Two Quick Rye Breads - one SD, one not

I have been working like crazy lately, with so little time, I like to make rye breads: deliciou and fast.

First, it's the sourdough rye with walnuts from "Bread", however, I followed Hans's modification here, used SD levain only (no dry yeast) and baked smooth side down to get that lovely pattern on top. My hydration was 75%, bulk rise time 1 hour, and proofing time was 100min.

Used pecan instead of walnuts since that's what I have on hand, still delicious. 50% of the flour is rye, with gives a rich flavor, without losing too much gluten structure

It did take me more than once to get the cracking look right. I think the dough has to be wet and not strongly developed for the surface to crack in multiple places like this, if the gluten is too strong, it will burst in one place. When I round and shape the dough, I also used more flour than usual on the table, so that the seam wouldn't completely close. My rye starter is exceptionally fast, so I had to really watch the dough to avoid over proofing. I uaually don't like too much dry flour on my bread, but for this one I shifted some flour on top before sending it to the oven, otherwise the cracks won't be as striking.

Exceptional with some cheese

The next rye is even simpler. I made it for my parents who are used to soft breads, but in need of more whole grain in their diet. I want to gently train their taste to like rye/ww/other whole grain, this KAF recipe is a good start. I did use much more water than the recipe instructed to get a dough I am comfortable with.

It has about 30% rye, as well as a bit of butter and sugar, so that the crumb is softer than a lean hearth loaf. Flavorful and slightly rich, it was a hit with my parents.

I want to thank Minioven for her post on how to use scissors to creat scoring patterns, the technique is perfect for a "fake hearth bread" like this one.

Sending this to Yeastspotting.