MAKING BREAD
Bread is made from a few simple ingredients: flour, water, yeast, and salt. Anyone can make it and it’s one of the oldest recipes on the planet. Perfecting bread, on the other hand, is a lifelong journey. Some days, I don’t think about anything except bread and yet I never tire of the topic. The more time I spend milling flour, mixing and fermenting dough, and baking bread, the more I realize how much there still is to learn about this ancient food.
The way I see it, a chef who doesn’t make bread is the dude at the gym who wails on his upper body but never does a leg day. Yet in my profession, baking and cooking are most often separated in the kitchen. I worked in food for more than ten years before ever baking a single loaf of bread. Since discovering the magic of it, I know all my cooking is better for it. Baking bread has given me the tools to understand how flour works to create structure and texture and how fermentation develops flavor, so when I run into challenges with laminated pastries or handmade pastas, I can refer to lessons learned in bread baking to make crucial improvements.
CHOOSING THE RIGHT GRAIN FOR THE JOB
When I first started baking bread, and well before I started milling, I was programmed to think that in order to make a viable product, the bread flour had to have 11.5% to 14% protein. While I was learning, I believed that number was fixed in stone and that protein was the deciding factor in choosing a flour. When baking bread, I would reach for a commercially milled “bread flour,” which had the requisite protein content for making a consistent, if uninteresting, product.
A turning point came during a discussion with Jonathan Bethany-McDowell, then the resident baker at Washington State University’s Bread Lab. By the way, go see him at his stellar bakery Seylou in Washington, DC. I asked him what he used for bread flour, and he replied, “There is no such thing as bread flour. There are flours that are better adapted to bread making than others. I can make bread with stuff that has 8% protein if it has high starch quality [see this page], but I can’t make bread with a durum that has 14% protein if the starch quality is weak.” His ideas were something I had never considered. At this time, I was fixated on baking bread with a big, soft, open crumb—that is, inner structure—and judged my progress based on those characteristics. I then realized I had been limiting myself to what were just a small handful of bread’s potential traits. I began playing around with new (to me) flours, and the resulting breads were incredibly flavorful. Pretty early into these experiments, I stopped thinking about crumb as the ultimate bread-baking benchmark. My Instagram “crumb porn” shots might have suffered, but I made up for it in the flavor of my breads and in an unquenchable enthusiasm for trying new grains.
Turning for a moment to the concept of protein: The percentage and quality of protein in a flour, as well as the quality of its starch, indicate the dough’s potential to capture the carbon dioxide created during the fermentation process. Generally, a dough made with low-protein flour will have a more difficult time capturing CO2 than a dough made with a high-protein flour. It follows that I can change a bread’s characteristics based on the flour that I select. For example, if I want an airy structure and wide-open crumb, I would use a hard winter wheat like Kansas Turkey because its protein and starch quality (see this page) are both high, so they can trap plenty of air. But Kansas Turkey is not known for great flavor, so if I want a tastier bread, I use a flavorful red winter wheat such as Red Fife or Warthog. Those have poorer protein and starch quality, resulting in a denser product with less trapped air. The resulting bread might not make my dream slice to eat slathered with butter—when I eat bread and butter I want something light so it doesn’t fill me up at the dinner table—but a denser bread would be great for using as the vehicle for toppings like salted anchovies, which turn the bread from a snack into a dish.
MILLING FOR BREAD
When it comes to milling grain for bread, you have quite a few options for how coarse or fine you mill the grain. You can choose to work with flour ranging in fineness from powder to semolina. Some bakers don’t like to bake with superfine flour, preferring coarser, more rustic Old World–style grinds. The appeal of coarser flour is twofold: European bread masters prefer a coarser grind, so people trained in that style choose it in order to pay homage to this ancient tradition; and coarser milling allows you to mill faster and cooler, preserving the nutrient integrity of the grain. “Modern” bakers, seeking to break with tradition, prefer to use superfine flour. If you choose to follow suit, you will need to adjust the amount of water in a recipe, as finer flour absorbs more water.
EXTRACTION
All the flour in this chapter is 100% inclusion (see this page), so sifting is not necessary. The presence of all this bran in your flour will contribute to the flavor and nutrition of the bread.
MIXING AND KNEADING
Mixing is the step in which the bread’s ingredients are initially combined; it precedes the fermentation process. When it comes to bread making, the mixing phase would perhaps be better named the “strengthening and incorporating through contact” phase. Okay, maybe that rebranding needs some work. But what I mean is, every time you touch the dough during the bread-making process, you are giving it strength. Mixing is just the first step in this process, encouraging the dough’s structure to build gluten strands. That’s why I start many of my breads with an autolyze (see this page).
When mixing freshly milled flour with just water—or with water, salt, and yeast—by hand or by mixer I try to keep the time I spend mixing to a minimum. Oxidation is a major threat to flavor. As the mixture is exposed to oxygen, it begins to lose some of its flavor and nutrients. You can see evidence of oxidation in the color of the dough: the more you mix, the whiter it gets. Think of this as the exact opposite of an avocado, which browns as it is exposed to oxygen. To prevent oxidation in the fermentation phase, cover the dough with plastic wrap.
When the ingredients have been mixed, I build strength in the dough by stretching and pulling it. In colloquial terms, this might be called kneading, but don’t think of this as the energetic two-hand kneading that is described in the pasta chapter. Rather, it is a series of pulling and stretching movements that helps the dough develop strength and helps build the gluten network.
FERMENTING
Fermentation, also known as “proofing,” is the fundamental step that must occur for a dough to become bread and not simply pasta. During fermentation, yeast, in the form of either commercial yeast or levain, feeds on the flour’s endosperm, leaving carbon dioxide and gluten strands in its wake. When a dough is made with freshly milled flour, the fermentation process is livelier because there are more nutrients in the flour and therefore more food and enzymes for the yeast to feed on. For this reason, you can ferment freshly milled flour doughs in the refrigerator instead of at a warm temperature. This cold fermentation produces greater flavor and lower acidity.
