Santa brought me some bannetons (part 2)

The 100% rye was a completely different animal. Using a combination of white and medium rye flours, the dough was really strange and plastic--more like working with soft modeling clay than bread dough. Being the first time I'd done this, I just trusted the recipe and hoped for the best.

Rises were long, probably owing to the cool temps in the kitchen. The first rise was around 5 hours, the second almost 3. It came out of the brotform still fairly dense and heavy for its size.

I pressed on, slashing it and getting it in the oven for about 35 minutes. I was rewarded with this beauty:

The texture was not the dense, gluey mess I was expecting. It actually has a very pleasing, almost sandwich rye crumb.

And the flavor is just indescribable. It's like a rye punch in the mouth. Delicious, deep, complex. I will most definitely be making this one again!