White Rye Leaven Bread
Today I went back to Andy's Pain au Levain with Light Rye which I made last spring. At the time I didn't know there was a difference between light rye and white rye. I know it now, but I still have access only to White, so that's what I used again. This bread acted like a balloon all through the preparation - I was very careful not to puncture it, and quite worried that it would deflate instead of rise in the oven, but it didn't. Just spring and more spring.
When it was time to shape, I didn't really - it's hard to shape a balloon - just kind of pressed it a little and then folded it up and flipped into a lined basket. I didn't think it would score, so I just ran my razor over some lines that had opened up during proof. So not a tidy bread.
After it came out of the oven, the sun was out and it was sort of pretend warm, so I took it outside to photograph. When it hit the colder air, the loaf started singing like crazy. I set it on the table and a hawk flew overhead. I wasn't fast enough to catch it on the wing, but then it settled down in an oak to rest.
Then walked back through the garden, which is looking more like a garden in waiting this time of year.
My oven is waiting too it seems. When will it be spring?
Didn't have to wait long to cut into the bread though, as it cooled quickly what with its trip outside.
Comments
Hi Varda,
Looks like a very active bread. It's got a great crumb as well ... are you happy with the flavours? The crust colour looks great in the first photo.
I love the photos from your garden too (poor things look sad) What time of the day were they taken?
Thanks so much for posting this.
Cheers,
Phil
Hi Phil, You could say this is an all white bread, since it is made with white flour and white flour. The honey cake in ITJB is made with white rye, and according to the text, it is what was used in northern climates in Europe for cakes since wheat was unavailable (by the way, the ITJB honey cake is out of this world.) I have been baking with more whole grain lately, so I was a bit startled when I bit into this to find it so mild. But still tasty. I almost mixed white rye and medium rye, but changed my mind at the last minute. Next time, maybe. The crust is very crisp and the texture of the bread is really nice if you like a light bread which I do. I took the photos at around 1:30 in the afternoon. It was quite bright out, but really not warm. Snow coming tomorrow. Thanks so much for your comments. -Varda
very far away from Pratzel's in St Louis don't you think? What a great bread; the crust, the crumb the color inside and out. plus, great photos too. So where is the taste - o - vision? Are you slipping? :-)
but then it takes all kinds of bread to make the world go round. I think it's high time for taste 0 vision. If we had it, I don't think I'd ever get off this site though. Thanks for your kind words. -Varda
Such a good question Varda,
The crust and crumb look so good on your bread. I'm just wondering how much flavour you manage to achieve using the refined white rye?
Amazing volume and spring in the loaf, and some lovely photographs too
All good wishes
Andy
I think. Very mild winter here this year. The refined white rye does impart some flavor, strangely not at all ryelike. I think next time, short of being able to source light rye, I'll mix white and medium. I'm sure the bread would be completely different in that case, and probably less likely to jump out of the bowl and the basket like this one did. Last time I made this I baked with starter right out of the refrigerator, but I had to stop that since I am baking less frequently with my wheat starter, so this time I fed it up carefully before the bake, and I think that accounts for some of the springiness. Thanks so much for your comments, and of course your formulas. -Varda
Great oven spring and beautiful, open crumb there Varda. Why don't you fire up the oven immediately? I would have thought that if there was no snow around, it would be okay. Or will it crack if the outside temperature is too cold.
Lovely baking,
Syd
I did not build the oven with enough insulation to bake in the winter. To do that I would have had to build a larger base so I could have added a thick coat (4 inches minimum - I don't really know how to express short distances like that metrically - 10 cm?) of insulation all over the dome. My main purpose in building the oven was to be able to bake in the summer without heating up the house. I was somewhat stunned by the quality differential between it and my gas oven. It is built relatively far from the house, and it's hard enough running around with a loaded peel and back and forth to build the fire up when it's warm. Not something I'd like to do in cold weather in any case. Thanks so much for your comments, and as always I would love to know what you are baking. -Varda
Lovely!
Brrrr.. that must be cold, Varda!
Lovely bread, and the crumb is sensational.
Hi Khalid, I was very happy with how it came out. People don't live on whole grains alone. Thanks so much for your comments, and now over to your response to my milling questions. -Varda
Beautiful photos - and a beautiful looking bread! Added to favourites to give it a go
and yes - your garden looks a bit bleak - here we still have snow settled, and it was -10C this morning - that's Brrrr!
you've outdone us in snow and cold this year. Sorry. Last year I posted a picture of the table in back with around 3 feet of snow on top of it looking like a big white muffin. This year, nothing. I hope you will try this bread. It's really nice. Thanks so much for your comments. -Varda
Looks like some lovely warm toasty bread instore for you and yours. Spring will be here soon..Feburary is also a loving month for birds and the coyotes! Lovely photos...I especially like the hawk. We have lot's of them here too. Small dogs have to be kept guarded. Did you know hawks mate for life..they are such beautiful creatures!
Sylvia
Now that you say it, I have seen the hawks in pairs flying together. They swoop really low over the yard, seeing what they can see. When they visit a lot during the summer, I don't have nearly so much trouble with the bunnies eating all my plants. I think a dog would be a bit much for the types we have out here (red tailed hawks) but what the hawks can't handle, the coyotes can. Last spring I heard a thunk on my roof. When I went out to see what was what, I saw a hawk swooping away, and a baby turkey gliding down off the roof to join its mama. I guess he was a bit too heavy and the hawk dropped him. -Varda
was covering an oven! I just thought was like my backyard tarp that is covering my bread baking rejects, failures and scientific oddities :-)
put my bread baking rejects under a tarp? That would make it too hard for the coyotes to get at 'em. I just throw them in the woods, and they are never there the next day - not even a crumb. But scientific oddities? One would definitely need a tarp for those. Oh yeah. -Varda