If you use commercial yeast, as opposed to levain, you have a greater range of grains to choose from. Commercial yeast is powerful and quickly gives strength to dough without your having to pay much attention. On the other hand, levain works more slowly and due to its acidity and length of fermentation, it “digests” the flour more as it ferments, increasing digestibility. This limits the types of flours that can be used because the flour must be able to tolerate longer fermentation but still retain properties that make for a good bake. While commercial yeast yields a more predictable, consistent product, levain offers the possibility of more flavor and complexity, both natural by-products of wild fermentation. Additionally, this kind of fermentation breaks down the wheat on a molecular level—predigestion if you will—into something that is more easily digested by the human gut. That’s the beauty of wild yeast at work. With experience, you can harness the potential of levain and its wild yeasts to make unbelievably delicious and very digestible bread.
SHAPING
Shaping the dough, not to be confused with kneading, follows the fermentation process and offers a final opportunity to impart strength to a developing dough. The only dough that is not subjected to shaping is the Yeasted Ciabatta (this page); we skip the shaping there in order to avoid disrupting that dough’s delicate structure. If you knead or apply too much pressure to the deliberately overfermented ciabatta dough, it will collapse. For other bread doughs, you may notice that they are softer and more porridge-like than their conventional counterparts; this is because freshly milled flour holds more water. Some of the doughs are shaped on a watered surface rather than a floured one, which provides the benefit of not introducing unfermented flour into the dough. It’s easier to work with very hydrated doughs on water but you do have to work more quickly to prevent the dough from becoming sticky.
BAKING
Bake times are longer for breads made with freshly milled flour because the loaves are denser, thanks to their greater concentration of nutrients, oils, and fibers. Additionally, the color of a dough made with freshly milled flour changes into vibrant and varied shades as it bakes, thanks again to the complexity of whole grains, which contain nutrients, oils, and fibers not present in commodity wheat. These components change color as they caramelize during baking.
AGING
Breads made with freshly milled flour benefit from aging, a process during which flavors not initially present are able to develop in the bread. The aromas of the fermented flour need time to permeate the loaf, so always let a loaf cool completely before slicing—and ideally wait until the next day to allow the aromas and flavors to mature. The bread interacts with its environment and changes as it oxidizes, much the way a bottle of wine does after it is opened to breathe. The flavors vary from bread to bread.
STORAGE
Moisture plays a role in keeping bread from becoming stale. Storing any kind of bread in a refrigerator will age the bread more rapidly than storing it on a counter, because refrigeration pulls moisture out of the bread more quickly. To keep bread fresh longer, store it in a brown paper bag or plastic wrap on your counter. Freezing is another great way to preserve bread. I wrap whole loaves in plastic wrap, freeze them, and defrost them at room temperature when I am ready to use them.
Home ovens reach 500°F to 550°F, and you can best harness this heat with a baking stone. A baking stone (see this page) will give your bread a better crust, better volume, and incomparable lightness. For the best results, preheat the stone for at least 45 minutes before baking. The baking time depends upon your baking surface and will be shorter if you use a stone. Allow 10 to 15 minutes for the stone to return to the required temperature between bakes.
If you want to harness even more of your home oven’s heat, preheat cast-iron pots and pans on the rack below the stone.
YEASTED LOAF
MAKES ONE 1,825-GRAM LOAF
Yeasted breads are made with commercially cultivated yeast—think of those packets of active dry yeast and cubes of fresh compact yeast that you buy at the supermarket. The yeast is created in a laboratory and consequently is easier and more reliable to work with than sourdough starter, also known as levain, which can be temperamental and requires careful attention to timing, dough temperatures, shaping, and numerous other variables. Too often, we are told that great artisanal bread must use a sourdough starter in order to be valid. That’s simply not true. You can make a fabulously flavorful artisanal bread with commercial yeast and freshly milled flour, and this hard winter wheat Yeasted Loaf is proof. I like to use Red Fife flour for a lovely nutty flavor and wonderful aroma. Red Fife is a bit more difficult to work with than some other hard winter wheats because of its relatively low protein content, so if you’re just getting started, use Kansas Turkey or Warthog instead. The dough cold-ferments overnight twice, so prepare the dough 2 days before you plan to bake the loaf.
800 grams water, warmed to 77°F
1,000 grams hard winter wheat flour (I like Red Fife)
25 grams sea salt
10 grams fresh compact yeast
Neutral oil (see this page), for greasing
Rice Flour Mixture ( this page) or bench flour (see tip on this page), for dusting
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the water, flour, salt, and yeast. Mix on low speed until the flour is incorporated, about 1 minute. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set the dough aside to hydrate for 45 minutes. The dough’s texture will change from rough to smooth as it rests.
Uncover the bowl and mix the dough on low speed for 4 minutes; then mix it on medium speed for 2 minutes. Transfer the dough to a medium oiled bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and place it in the refrigerator to cold-ferment overnight.
With a bench scraper, loosen the dough from the sides of the bowl, then turn it out onto a work surface that you have brushed sparingly with water.
PRE-SHAPE THE DOUGH: See photographs beginning on this page. With two wet hands slightly tilted downward, lift the dough from the middle and let it hang. The dough will stretch as it hangs. Let the dough stretch down onto the work surface, then drop the middle part onto the resting hanging ends. Repeat the lifting, hanging, and dropping process once more.
Drag the dough across the surface toward you with both hands. Turn it 90 degrees and drag it again. Repeat the turning and dragging at least 4 and no more than 6 times, until you have a rough ball.
Set the dough aside, uncovered, for 1 hour to allow it to ferment at room temperature.
GIVE THE LOAF ITS FINAL SHAPE: See photographs on this page. Sprinkle a light stripe of rice flour mixture or bench flour on your work surface. Dip the bottom of the dough into the flour, then transfer it to a clean surface. With floured fingertips, press into the surface of the dough, working vertically (down toward the work surface) from top to bottom, elongating the dough. Flip the bottom half of the dough over the top half. Grab each side of the dough and stretch it gently to its limit; the dough will tell you how much it can stretch. Return it to the work surface. Fold one end to the center of the dough, then fold the other end over the folded dough. Working from the edge closest to you, roll the dough over itself. Drag the dough across the surface toward you with both hands to seal the seam. Transfer the dough, seam-side down, to a 2-kilogram banneton that you have dusted with rice flour mixture or bench flour.
Transfer the banneton, uncovered, to the refrigerator and let the dough ferment until it has increased in volume by 20%, about 24 hours.
TEST THE LOAF’S ACTIVITY: Gently press the loaf with one finger to see how it responds. If the indentation doesn’t bounce back at all, it is ready to go in the oven. If the indentation bounces back just a little bit but you can still see it, it is ready to go in the oven. If the indentation bounces back quickly, your loaf has some strength left to give—proof it, uncovered, at room temperature for another 60 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 500°F and set a Dutch oven inside to preheat as well.
