Greenstein’s Sour Rye – Low and Slow
I made Pastrami and Rye Bread today. The Pastrami is going better (should be ready to slice soon).
The first time I made the Greenstein Sour Rye, back in May, it came out great. Today, I tried to bake three big loaves at once and I think my old tired oven didn’t hold its heat with the overcrowding. So it baked too slow, almost charring on top before it was done inside, over an hour. The oven and stone were well pre-heated, but maybe not well enough). The loaves also had some crust eruptions; not sure if that’s related to the oven problem.
It does taste good, nice and sour. I hope The Snyder Clan enjoys it under my Pastrami… if and when we exhaust David’s much prettier (and more voluble) ryes.
Before proofing
After proofing
Baked
Crumb 
Next time I'll make two at a time and pre-heat longer. What I really need is a new oven.
Glenn
Comments
i rarely bake my ryes (2 x 24oz loaves) above 350-375, and rule of thumb is the bigger/thicker the oven load, the lower the temp. with those three, you probably should have cranked it down to around 325, which would have avoided the charring. otherwise, nice looking loaves and very pretty crumb. i envy you the pastrami feast: i'm still trying to talk my wife into letting me get a smoker lol.
Stan
Thanks for the note, Stan. At 325, it would have taken three hours. I baked at 375, but my old oven is uneven. I can't complain much; the bread does taste good.
Glenn
From the pallor of the bottoms and the darkness of the tops, maybe your stone was not sufficiently preheated and your oven was too hot.
I assume you saw poor Thomas' rolls.
My rye breads turned out very well, but I also baked a couple pain au levain bâtards that were perfect in every way except I left them in the oven too long, and the crusts aren't quite black (in a very bright light). A shame, too, because the crumb is gorgeous and stayed very moist. Only the very darkest part of the crust has any burned flavor, fortunately. The flavor is fabulous. I'll make them again and blog on this recipe.
Anyway, Glenn, let me know if I should bring 3 loaves rather than 2, although yours may be wonderful to eat.
David
I think the stone needed to be hotter and three loaves at a time was a mistake. The loaf I cut into is delicious, if a bit crunchy-crusted. But after freezing and thawing, it will soften up.
In any case it worked really well as a Pastrami conveyance (http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/24258/smoked-pastramia-reason-bake-deli-rye#comment-177357).
Glenn
... a Snyder DNA/phases of the moon anomaly?
Stan
Hi Glenn,
Yes to more pre-heating of the stone, but Stan is right about the temperature within the oven being too hot and thus causing the tops to burn.
Don't you guys make these loaves with a starch glaze applied as the loaves come out of the oven? You'd be amazed how much of an improving effect that technique could have on the appearance of loaves like these which have become just a bit too well-fired.
Looks like a rather fine loaf of bread from within. I appreciate your frustrations; home ovens can be infuriating!
Best wishes
Andy
A second coat of starch glaze after baking would have been a good idea. I was somewhat wrapped up with the Pastrami-and-Rye juggling act, so I forgot. Until I get a convection oven here, I will just have to muddle through with some nice bakes and some falling short. I did learn not to push my old oven's capacity by overloading (even with a better heated stone). Today I'm baking the Tartine BCB with no more than one kilo of dough in the oven at a time...and a 90-minute preheat.
Glenn
Two Snyder posts, both beginning with "Thanks, Andy", just 12 minutes apart. Glen, you and David are starting to sound like twins who just happen to have different birth dates.
Paul
You can tell us apart quite easily. I'm the one with only six guitars and a home oven that heats evenly.
David
We may post to Andy 12 minutes apart, but we were born 12 years apart.
I'm the beardless one with numerous guitars and a lot more to learn about baking.
I don't mind having similarities with my brother, but then I don't have a choice.
Glenn