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Experiment on a 70% rye

Juergen Krauss's picture
Juergen Krauss

Experiment on a 70% rye

This is a little experiment I wanted to do for years: 

Using my single step Detmolder rye recipe (see e.g. https://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/23830/german-baking-day) with a Rye:Wheat ratio of 70:30 I wanted to know if the results were different using the two methods:

1. Mixing everything together and treating it as a rye bread, i.e. no gluten development

2. Developing the gluten in the wheat flower and then adding rye, starter, remaining water etc (in the photo this is the slice with the toothpick)

Result: For a 70% Rye there is no difference 

I will check out how other Rye:Wheat ratios might do.

Mini Oven's picture
Mini Oven

I vote with the no-pick crumb.  And not due to the :(  pick.

The crumb on the right has a unified color/flour, slightly less fermented (dark compact near bottom crumb and flattish gas bubble shape on the left) and just looks better.  More consistent which might have to do with not having to blend into an existing gluten structure.  

How long between getting the wheat flour wet (for it to hydrate) and adding the rest of water and rye flour, etc.?

Why not use all the dough water for the wheat?

Juergen Krauss's picture
Juergen Krauss

Hi Mini, Thank you for lending me your watchful eye,

I hand-mixed the dough and was a bit rushed, hence the color differences on the left.

The recipe is: 

Sour: Wholegrain Rye 125g, water 125g, starter 12g

Final dough: White rye 188g, Strong Flour (= American AP) 135g, Water 211g, Salt 9g, Instant yeast 2g, Sour 251g

To develop the gluten in the strong flour I used 100g of the water,  and I kneaded it for about 4 minutes. All of the dough water would have resulted in quite a slush.

I expect the effect of this to be stronger in breads with a higher wheat ratio - I promise to be more scientific next time

Mini Oven's picture
Mini Oven

And that is why I do it.  So the flour gets hydrated and starts to make gluten but doesn't bond too tightly with itself creating particles with a lot of "loose ends."  Then when rye is added, the rye particles can slip in and bond with all the wheat "loose ends" while it hydrates.  That's my theory anyway.

Juergen Krauss's picture
Juergen Krauss

I'll try that next time

Timothy Wilson's picture
Timothy Wilson

Great recipe. I will definitely try to cook it. By the way, it is a very good idea to practice different proportions in order to get the product that suits you. I like to try different options myself. Some things work out well, some don't. But only by trial can you find something new.