Place the preheated Dutch oven on a safe work surface (be sure to use oven mitts, as it will be very hot!), and carefully drop the dough into it. Score the surface with a baker’s lame or a serrated knife to a depth of ⅛ inch. Cover the Dutch oven with a lid and return it to the oven.
After 10 minutes, remove the lid from the Dutch oven to release the steam. Reduce the temperature to 400°F and bake, uncovered, until the bread takes on a dark golden color, about 40 minutes more.
Remove the bread and allow it to cool completely on a wire rack before slicing it.
This bread will reach its height of fragrance after cooling down completely, or ideally the next day. Stored in a brown paper bag or wrapped in plastic wrap, it will stay fresh for up to 3 days on the counter; wrapped in plastic wrap, it will keep for up to 6 months in the freezer.
When mixing the flour and water, add the water to the bowl first to keep the flour from clumping and sticking to the bottom.
RICE FLOUR
Bakers use rice flour or rice flour mixtures when dusting bannetons (baking baskets) because rice doesn’t absorb water the same way flour does, allowing the dough to be removed from the banneton easily without sticking.
MAKES 1 CUP
Use rice flour on your work surface for shaping loaves and for dusting a banneton for bread loaves or a couche for baguettes (see this page).
175 grams (1 cup) rice (I like any cheap organic white rice)
Pass the rice through a burr mill, grinding it to the consistency of fine sand. The rice flour will keep in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 1 month.
RICE FLOUR MIXTURE
MAKES 2 CUPS
Use rice flour mixture to dust bannetons for proofing loaves.
1 recipe Rice Flour
65 grams (1 cup) bran
In a medium bowl, whisk together the rice flour and the bran. The mixture will keep in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 1 month.
YEASTED CIABATTA
MAKES FOUR 450-GRAM LOAVES
The first time I tried a ciabatta was at the fast-food restaurant Subway. To me, at the time, it was just bread, but when I went to Italy I learned it was so much more. The light and airy crumb sheathed in a super-thin crust suddenly seemed like an unadorned pizza gone a bit crazy. The holes were big and open and numerous. It might seem that I was late to the ciabatta party, but if you think about it, ciabatta was late to the bread party. It was just invented in the twentieth century to be a quick and simple sandwich bread. Unlike historic breads, which can have tremendous flavor, even a great ciabatta can be fairly bland since it’s basically a vehicle for fillings.
The way I came to this recipe was unexpected. I wasn’t aiming for a ciabatta at all. During the 2016 Snowpocalypse, the second biggest blizzard in New York City’s history, I couldn’t get to the Bread Lab for days. The dough for our Yeasted Loaf was trapped in the walk-in refrigerator, fermenting, for a week. When we finally got in, the dough was so wet and sticky that we couldn’t even shape it; so we took a chance, sliced it up, and baked it off. What was the worst that could happen? What did happen was delicious; when we baked it, it turned into a really tasty, supremely light ciabatta.
Due to the high hydration (90%), this dough can be challenging for beginners. But a ciabatta doesn’t have to be perfectly shaped, so don’t worry if it looks like a wonky mess. I make ciabatta with hard winter wheat and typically reach for Magog, a grain that isn’t naturally strong but builds strength through a long fermentation to earn a nice open crumb. The dough ferments for 72 hours, so plan ahead if you don’t think a blizzard is on the way.
900 grams water, warmed to 77°F
1,000 grams hard winter wheat flour (I like Magog)
25 grams sea salt
10 grams fresh compact yeast
Neutral oil (see this page), for greasing
Bench flour (see tip on this page), for dusting
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the water, flour, salt, and yeast. Mix on low speed until the flour is incorporated, about 1 minute. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set the dough aside to hydrate for 45 minutes. The dough’s texture will change from rough to smooth as it rests.
Uncover the bowl and mix on low speed for 4 minutes; then mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. Transfer the dough to a medium oiled bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and place the dough in the refrigerator to cold-ferment for about 72 hours.
Preheat the oven to 500°F and set a baking stone or inverted baking sheet in the oven to preheat as well.
With a bench scraper, loosen the dough from the sides of the bowl and turn it out onto a liberally floured work surface, trying to maintain the shape of the bowl. Generously dust the surface of the dough and your bench scraper with more bench flour. Cut the dough into 4 equal pieces, slicing decisively to decrease the risk of collapse (1, 2). Coax each piece into a rectangle by gently pushing the dough into the desired shape.
Transfer one piece of the dough to a pizza peel that has been dusted with bench flour or a parchment-lined inverted baking sheet that has been dusted with bench flour. Give it a gentle push with your fingertips, working vertically from one edge of the dough to the other (3, 4), and set it aside at room temperature to proof for 15 minutes.
Transfer the piece of dough to the preheated baking stone or inverted baking sheet. If using a parchment-lined baking sheet as a peel, slide the dough and parchment together onto the preheated surface. Bake until the ciabatta is a light golden color, about 17 minutes.
Allow the ciabatta to cool completely on a wire rack before slicing. Repeat with the remaining dough.
The bread will reach its height of fragrance after cooling down completely, or ideally the next day. Stored in a brown paper bag or wrapped in plastic wrap, it keeps well for up to 3 days on the counter; or wrapped in plastic wrap, it will keep for up to 6 months in the freezer.
Ciabatta dough is very similar to that of the Yeasted Loaf (this page) but has greater hydration. Comparing the two doughs is a good exercise in seeing how hydration affects dough development and how one bread can become another by making slight adjustments to the ingredient proportions, even when all the ingredients themselves are the same.
SOURDOUGH LOAF
MAKES TWO 1-KILOGRAM LOAVES
When I was running the Brooklyn Bread Lab, this was the dough that I would teach to students who came to Bushwick to learn bread making. I have a few sourdough loaves in my arsenal, but what’s special about this one is how the larger than normal amount of levain (compared with a classic sourdough recipe), coupled with a long cold fermentation, tames the dough’s acidity and teases out great flavors from the grain. When it comes to shaping, I prefer minimum contact with this dough, allowing it to build strength through slowly fermenting, which gives the bread a soft crumb. You can use any hard red winter wheat you like, but I prefer Warthog for this loaf because it is inexpensive, full of flavor, and easy to find at farmers’ markets on the East Coast, where I was doing the majority of my baking. Specialty shops and the internet can help you track it down elsewhere. The dough ferments for 4 to 6 hours at room temperature, then in the refrigerator overnight.
