A simple rye loaf for dark evenings
When the evenings get short I stop baking airy white loaves and switch to rye. It is not glamorous bread: dense, dark, a bit sour. But one loaf lasts us a week, and a slice with cheese is most of a lunch.
What goes in
- Wholegrain rye flour, most of the weight of the dough.
- A spoon or two of active rye starter, built up the evening before.
- Water, salt, and a handful of sunflower seeds.
- Sometimes a spoon of dark syrup, if I want it a little sweeter.
How I make it
Rye does not behave like wheat. There is no kneading and no shaping: the dough is more like thick porridge. I mix everything with a wet hand, scrape it into a greased tin, smooth the top and let it rise until small cracks appear on the surface. In my cool kitchen that takes three to four hours.
Then it goes into a hot oven, and after the first fifteen minutes I turn the heat down and let it bake for a long time. A rye loaf needs much longer than you expect.
The hard part
Do not cut it on the same day. The crumb is still setting as it cools, and a warm rye loaf is sticky inside no matter how long it baked. Wrap it in a cloth and wait until the next morning. It is worth it.