Slow-baked rye bread

The dough contains 1 kg rye, 1 kg water, 300 grams sourdough culture and 5 grams salt. I let it ferment for eleven hours, and then baked it in a pan with a lid on at 120 °C for 24 hours. The flavor is strongly reminiscent of chocolate – and there's only a mild suggestion of charring.

Taikinassa on kilo ruista, kilo vettä, 300 grammaa hapanjuurta ja 5 grammaa suolaa. Annoin sen käydä 11 tuntia ja sitten paistoin sitä vuorokauden ajan 120 asteessa kannellisessa pannussa. Maku on voimakkaan suklainen – eikä siinä ole kovinkaan paljoa palaneen tuntua.

Loaves #12, #13 and #14

(Vuorottelen englantia ja suomea tässä kirjoituksessa. Molemmissa on suunnilleen samat tiedot.)

(I'm going to alternate English and Finnish in this post. They both contain basically the same data.)

The first loaf (left front) started with 200 grams of active culture mixed with 1 kg of rye flour, 1 kg of water and two grams of salt. The dough fermented for four hours and then proofed in a pan for 50 minutes. It was a fast riser and was just about overflowing when I put it in the oven in 120 °C for six hours. It had quite an oven spring even though it was a rye dough, and I had to nibble a lot of its (well-baked) overflow away to get a chance to remove the loaf from the pan (this is why the overflow is not apparent in the picture). I put the loaf (sans pan) back into the oven for a bit to develop the crust around the parts that had been in contact with the pan. Crumb temperature was 91 °C when first removed from oven.

Ensimmäinen leipä (vasemmalla etualalla) alkoi sekoittamalla keskenään 200 grammalla hapanjuurta, 1 kg ruisjauhoja, 1 kg vettä sekä kaksi grammaa suolaa. Taikina kävi (nousi) kulhossa neljä tuntia ja sitten nousi vuoassa 50 minuuttia. Se nousi nopeasti ja alkoi jo lähes vuotaa yli kun siirsin sen uuniin 120 asteeseen. Paistoin sitä kuusi tuntia. Se nousi vielä uunissakin komeasti vaikka se olikin ruistaikina, ja jouduin nyppimään komeasti ylipursuneen pois paistetusta leivästä jotta leivän sain pois vuoasta (siksi ylivuoto ei näy kuvassa). Laitoin leivän ilman vuokaansa takaisin uuniin hetkeksi kuoren kehittämistä varten myös siltä osin kuin leipä oli ollut vuoan kanssa kosketuksissa. Sisuksen lämpötila ensimmäisen kerran uunista poistettaessa oli 91 astetta.

The second loaf (left back) started with 20 grams of active culture with 1 kg of bread flour (wheat), 600 grams of water and two grams of salt. I mixed the flour and water first, let the mixture stand for some time (20 minutes I think) and kneaded in a mixture of the culture, some flour, some water and the salt. I let the dough ferment for 16 hours, then punched it down, let it ferment some more for 45 minutes, moved it into a pan, let it proof for an hour, and baked it in 200 °C for an hour. The crumb temperature was 94 °C at this time. I removed the loaf from the pan and baked for twenty minutes in 120 °C to develop the crust.

Toinen leipä (vasemmalla taka-alalla) alkoi 20 grammalla hapanjuurta, kilolla hiivaleipäjauhoja, 600 grammalla vettä ja kahdella grammalla suolaa. Sekoitin veden ja jauhot ensin ja annoin niiden sekoituksen seistä hetkisen (kai 20 minuuttia) ja sitten vaivasin mukaan juuren, suolan, pienen määrän vettä ja pienen määrän jauhoja muodostaman sekoituksen. Annoin taikinan käydä 16 tuntia, sitten painoin sen kasaan ja annoin sen käydä taas 45 minuuttia, siirsin sen vuokaan, annoin nousta vuoassa tunnin, ja paistoin 200 asteessa tunnin. Sisuksen lämpötila oli tämän jälkeen 94 astetta. Poistin leivän vuoasta ja paistoin vielä 20 minuuttia 120 asteessa kuoren kehittämiseksi.