800 grams water, warmed to 77°F
1,000 grams hard red winter wheat flour (I like Warthog)
200 grams Levain (this page)
25 grams sea salt
Rice Flour Mixture (this page), for dusting
In a large bowl, mix the water and flour together with a wooden spoon just until incorporated. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set the dough aside to hydrate for 45 minutes.
Uncover the bowl, add the levain and the salt, and mix. With one wet hand, lightly grasp one edge of the dough. Pull this flap upward and outward, then attach it to the top of the dough. Give the bowl a one-eighth turn and repeat the pulling and attaching. Continue with one-eighth turns until all of the salt has been incorporated, 3 to 4 minutes. If the salt has not dissolved after this time, add 50 to 100 grams of water to help the salt dissolve, and then continue with one-eighth turns until all of the salt has been incorporated.
Use a thermometer to test the dough; it should be 75°F to 77°F, slightly cooler than your hands. If it is not, move the dough to a warmer part of your kitchen and let it sit there until it reaches the desired temperature range and becomes smooth.
When the dough is smooth, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to ferment at room temperature until you see a tiny bit of bubbling on its surface and the dough starts to relax, about 1 hour.
Uncover the bowl, and with two wet hands slightly tilted downward, lift the dough from the middle (1, 2) and let it hang (3). The dough will stretch as it hangs. Let the dough stretch, then drop the middle part onto the resting hanging ends (4). This step builds strength in the dough. Cover the bowl again with plastic wrap and set it aside to let the dough ferment for 1 hour. Then repeat the lifting, hanging, and dropping process 2 more times, allowing 1 hour of fermenting after each session, including the final one.
After the dough has fermented for that final hour, fill a deep container with water. Moisten your hands and a plastic bench scraper. With the scraper, loosen the dough from the sides of the bowl, then turn it out onto a surface sparingly brushed with water.
Cut the dough in half with the bench scraper or a sharp knife.
PRE-SHAPE THE DOUGH: With two wet hands slightly tilted downward, lift one of the dough pieces from the middle (1, 2) and let it hang. The dough will stretch as it hangs (3). Let the dough stretch onto the work surface, then drop the middle part onto the resting hanging ends (4, 5). Repeat the lifting, hanging, and dropping process once more.
Drag the dough across the surface toward you with both hands (6). Turn it 90 degrees (7) and drag it again. Repeat the turning and dragging at least 4 and no more than 6 times, until you have a rough ball (8). Repeat with the second piece of dough. Set both aside to ferment at room temperature, uncovered, for 1 hour.
GIVE THE LOAVES THEIR FINAL SHAPE: Sprinkle a light stripe of rice flour mixture on your work surface. Dip the bottom of each piece of dough into the flour, and transfer them to a clean surface. With floured fingertips, press into the surface of one piece of dough, working vertically (down toward the work surface) from top to bottom, elongating the dough. Flip the bottom half of the dough over the top half (9). Grab each side of the dough and stretch it gently to its limit (10); the dough will tell you how much it can stretch. Return it to the work surface. Fold one end to the center of the dough, then fold the other end over the folded dough (11). Working from the edge closest to you, roll the dough over itself (12). Drag the dough across the surface toward you (13) with both hands to seal the seam (14). Transfer the dough, seam-side down, to a 1-kilogram banneton dusted with rice flour mixture. Repeat with the second piece of dough.
If the dough is very active and bubbly, immediately place the uncovered shaped loaves in the refrigerator and let them proof overnight. If the dough isn’t very bubbly and doesn’t feel active, allow it to sit at room temperature, uncovered, for 1 hour, and then place the loaves in the refrigerator to ferment overnight.
TEST THE LOAVES’ ACTIVITY: Gently press the loaves with one finger to see how they respond. If the indentation doesn’t bounce back at all, they are ready to go in the oven. If the indentation bounces back just a little bit but you can still see it, they are ready to go in the oven. If the indentation bounces back quickly, your loaves have some strength left to give—proof them, uncovered, at room temperature for another 60 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 500°F and set a Dutch oven inside to preheat as well.
Place the preheated Dutch oven on a safe work surface (be sure to use oven mitts, as it will be very hot!), and carefully drop one piece of the dough into it. Score the surface with a baker’s lame or serrated knife to a depth of ⅛ inch. Cover the Dutch oven with a lid and return it to the oven.
After 10 minutes, remove the lid from the Dutch oven to release the steam. Reduce the temperature to 400°F and bake, uncovered, until the bread takes on a dark golden color, about 40 minutes more. (Begin checking for doneness at the 30-minute mark.)
Unmold the bread, and allow it to cool completely on a wire rack before slicing it. Bake the second piece of dough, allowing the oven and the Dutch oven to return to 500°F before baking.
This bread will reach its height of fragrance after cooling down completely, or ideally the next day. Stored in a brown paper bag or wrapped in plastic wrap, it will stay fresh for 3 days at room temperature; wrapped in plastic wrap, it will keep for up to 6 months in the freezer.
FERMENTATION
Higher temperatures cause bread to ferment faster at the cost of flavor, while lower temperatures contribute to a slower rise and more complex flavors—that’s why I subject so many of my doughs to a cold ferment in the refrigerator before baking. When I say “room temperature,” I always mean 71°F to 77°F. With a bit of tweaking to adapt to your environment, you should be able to reproduce any of my doughs just about anywhere.
LEVAIN
MAKES 125 GRAMS LEVAIN
Levain, also known as sourdough starter, is a flour and water mixture that has been left out in the open to ferment naturally. The yeasts and bacteria that live in the air land in the mixture and begin to reproduce there along with the yeast and bacteria naturally present in the flour. Levain is used in bread making to ferment dough.
People care deeply about their levain. Romance and nostalgia are often caught up in stories of where it came from and who developed it. I recall an Italian pizzaiolo telling me his levain (he called it lievito madre, “mother yeast”) was from a bakery in Puglia and dated back to the 1930s. He was head over heels. I feel a little differently about ancient levain. I don’t want to fall in love with a fungus-infected flour mixture, which is essentially what it is. I want to use it as a tool to make a delicious bread. The reality is, levain is made up of the ambient yeast from its surroundings and it is completely susceptible to the nature of its environment. So as fun as it is to brag about having a nearly-100-year-old levain from Italy, the moment you move a levain to a new environment, it starts to be populated by local yeasts, and they conquer and replace the old ones—nothing romantic about it! So if your levain has spent even a few days in NYC, it has become a full-blown New Yorker.
