Rye Sourdough Bread

Ingredients

• 10 g rye sourstarter (culture)
• 645 g water
• 1 tbsp salt
• 795 g whole-grain rye flour (and extra flour for working)

Instructions

1. 1.

   Stir the culture with 45 g lukewarm water, add 45 g flour, mix well and let it ferment in a screw-top jar at room temperature for 12 hours (best overnight).

2. 2.

   Weigh out 600 g warm water into a bowl, dissolve salt in it, then add whole-grain rye flour. Pour the sourstarter over the flour and mix by hand until a sticky, uniform dough forms. Cover the bowl with a lid or a large plastic bag and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

3. 3.

   Carefully transfer the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and shape it into a round. To do this, press the dough sides clockwise inward with light pressure so it doesn’t stick to your hands. Place the loaf seam-side down in a floured, round proofing basket. Cover with a large freezer bag (or a clean kitchen towel) and let rise at room temperature for 2 hours; the dough should double in size during this time.

4. 4.

   Drop the dough onto a sheet of parchment paper so that the seam is on top. Lift it together with the parchment into a preheated cast-iron Dutch oven, place the lid on, and bake immediately in a preheated oven at 250 °C (convection not recommended) for 10–15 minutes. Remove the lid to allow steam to escape. Bake further at 220 °C for another 45–50 minutes. Cool on a wire rack afterward.