100% rye loaf

100% Rye Bread Loaf

100% Rye Bread Loaf

Ingredients:

500g 100% wholemeal Rye Flour

7g instant yeast

5g salt

400ml cold water

20ml black treacle

Equipment:

·         Cling film

·         Sunflower oil

·         Digital scales

·         Measuring Jug

·         Spoon/Spatcula

• Rolling pin
• 2lb/1kg loaf tin, or a tin you would use for a loaf with 5-600g of flour

·         Large mixing bowls

·         Dough scraper

·         Timer

·         Serrated knife, dough lame or grignettes

Method:

·         Put the empty bowl on the scales and neutralise the scales so they are at zero. Weigh the flour in the bowl, put the salt and yeast into the bowl but on opposite sides from each other as the salt can damage the yeast. Remove the bowl and place the jug on the scales and neutralise the scales and measure the water, remember that 100ml also equals 100g. Make a well in the middle add the water a bit at a time, using a spatula or a spoon continuing mixing until all water has been added. You will notice that it becomes difficult to mix the paste (rye dough is called paste) with just the spatula, so use your hands instead to fold the dough over on itself inside the bowl until it feels firm and comes together. Be gentle with the paste as Rye doesn't like to be handled much.

·         Lightly oil the work surface and knead the paste lightly, it is very sticky and has a low gluten count so it won't be a smooth dough, knead lightly as best as you can as it is very tricky, keep wetting your hands or oiling them and use a dough scraper, knead as best as you can for 7-10 minutes. You must keep your hands wet by dipping your palms into water, this is important as it helps with the handling of the dough.

• Once you have finished kneading the dough/paste, roll it up into a ball and put into a well oiled bowl cover with cling film and leave for 4 hours in a cool place.
• o prepare yourself for the dough, lightly flour the work surface enough to stop it sticking, get your tin out and ready by lightly oiling it’s inside, you will also need a rolling pin, even if your tin is non-stick, it needs to be oiled with rye because it is very wet.

• Once the 4 hours is up, punch the dough down and fold it over a few times on itself, be careful as the dough/paste ferments and creates a incredibly strong smell of alcohol, knead the dough/paste on a lightly floured surface, and using a rolling pin, roll the dough out to a large rectangle, the width should be no wider than the tin. When you have done this, start with one end and fold over the dough about a good inch or two from the bottom, using the heel of your hand press firmly on the seal, roll the roll of dough forward and seal again, remember to press firmly as you do. Keep going until all the dough has been rolled and sealed, put the dough into the tin with the seal at the bottom and gently flatten the dough roll in the tin. This video will help: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wx5I5O_RoeI

• Lightly oil the top of the rye loaf with sunflower oil, and cover the top of the tin with cling film, leave for 3 hours. Set your timer for 2 ½ hours to turn the oven on to pre-heat, heat to 220 conventional, 200 fan and gas mark 7. Once the 3 hours is up, remove the cling film and bake for 30 minutes, then turn the oven down to 200 conventional, 180 fan and gas mark 5-6 for a further 15 minutes. When the time is up, remove from tin and bake for 5-10 minutes more.
• Allow to cool down on a wire cooling rack and don’t cut open for 2 days after baking, this is called curing