So the key to a stellar levain isn’t getting it from a historical source or a favorite place, but rather letting it develop in your home or restaurant or bakery kitchen and allowing it to reflect the location’s terroir. Terroir comes into play with the amount of levain, too: If I’m in a tropical climate, I would use a lot less than specified in a recipe because of the warm and humid conditions, an environment in which yeast naturally thrives. On the other hand, if I am in my home state of Maine, I may add more than is recommended due to the cooler, drier climate, which slows the yeast down. That’s what is thrilling and romantic to me about levain: the way it reacts to its environment in a tangible way.
When starting a new levain, I always begin with rye flour because rye berries are naturally rich in yeast, and therefore a starter made with rye flour will be more active than one made with another grain. Once the starter gets going, I can swap out the rye flour for just about any flour but durum. About 3 days before I plan to use a levain, I substitute for the rye flour the flour I intend to make the recipe with, using the same amount of flour as the rye.
Be sure to begin your levain at least 4 days before using it in a recipe. As long as the levain has been properly fed and is active, it can be used forever.
500 grams soft or hard wheat flour
500 grams rye flour
In a large resealable container, combine the flours.
In a small glass bowl, combine 100 grams of room-temperature water and 100 grams of the flour mixture, and stir until smooth. (Place the remaining flour mixture in the refrigerator.) Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and allow the mixture to sit at warm room temperature (72°F to 75°F) to ferment for 48 hours.
Check the mixture for signs of fermentation, such as bubbles on the surface and around the edges of the bowl. Cover it again with a clean kitchen towel and allow it to sit for another 24 hours.
Check that the bubbling has intensified. You will be able to smell the wonderfully musty and acidic aromas of fermentation. If you cannot, discard the mixture and begin again.
Place 25 grams of the fermented starter in a small bowl, discarding the remainder. Add 50 grams of room-temperature water and 50 grams of the reserved flour mixture, and mix well. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and allow it to sit at warm room temperature for 24 hours. Repeat the process, using 25 grams of the starter mixture, adding 50 grams each of the water and flour mixture, and allowing it to ferment for 24 hours.
When the levain is active, begin repeating the feeding cycle every 12 hours, always combining 25 grams of the starter mixture with 50 grams each of the water and flour mixture. You will observe the rise-and-fall cycle: the volume will increase after feeding, then decrease. The aromas will change as well: at first funky and acidic, followed by pleasantly sour, reminiscent of yogurt. On the day before you plan to use the levain, feed it twice, 12 hours apart, on a schedule that puts the starter in its most active phase at the time you plan to use it.
To make any of the breads in this chapter, make the last two feedings before baking with whatever flour is called for in the recipe. If the recipe calls for two types of flour, use both in the same proportions in which they appear in the recipe.
CHANGING THE HYDRATION
You can change the hydration of levain, which comes in handy for breads made with durum or other flours that break down in the presence of excess water. To make a 90% levain for the Sourdough Durum Loaf (this page), place 50 grams of the slurry-textured starter in a small bowl and add 50 grams of room-temperature water and 110 grams of the flour mixture. Knead it into a smooth dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to ferment at room temperature for 12 hours. The signs of activity are identical for this 90% hydration levain and a 100% one.
Place 50 grams of the fermented starter in a small bowl, discarding the remainder. Add 50 grams of room-temperature water and 110 grams of the flour mixture.
Repeat the feeding and discarding process every 12 hours for about 1 week. You will observe the rise-and-fall cycle.
SCALING UP THE RECIPE
If you have a small amount of levain, you can make more by scaling up the recipe, adjusting the discarding and feeding amounts proportionally. For example, to make 200 grams of levain for the Sourdough Loaf (this page), combine 100 grams of levain with 100 grams of water and 100 grams of flour in a large glass jar and stir until incorporated. Set it aside at warm room temperature to mature for 4 hours, or until doubled in size, before using. This will give you a total of 300 grams of active levain: 200 for the Sourdough Loaf and 100 to continue feeding for other recipes.
MAINTAINING YOUR LEVAIN
Continue the feeding and discarding process every 12 hours. If you’re not using it for a few days or can’t feed your levain on the suggested schedule, you can slow down the fermentation through refrigeration. First, feed the levain normally, leave it for 2 hours at room temperature, then transfer it, covered, to the refrigerator. You can feed the levain this way every 48 hours. Just be sure to complete at least two 12-hour room-temperature feeding cycles prior to using the levain.
SOURDOUGH DURUM LOAF
MAKES TWO 1,100-GRAM LOAVES
This sourdough bread uses a mixture of durum wheat and Warthog flours with a 90% hydration levain. The hydration of normal levain is a full 100%, so this one is drier than average. Drier levain ferments more slowly and is more stable temperature-wise. I use a reduced-hydration levain because durum breaks down with water, so using less water overall in the recipe helps the durum maintain its integrity. The dough ferments for 4 to 6 hours at room temperature, then in the refrigerator overnight.
830 grams water, warmed to 77°F
800 grams durum wheat flour
200 grams hard red winter wheat flour (I like Warthog)
510 grams 90% hydration Warthog levain (see this page)
27 grams sea salt
Rice Flour (this page), for dusting
Rice Flour Mixture ( this page) or bench flour (see tip on this page), for dusting
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the water, the durum flour, Warthog flour, levain, and salt. Mix on low speed until the flour is incorporated, about 1 minute. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set the dough aside to hydrate for 45 minutes. The dough’s texture will change from rough to smooth as it rests.
Uncover the bowl and mix the dough on low speed for 4 minutes; then mix it on medium speed for 2 minutes. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set it aside to let the dough ferment at room temperature for 1 hour.
Use a thermometer to test the dough; it should be 75°F to 77°F, slightly cooler than your hands. If it is not, move the dough to a warmer part of your kitchen and leave it there until it reaches the desired temperature range.
When the dough is smooth, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to ferment at room temperature until you see a tiny bit of bubbling on its surface and the dough starts to relax, about 1 hour.