The third loaf (right) had an unlucky beginning. I had forgotten to feed my culture during the weekend (it was in room temperature) and it was quite sour and alcoholic. I took a spoonful of it, mixed it into a small amount of water, threw half away, added more water, mixed, threw half away. I then added 50 grams of bread flour and let the mixture (try to) ferment overnight. There was no activity, and I figure I had thinned the herd too much. Fortunately, I had fed the regular culture at the same time, and it had responded admirably. I added a spoonful of the live culture to this unfortunate mixture. I then mixed 1 kg of bread flour and 800 grams of water, let the dough stand for 20 minutes, then mixed in the mixture with the culture. I let this thin dough ferment for 3½ hours, then proof for 25 minutes in a bread pan, and baked it in 200 °C for 45 minutes. There was a magnificent oven spring, which is not very well visible in the picture (the top is formed sort of like a wedge, and the top crust is broken). I had trouble removing the loaf from the (unoiled) pan, and broke its bottom. I developed the crust for ten minutes in 200 °C. The crumb temperature before this was 89 °C.

Kolmas leipä (oikealla) oli aluksi epäonninen. Olin unohtanut ruokkia juurtani viikonlopun aikana sen ollessa huoneenlämmössä, ja se oli lauantai-iltana jo melkoisen hapan ja alkoholinen. Otin sitä lusikallisen ja sekoitin pieneen määrään vettä, heitin puolet pois, lisäsin vettä, sekoitin ja heitin taas puolet pois. Lisäsin siihen 50 grammaa vehnäjauhoja ja annoin sen (mukamas) käydä yön yli. Se ei osoittanut mitään elonmerkkejä. Onneksi olin samalla ruokkinut juuren tavalliseen tapaan, ja otinkin sitten tuosta elävästä juuresta lusikallisen ja sekoitin sen epäonniseen sekoitukseeni. Sekoitin toisessa astiassa kilon hiivaleipäjauhoja ja 800 grammaa vettä, annoin taikinan seistä 20 minuuttia ja sitten vaivasin siihen aiemmin selostamani sekoituksen. Annoin taikinan käydä 3½ tuntia, sitten annoin sen kohota vuoassa 25 minuuttia ja sitten paistoin sen 200 asteessa 45 minuutin ajan. Leipä kohosi uunissa komeasti, mikä ei näy kuvassa kovin hyvin (päällyskuori on harjakaton muotoinen ja revennyt). Minulla oli vaikeuksia poistaa leipä vuoasta ja rikoin siinä leivän pohjan. Kehitin kuorta vielä 200 asteessa kymmenen minuutin ajan. Sisuksen lämpötila ennen sitä oli 89 astetta.

Now, what is the observable difference between the two wheat breads? The first (moderate hydration, long ferment) has a slightly darker and more holey crumb. It has a noticeable (but not unpleasant) sweet and sour taste. The second (high hydration, short ferment) is lighter in color and has smaller holes. It tastes more like normal yeasted bread, though much richer than they do. It is quite sweet for an unsweetened bread.

Mikä mahtaa olla aistein havaittava ero kahden vehnäleivän välillä? Ensimmäinen (kohtalaisesti nestettä, pitkä käymisaika) on sisukseltaan hieman tummempi ja reikäisempi. Sen maku on huomattavan (mutta ei epämiellyttävän) hapanimelä. Jälkimmäinen (runsaasti neestettä, lyhyt käymisaika) on vaaleampi ja siinä on pienemmät reiät. Se maistuu enemmän tavalliselta hiivaleivältä, tosin sellaista rikkaammalta. Se on makeuttamattomaksi leiväksi yllättävän makea.

Loaf #9

I took about a half (about 100 grams) of my refrigerated rye-based sourdough culture and let it stand in room temperature for a day. Then I mixed it in 800 grams of cold water. I added about 400 grams of rye flour and whisked well. The mixture I let ferment for about seven hours. I added a gram or two of salt, and another 400 grams of rye flour, and mixed well. I let this dough ferment for twelve hours. Then I transferred it to a pan, where I let it proof for two hours. I baked the loaf in 120 °C for two hours; then took it out of the pan (with crumb temperature at 91 °C) and baked on the oven rack for another hour.

