me just fine. I can eat my way through it… slowly.
100% Sour Rye
Entry filed under: it's all about the bread. Tags: 100% rye, bread, dan lepard, dark, food, loaf, natural yeast, recipe, russian rye, rye, sour, sourdough.
1.
Celia | July 28, 2011 at 7:00 am
Great job, Brydie. I know from reading other blogs that this was a tricky loaf to master. The cracked top on the final loaf looks very sophisticated.
2.
cityhippyfarmgirl | July 28, 2011 at 2:05 pm
I would like to say thank you, I really worked on that look for a long time…but alas no. All in the hands of the dough
3.
bagnidilucca | July 28, 2011 at 7:46 am
I love rye bread, but I just know I don’t have the patience for this. I’ll have to buy my rye bread.
4.
cityhippyfarmgirl | July 28, 2011 at 2:06 pm
It’s definitely not as easy as my regular loaves, but it does keep well.
5.
teawithhazel | July 28, 2011 at 9:07 am
beautiful loaf..slow is good!..jane
6.
cityhippyfarmgirl | July 28, 2011 at 2:06 pm
Slow IS good Jane
7.
Richard Elliot | July 28, 2011 at 9:11 am
Four goes at the one loaf. You are really persistent! I’m trying a different flavour combination everytime I bake at the moment. Next up is some soy and linsead.
I have to give the borrowed car I currently have back on Sunday, so this Satruday is going to be a trip to Feather and Bone and then onto Auburn for some flour to stock up!
Have you got a rye and white starter on the go?
8.
cityhippyfarmgirl | July 28, 2011 at 2:10 pm
No just the white consistently going. Then when ever I need a rye starter, I just take a few days to switch it over.
Richard also check out http://www.urbanfoodmarket.com.au/ in Marrickville for some goodies. It’s new, I was there on the weekend, and was really happy with it.
9.
Richard Elliot | July 28, 2011 at 7:03 pm
Thanks for the tip, I’ll check it out!
10.
heidi | July 28, 2011 at 9:27 am
I’m impressed! I don’t have that kind of patience. Although I love rye- I tend to make a marble or Jewish sourdough rye and eat my way through it like a voracious mouse!
Your loaves look progressively better- myself- I like a hand shaped loaf .
11.
cityhippyfarmgirl | July 28, 2011 at 2:15 pm
This loaf is so dense, I’m not sure it would possible to be eaten quickly Heidi! Mr Chocolate still prefers the light ryes.
12.
alison@thisbloominglife | July 28, 2011 at 1:56 pm
Patience for sure! I’ve only just picked up the courage to make pizza bases. Figure I’ll keep working on those before I up the ante! Good work.
13.
cityhippyfarmgirl | July 28, 2011 at 2:19 pm
Hey nothing wrong with just starting with your own pizza bases. They beat store bought ones any day!
14.
spiceandmore | July 28, 2011 at 5:17 pm
Ah we are on the same rye path..seeking…seeking. I have my second attempt sitting on the bench as I write this. Fingers crossed! I am trying to recreate some of the fabulous rye bread I ate in Denmark – full of seeds and grain and more delicious than I thought rye could be. First attempt was a failure – raw despite cooking for an hour longer than the instructions. This time I am going to leave one loaf in the oven for a few extra hours just to see what happens. The chooks are getting well fed on lots of organic rye goodness at the moment.
15.
cityhippyfarmgirl | July 28, 2011 at 7:43 pm
Oh lucky chooks! Actually, just thinking about Dan the Man’s book I think there is a rye one in there that I remember thinking geez that’s a lot of cooking time.
I’ll definitely be interested in what you come up with.
I started making grainy knackebrod last week, and am hooked. Love them!
16.
Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella | July 28, 2011 at 5:29 pm
Wow your breads look fabulous! BTW I was chatting to Matthew Evans the other night at the Delicious Produce awards and mentioned you!
17.
cityhippyfarmgirl | July 28, 2011 at 7:52 pm
oh geez, I hope he didn’t nod slowly, saying, ahh yes, the nervous stalker...:-/
Were the awards fun? I’d love to go to something like that. Just flicking through the finalist list, so many of Australia’s top producers in there!
18.
Kari @ bite-sized thoughts | July 28, 2011 at 5:39 pm
I am so impressed with your efforts and patience with bread baking: not just the time required for making a loaf (which I agree, must pay off more than enough!), but the re-creation efforts when coming up with new flavours. Beautiful. I’m glad for your sake you get the whole of this loaf to yourself
19.
cityhippyfarmgirl | July 28, 2011 at 7:56 pm
Yes, no one else is particularly keen on the sour dense dark loaf… suits me though
Thanks though Kari. Bread making is kind of addictive I think. We have all just got so used to home made bread, it really would hurt having to buy it all again.
20.