Uncover the bowl, and with two wet hands slightly tilted downward, lift the dough from the middle and let it hang. The dough will stretch down as it hangs. Let the dough stretch, then drop the middle part onto the resting hanging ends. Cover the bowl again with plastic wrap, and set it aside at room temperature to ferment for 1 hour. Repeat the lifting, hanging, and dropping process 2 more times, allowing 1 hour of fermenting after each session, including the final one.
Cut the dough in half with a bench scraper or a sharp knife.
PRE-SHAPE THE DOUGH: With two wet hands, take one dough piece and repeat the lifting, hanging, and dropping process twice. Drag the dough across the surface toward you with both hands. Turn it 90 degrees and drag it again. Repeat the turning and dragging at least 4 and no more than 6 times, until you have a rough ball. Repeat with the second piece of dough. Set both aside to allow them to ferment at room temperature, uncovered, for 1 hour.
GIVE THE LOAVES THEIR FINAL SHAPE: Sprinkle a light stripe of rice flour on your work surface. Dip the bottom of each piece of dough into the flour, then transfer them to a clean surface. With floured fingertips, press into the surface of one piece of dough, working vertically (down toward the work surface) from top to bottom, elongating the dough. Flip the bottom half of the dough over the top half. Grab each side of the dough and stretch it gently to its limit; the dough will tell you how much it can stretch. Return it to the work surface. Fold one end to the center of the dough, then fold the other end over the folded dough. Working from the edge closest to you, roll the dough over itself. Drag the dough across the surface toward you with both hands to seal the seam. Transfer the dough, seam-side down, to a 1-kilogram banneton dusted with rice flour mixture or bench flour. Repeat with the second piece of dough.
Transfer the loaves to the refrigerator and allow them to proof, uncovered, at 41°F for 24 hours.
TEST THE LOAVES’ ACTIVITY: Gently press the loaves with one finger to see how they respond. If the indentation doesn’t bounce back at all, they are ready to go in the oven. If the indentation bounces back just a little bit but you can still see it, they are ready to go in the oven. If the indentation bounces back quickly, your loaves have some strength left to give—proof them, uncovered, at room temperature for another 60 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 500°F and set a Dutch oven inside to preheat as well.
Place the preheated Dutch oven on a safe work surface (be sure to use oven mitts, as it will be very hot!), and carefully drop one piece of the dough into it, seam-side down. Score the surface with a baker’s lame or serrated knife to a depth of ⅛ inch. Cover the Dutch oven with a lid and return it to the oven.
After 10 minutes, remove the lid from the Dutch oven to release the steam. Reduce the temperature to 400°F and bake, uncovered, until the bread takes on a dark golden color, about 40 minutes more.
Unmold the bread, and allow it to cool completely on a wire rack before slicing it. Bake the second piece of dough, allowing the oven and Dutch oven to return to 500°F before baking.
This bread will reach its height of fragrance after cooling down completely, or ideally the next day. Stored in a brown paper bag or wrapped in plastic wrap, it will stay fresh for 3 days at room temperature; wrapped in plastic wrap, it will keep for up to 6 months in the freezer.
When there are two or more loaves or pizzas in a recipe, I suggest baking one at a time (unless otherwise stated), which is best for home ovens. If you have a professional oven, you can get away with baking off a lot of items at once.
BAGUETTES
MAKES TWO 18-INCH BAGUETTES
When Melissa Rodriguez was promoted to executive chef at Del Posto, the critically acclaimed Italian fine-dining restaurant in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District, one of the first things she sought to update was the restaurant’s bread service. She tapped me to create a mini-baguette that would be adorned with a schmear of fresh cheese. Melissa wanted a mellow-tasting flour for the bread, so we settled on Redeemer wheat from Small Valley Milling in Pennsylvania. With high protein and medium flavor, this all-around performer makes a strong bread; mixing it with Sonora soft wheat lends softness. A small amount of levain, a small amount of biga, and a small amount of cake yeast give a pleasant balance of sourness, interior crumb, volume, and good shelf life. The malt syrup promotes fermentation activity by adding simple sugar to the dough for the yeast to eat. It also gives color to the bread.This recipe makes two full-size loaves, but feel free to play around with smaller shapes, Del Posto–style.
156 grams water, warmed to 77°F
97 grams hard red winter wheat flour (I like Redeemer)
156 grams soft wheat flour (I like Sonora)
6 grams bran
4 grams malt syrup
104 grams Levain (this page)
104 grams cold Biga (this page)
2 grams cake yeast
8 grams sea salt
Bench flour (see tip on this page), for dusting
Durum semolina, for dusting
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the water, hard red wheat flour, soft wheat flour, bran, and malt. Mix on low speed until the flour is incorporated, about 1 minute. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set it aside to let the dough hydrate for 45 minutes.
Uncover the bowl and add the levain, biga, yeast, and salt. Mix the dough for 4 minutes on low speed; then mix it on medium speed for 2 minutes. Use a thermometer to test the dough; it should be 75°F to 77°F, slightly cooler than your hands. If it is not, move the dough to a warmer part of your kitchen and let it sit there until it reaches the desired temperature range.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set it aside to let the dough ferment at room temperature for 2 hours.
Uncover the bowl. With a bench scraper, loosen the dough from the sides of the bowl; then turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Halve the dough with the bench scraper (1) or a sharp knife and gently coax each piece into a wide rectangle.
PRE-SHAPE THE DOUGH: Working with one piece of dough, fold the end farthest from you a third of the way down its length (2). Then fold the folded part over the open part (3). Repeat with the second piece of dough. Set them aside, uncovered, to rest for 20 minutes (4).
ROLL OUT THE DOUGH: Starting at one end of one piece of dough, fold a diagonal part over the dough and pinch and roll. Roll the dough tightly toward you, forcing the seam-side down. With your hands and palms, roll the dough out to 18 inches in length, keeping the seam down and pressing softly as you roll (5). With the heel of your palm, press with a bit more pressure to make a tapered end (6, 7). Repeat with the second piece of dough.
Prepare two 18 × 24-inch couches (see this page). Lift a piece of dough, gripping it gently with two fingers, about 2 inches from each end and place it, seam-side up, in one of the couche valleys. Press the couche against the dough. Repeat with the second piece of dough. Transfer the couches to the refrigerator, uncovered, and allow the dough to cold-ferment for at least 12 and up to 24 hours. The dough will become airy as it ferments.
Preheat the oven to 475°F and set a baking stone or inverted baking sheet in the oven to preheat as well.