Otin noin puolet (n. 100 grammaa) jääkaapissa olleesta hapanjuurestani ja annoin sen seistä huoneenlämmössä päivän. Sitten lisäsin siihen 800 grammaa kylmää vettä ja 400 grammaa riihikuivattuja ruisjauhoja. Vatkasin hyvin. Tämän sekoituksen annoin käydä huoneenlämmössä seitsemisen tuntia. Lisäsin sitten gramman tai kaksi suolaa ja toiset 400 grammaa ruisjauhoja, ja sekoitin hyvin. Annoin taikinan käydä (nousta) kaksitoista tuntia. Sitten siirsin sen leipävuokaan, jossa annoin sen seistä kaksi tuntia. Paistoin leivän 120 asteessa kahden tunnin ajan, sitten otin leivän pois vuoasta (sisuksen lämpötila tällöin 91 astetta) ja paistoin vielä uuniritilällä tunnin.

Loaf #7

Today's first dough is a rye bread, made into two pan loaves as seen in the picture. The recpie is similar to what I have described earlier on this blog:

I took most of my rye-based sourdough culture (about 200 grams, with 150 % hydration), which had grown for about half a day in room temperature since being taken out of the fridge, where it had been put just after feeding. I added 900 grams of water and a gram of salt. I whisked it well, and added 400 grams of traditionally threshed (smoked) rye flour, and whisked again. This pre-ferment I let sit in room temperature for about twelve hours. Then I added about 500 grams of rye flour, and mixed well; this batter I let ferment in room temperature. After about one and a half hours the batter had doubled its size (surprisingly fast, that), and I poured the batter in oiled pans. I let the larger loaf proof for three hours and the smaller four hours. I baked both (separately) in 150 °C for about 60 minutes with a water pan in the oven. The crumb temperature after removal from oven was 91 °C for both loaves.

Loaf #6

Loaf #6 is also two loaves from a single dough. This one is based on the rye bread recipe of Loaf #4, only I started with a culture with 100 grams of rye and 150 grams of water, added 100 grams of rye flour and water after about 12 hours out of the fridge (and after taking a spoonful to start the other dough), and finally added 800 grams of rye flour and 900 grams of water, and a couple of grams salt (removed a seed for the next culture before this). Yes, this was more a thick batter than a dough, with a hydration of 115 %. Final fermentation time was about six hours, and proofing (in the pan) took about eight hours. I baked the loaves in 200 °C for about an hour, then lowered the temperature to 150 °C for a while and raised it back to 200 °C. After two hours, the loaves still had a low crumb temperature (about 70 °C) so I turned the oven off and let it cool with the loaves in. There was a water pan in the oven all the time.

Loaf #4

Today's second loaf was a variant of Loaf #2. This time the process was a bit different: I let my sourdough culture sit, after removal from the fridge, for about 18 hours, at which point I removed a small bit to use in the dough for Loaf #3, and then merely doubled the culture's mass by adding water and flour. Again, I let it sit for about 18 hours, and again about doubled its size by adding water and flour (after removing a small bit for use as a seed for a new culture that went in the fridge), and also some salt. I let this dough to ferment for about two hours, then transferred it to a pan where I let it proof for about an hour. I baked it in 200 °C with a pan full of water in the same oven for about an hour; crumb temperature after removal was about 90 °C.

Texture and taste report will be added later.

ETA Crumb looks very nice with unexpectedly large holes. Taste is as one expects from sour pure rye bread.

Bread #2

Today's second loaf is a simple sour rye bread. I took most of my sourdough culture (about 300 grams), mixed it in about 600 grams of water, added a couple of grams salt and mixed slowly in 800 grams of traditionally threshed (smoked) organic rye flour. I let the dough ferment for about six hours. Then I transferred it onto my floured peel-substitute, formed a loaf, added flour on top, and transferred the loaf in the preheated oven on a hot baking stone. I baked it for about an hour, first in 200 °C, then after about thirty minutes lowered it to 150 °C. Upon removal from the oven, crumb temperature was about 88 °C.

A taste and texture report will have to wait for a couple of days, as I want to eat the other bread first.

ETA Taste is sour and sharp, typical for rye breads. The crust was soft, which to me indicates that I should have started in a higher temperature. Crumb texture was fairly typical, with small holes.