Misk Cooks | July 28, 2011 at 5:53 pm
I just ordered Dan’s book yesterday, and I’m very much looking forward to reading it. I think your rye bread looks a bit beyond my early abilities but given time (and sufficient nerve) I’ll be trying that one, too. I showed your loaves to my husband, who as a Dane was reared on a piece of dark rye bread, and he said simply “Mmmmmm.” He’s a man of few words…
21.
cityhippyfarmgirl | July 28, 2011 at 7:58 pm
I’m more than happy to get a “Mmmm….” from a Dane
I wonder what he would think of my knackebrod I’ve been playing with then…
Have fun with Dan’s book, I was thrilled when I got mine as a gift.
22.
Misk Cooks | July 29, 2011 at 1:30 am
I did a search for your knackebrod but can’t find it. Have you written up a post?
23.
cityhippyfarmgirl | July 29, 2011 at 12:14 pm
No haven’t posted it yet. It’s still a new thing I’m playing with. Post should be up next week though!
24.
Rufus' Food and Spirits Guide | July 28, 2011 at 11:03 pm
Ok, Ok, my wife and I have agreed you can do the exchange thing, but you’re so the bread maker in the house!
25.
cityhippyfarmgirl | July 31, 2011 at 7:04 pm
Done!
26.
Amanda | July 29, 2011 at 9:55 am
Well done, Brydie. That last loaf looks very professional. We’ve been away on hols, but I’m about to get my starter out from the fridge, resurrect it and get back to some bread baking.
27.
cityhippyfarmgirl | July 29, 2011 at 12:15 pm
Lovely Amanda. I hope you had a wonderful time away.
28.
Mrs Bok | July 29, 2011 at 10:15 am
WOW your loaves look amazingly dense and good.
29.
cityhippyfarmgirl | July 29, 2011 at 12:15 pm
Thanks Mrs Bok
30.
chutneyandspice.com | July 29, 2011 at 5:29 pm
that bread looks just fantastic, all the better to know that you can eat it all to yourself. I’ve just about got my 2 girls convinced about my homemade spelt loaf (I use half wholegrain spelt and half white spelt) so the loaf disappears much faster now. I am working up to trying a sour dough – you make it sound such a fascinating process. Our local baker, Hobbs House, sells a sourdough that has been going for 55 years, so with that on the doorstep I haven’t got round to trying to make one.
31.
cityhippyfarmgirl | July 31, 2011 at 7:06 pm
With all your wonderful preserves, I think sourdough would be exceptionally fine sitting next to them on a plate
And a good baker nearby, is a wonderful thing.
32.
Choclette | July 30, 2011 at 1:15 am
Well done for having the patience to persist. It took me quite a few goes before I got my rye sourdough right, but so pleased I persisted – don’t know what we’d do without it now. You and Jo are so adventurous – I really do keep meaning to experiment with my ingredients but when it comes down to it, I’m always in a hurry and don’t have the time to think.
33.
cityhippyfarmgirl | July 31, 2011 at 7:08 pm
I think that is why this one bugged me a little… I had to concentrate far more than I do with any of my other regular sourdoughs. I do love a darker loaf though, so it certainly won’t be the last time I give it a crack.
34.
Joanna | July 30, 2011 at 4:10 pm
Sweeping bow to floor, with tri-cornered hat in hand
They all look great to me and one day we might crack the mysterious shiny coating pictured in the book. I don’t know if you have any left or frozen, but it would be excellent as an old bread soaker in a new bread.
And as for knackebrod experiments, I can’t wait. We have had one go so far and I both got something far too hard and (ahem) a little bit burnt. So please knack the brod, I want to know how to do it xxx
35.
cityhippyfarmgirl | July 31, 2011 at 7:22 pm
I wonder if the shiny coating is to do with the gelatinized mix? Did you check the temperature before you whisked? As I said, I didn’t… could that be it? A tiny shift in the temperature creates the shiny?…
I wanted to make knackebrod today but not enough ingredients, tomorrow, tomorrow… have I knacked the brod, I’m not sure, but I’m happy with them
36.
Wendy | July 30, 2011 at 4:45 pm
All i’m saying Brydie is that this could do with some of that smoked salmon that you so lurrrrrve…. I do love a good dense bread that lets you know it means business!
37.
cityhippyfarmgirl | July 31, 2011 at 7:23 pm
Now, why would I want to ruin a perfectly good slice of bread
38.
C | July 31, 2011 at 7:46 am
It looks amazing Brydie. I’m very impressed at your persistence, but it obviously pays off, the final version looks delicious. I need to get more into sourdough, it’s just that yeast is so quick and easy. I do enjoy eating sourdough though and dark rye sounds amazing.
39.
cityhippyfarmgirl | July 31, 2011 at 7:37 pm
Persistence, stubborness… dog with a bone… I can never tell!
Thank you though.