Using the couche as a handle, transfer one piece of the dough, seam-side down, to a peel dusted with semolina. With a baker’s lame or a serrated knife, and following the angle of the tapered end, make a diagonal incision 3 inches long and ⅛ inch deep, beginning at the height of its full thickness. Repeat 4 more times, beginning 1 inch from the beginning of the first taper (2 inches in from the end of the incision). Repeat with the second piece of dough. Transfer both to the preheated baking stone and bake until the loaves take on a dark golden color, about 22 minutes.
Allow the baguettes to cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.
The baguettes will reach their height of fragrance and flavor after 24 hours. Stored in a brown paper bag or wrapped in plastic wrap, they will stay fresh for 3 days at room temperature; wrapped in plastic wrap, they will keep for up to 6 months in the freezer.
If you have a professional refrigerator and can adjust its temperature, ferment the dough at 46°F for 18 hours instead of 24 hours at 41°F. It will take only 1 hour for the temperature of the dough to come to room temperature if it is fermented at 46°F.
BIGA
MAKES 470 GRAMS BIGA
Biga, which functions as active yeast, must be made before you plan to use it. Biga is a type of “pre-ferment” in baking terms. Think of it as the cousin of levain, a sourdough starter made from flour, water, and the yeast naturally occurring in the environment. Like levain (see this page), biga gives dough a more complex flavor and greater strength. But unlike sourdough starter, biga uses a bit of active dry yeast to help the fermentation get going.
192 grams water, warmed to 77°F
275 grams hard winter wheat flour (I like Redeemer)
3 grams active dry yeast
Neutral oil (see this page), for greasing
Pour the water into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Add the flour, then the yeast. Mix on medium speed for 5 minutes. The dough should be fairly dry.
Transfer the biga to a lightly oiled medium bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and allow the dough to ferment at room temperature overnight.
Check for signs of fermentation, such as bubbles on the surface and around the edges of the mixture. It is ready to be used immediately or can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
POTATO ROLLS
MAKES ABOUT 40 POTATO ROLLS
Potato rolls, also known as “house rolls” in the Northeast, are a series of attached rolls that rise together and are baked together—think of a classic burger bun. This recipe is based on one from photographer and friend Caitlin Ochs’s grandmother. I adapted her German potato roll recipe to accommodate freshly milled flour and the results were incredible (danke, Grossmutter!). The Sonora guarantees a delicate structure, while the rye gives great flavor. I like to serve these rolls as dessert, glazing them in honey and butter, with fresh fruit alongside, but they are also great as sandwich bread for pulled pork, brisket, or burgers.
187 grams water, warmed to 77°F
112 grams full-fat sour cream
90 grams egg yolks (about 10 yolks)
127 grams unsalted butter, softened
75 grams sugar
26 grams sea salt
675 grams soft spring wheat flour (I like Sonora), plus more for dusting
75 grams rye flour
210 grams 80% hydration levain (see this page)
4 grams fresh compact yeast
25 grams honey (I like chestnut honey)
11 grams malt
412 grams potatoes, boiled, cooled, peeled, and cut into 1-inch cubes (I like Yukon Gold)
Neutral oil (see this page), for greasing and brushing
3 whole eggs, beaten
Honey Butter (optional; recipe follows)
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the water, sour cream, egg yolks, butter, sugar, salt, soft spring wheat flour, rye flour, levain, yeast, honey, and malt. Mix on low speed for 4 minutes and then on medium speed for 2 minutes.
Add the potatoes and mix on low speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Use a thermometer to test the dough; it should be 75°F to 77°F, slightly cooler than your hands. If it is not, move the dough to a warmer part of your kitchen and let it sit there until it reaches the desired temperature range.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator to cold-ferment the dough.
Uncover the bowl. With a bench scraper, loosen the dough from the sides of the bowl; then turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. With the bench scraper or a sharp knife, cut the dough into 40 approximately 50-gram pieces (1).
Place the palm of your hand on top of one piece of dough, resting your thumb and pinkie against the sides and your other fingertips on the counter (2). Gently move the ball in circles, taking care to prevent any tears, to form a sphere. Repeat this process with the remaining dough.
Brush a baking sheet with neutral oil (3). Place the shaped dough balls on the sheet so that they are touching. Brush lightly with neutral oil and cover the whole baking sheet with plastic wrap. Set it aside for the rolls to ferment at room temperature until they have doubled in size, about 90 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 325°F.
TEST THE ROLLS’ ACTIVITY: Gently press one of the rolls with one finger to see how it responds. If the indentation doesn’t bounce back at all, the rolls are ready to go in the oven. If the indentation bounces back just a little bit but you can still see it, they are ready to go in the oven. If the indentation bounces back quickly, your rolls have some strength left to give—proof them, covered, at room temperature for another 30 to 60 minutes.
Brush the rolls with the beaten eggs (4) and bake until dark golden brown, about 45 minutes.
Use the rolls for sandwiches, or brush them all over with honey butter to serve them as dessert. Serve warm.
HONEY BUTTER
MAKES 1⅓ CUPS
65 grams (⅓ cup) unsalted butter
340 grams (1 cup) honey (I like chestnut honey)
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Transfer it to a medium bowl and add the honey. Mix well.
BAGELS
MAKES 18 BAGELS
I had never made a bagel before I worked at the Brooklyn Bread Lab. Fortunately, I had bagel-loving baker Josh Pickins on my team and they are one of his favorite things to make. We wanted to create a bagel for hotel guests who were coming to Williamsburg for a classic Brooklyn experience, so we really had to nail it. We experimented with lard, duck fat, and chicken fat doughs. We tried vegetarian and vegan options. After some very intense deliberation and a not insignificant amount of bagel-fueled weight gain, we settled on a duck fat dough that has the chewiness of a New York bagel with the bready texture and soft open crumb of a Montreal-style bagel. The dough ferments in the refrigerator overnight, so prepare it the day before you plan to bake the bagels.
740 grams water, warmed to 77°F
1,000 grams hard red winter wheat flour (I like Redeemer)
250 grams Levain (this page)
75 grams duck fat
1,050 grams malt syrup: 30 grams for the dough, 1,020 grams (3 cups) for the malt water
25 grams sea salt
2 grams fresh compact yeast
Rice flour (see this page), for dusting
Neutral oil (see this page), for greasing and brushing
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the water, flour, levain, duck fat, and the 30 grams malt syrup. Mix on low speed until the flour is incorporated, about 1 minute. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set it aside to let the dough hydrate for 45 minutes.
Uncover the bowl and add the salt and yeast. Mix the dough on low speed for 4 minutes; then mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set it aside to let the dough ferment at room temperature for 3 hours. The dough will increase in volume by about 30%.
Uncover the bowl. With a bench scraper, loosen the dough from the sides of the bowl and turn it out onto a surface lightly dusted with rice flour. With the bench scraper or a sharp knife, divide the dough into 18 approximately 115-gram (4-ounce) pieces.
Place the palm of your hand on top of one piece of dough, resting your thumb and pinkie against the sides and your other fingertips on the counter (1). Gently move the ball in circles, taking care to prevent any tears, to form a sphere. Repeat this process with the remaining dough.
Place the shaped dough balls on greased baking sheets, spacing them about 4 inches apart. Brush them lightly with neutral oil and cover the baking sheets with plastic wrap. Place them in the refrigerator to cold-ferment until the dough is soft and airy, 12 hours or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 500°F and set a baking stone or inverted baking sheet in the oven to preheat as well.
While the oven is heating, set the baking sheets from the refrigerator on the counter to allow the dough to warm up for about 20 minutes.
At the same time, in a Dutch oven or large pot, bring 4 quarts of water and the remaining malt syrup to a boil over high heat.
Take one dough ball, and with both index fingers and thumbs, pinch the center of the dough, punching a hole in it (2). With the help of gravity, gently stretch and turn the dough ring (3) until the dough itself is about 1 inch thick and the ring measures 5 inches in diameter (4). Return it to the greased baking sheet and repeat with the remaining dough.
Working in batches, boil the dough rings in the malt water for 20 seconds per side, allowing the malt water to return to a boil between batches. Place the boiled dough rings on parchment-lined baking sheets.
Bake the bagels until they are golden brown, about 12 minutes. Allow the bagels to cool completely on a wire rack before serving.
The bagels will reach their height of fragrance only after cooling down completely, or ideally the next day. Stored in a brown paper bag or wrapped in plastic wrap, they will keep for up to 3 days on the counter; wrapped in plastic wrap, they will keep for up to 6 months in the freezer.
The pH of sourdough products is low, or acidic. Acid is a natural preservative and consequently the acidity of sourdough products keeps them fresh.
RYE BREAD
MAKES ONE 13 × 4-INCH LOAF
My high school friend Aileen Murphy spent a year in Germany baking with the great Herta Breuer. Aileen returned to the States with tons of handwritten recipes from Herta’s bakery. I get kind of giddy looking over the recipes in the original German, with words like Wasser (water) and Sauerteig (sourdough) that are so close to the English that you can almost understand the whole thing. This is one of those recipes, and it is all about flavor and texture. For a lot of the bread in the world, including many of my recipes, the process is all about building and managing strength. When you work with rye, however, you can be gleefully free of these necessities. The grain has barely any gluten, so it is nearly impossible to build strength with a 100% rye dough. Strength isn’t the objective with this ancient grain. Instead, it’s all about the texture and flavor, which you tease out through fermentation. Milled rye has a really mild aroma, whereas fermenting rye raises its aroma volume to the max. In Germany, rye bread is sold the day after baking, allowing even more flavor to develop as it rests. Begin this dough 48 hours before you plan to bake it, and let the loaf rest overnight before slicing.
FOR THE PREFERMENT
500 grams water, warmed to 77°F
500 grams coarse cracked rye, soaked in water overnight and drained (recipe follows)
500 grams rye flour
50 grams rye levain (see this page)
FOR THE BREAD DOUGH
500 grams rye flour
500 grams coarse cracked rye, soaked in water overnight and drained (recipe follows)
70 grams raw sunflower seeds
70 grams raw flaxseeds
30 grams raw linseeds
30 grams raw sesame seeds
30 grams sea salt
20 grams turbinado sugar, such as Sugar in the Raw
900 grams water, warmed to 77°F
Nonstick cooking spray
MAKE THE PREFERMENT: Combine the water, drained cracked rye, rye flour, and levain in a medium bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set it aside to let the dough ferment at room temperature for 24 hours. There will be signs of fermentation, such as bubbles on the surface and around the edges of the mixture.
MAKE THE BREAD DOUGH: In a large bowl, combine the preferment, rye flour, cracked rye, sunflower seeds, flaxseeds, linseeds, sesame seeds, salt, sugar, and the water. Mix by hand until fully incorporated. Pour the dough into a Pullman loaf pan or metal bread pan that has been greased with nonstick cooking spray. Cover with the Pullman cover or aluminum foil and set it aside to ferment at room temperature for 4 hours. The dough will become very aromatic while fermenting.
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Bake the loaf, covered, until it is firm and the crust has turned a silvery gray-brown, about 1 hour.
Set the loaf pan on a wire rack to cool for at least 4 hours, and ideally overnight, before slicing.
Stored in a brown paper bag or wrapped in plastic wrap, rye bread keeps well for up to 10 days on the counter; wrapped in plastic wrap, it will keep for up to 6 months in the freezer.
CRACKED RYE
1,000 grams rye
Run the rye through a mill on a setting that just breaks the grains apart and cuts them to a quarter of their size.
To prepare the cracked rye for this bread, place it in a container, cover it with 3 times its volume in water, and soak overnight. Drain before using.
REGULATING YOUR OVEN TEMPERATURE
A home oven’s temperature can be really difficult to calibrate and temperature readings may be unreliable, so take that into consideration when baking and get to know the idiosyncrasies of your appliance. For added insurance, use an oven thermometer to make sure you get an accurate reading of your oven’s internal temperature. In a professional kitchen, I can regulate the temperature of my oven precisely, and a professional oven can reach temperatures that far exceed those of a home oven. In a home setting, there are easy tricks for generating extra heat. I recommend preheating a Dutch oven in which to bake your bread loaves and covering that Dutch oven with a lid to create steam as the bread bakes. These steps will inhibit the Maillard reaction, a chemical process during which the surface of the bread browns and crust forms, and thereby allow the dough to continue to expand while it is baking. You’ll also get a feeding frenzy of yeast as the baking temperature increases and these yeasts create gas, which gets trapped in the dough, resulting in an open crumb, just what we’re after for yeasted and sourdough loaves.