Buttermilk Rye Bread
This bread, like many rye breads, is meant to rest overnight before it is cut and eaten. The flavor and texture are dramatically improved by this resting period. This bread is great sliced thinly and used for open-faced sandwiches. It’s delicious topped with soft goat cheese and jam or cream cheese, tinned fish, pickled onions and herbs. The combination of Whole Grain Gazelle Rye and Organic Whole Grain Expresso flours make it earthy, spicy, dark and delicious, as well as hearty and healthy.
Jennifer Latham, author of “Baking Bread with Kids”
Prep Time
30 minutes
Bake Time
1 hour
Total Time
6 hours
Yield
One 900-gram (8x4-inch) loaf
Ingredients:
For the starter
- 2/3 cup (164g) warm water (about 95°F)
- 3/4 cup (103g) whole grain Gazelle rye flour
- 1/4 teaspoon (1g) instant dry yeast
For the scalded cracked rye berries
- 1/3 cup (51g) cracked rye berries
- 1/2 cup (102g) boiling water
For the final dough
- All from above (254g) rye starter
- All from above (153g) scalded cracked rye berries
- 1 cup (229g) room-temperature buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon (9g) kosher sea salt
- 1 cup (127g) whole grain Gazelle rye flour
- 1 cup (127g) whole grain Expresso bread flour
- About 2 tablespoons white rice flour, for dusting the top
Baker's Notes:
* If you can’t find cracked rye berries, you can skip this step, but they add a really nice toothy texture and an extra pop of rye flavor to the bread.
** If you don’t do anything to the top, the rye dough will crack beautifully as it rises and bakes, and the rice flour will make a nice dramatic white background for the cracked dark rye bread. Alternatively, you can also score it if you like. To do so, score it before it rises in the pan, right after you’ve dusted it with rice flour. Use scissors, a razor, or a very sharp knife to make decorative marks in the top of the loaf, roughly ¼ inch deep. These will open and become more apparent as the loaf rises.
Instructions:
To make the starter:
- About 3 hours before you want to mix the dough (roughly 6 hours before you want the bread to be baked) mix the starter. To do so, pour the warm water into a medium mixing bowl (one with plenty of room for the starter to rise).
- Add the yeast and stir.
- Add the whole grain rye flour and stir.
- Cover with a clean tea towel and keep in a warm, draft-free place until the starter has more than doubled in size and is very bubbly.
To make the scalded cracked rye berries:
About 30 minutes before you want to mix the dough, prepare the scalded cracked rye berries* (see Baker's Notes). To prepare them, simply pour the boiling water over the berries (you can use a Pyrex measuring cup) and let rest for 30 minutes.
To mix the dough:
- Prepare an 8x4-inch loaf pan by generously brushing the inside with melted butter.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the starter, buttermilk, cracked rye berries, and sea salt. Stir briefly to dissolve the salt.
- Add the whole grain rye flour and whole grain bread flour. Use a sturdy spatula or long wooden spoon to mix together. Mix very well for a few minutes to develop some strength in the dough. This requires some elbow grease – don’t give up!
- Scoop the dough out of the mixing bowl and into the loaf pan. Use wet fingers to pat the dough down into the pan and smooth the top flat.
- Sift the rice flour through a fine mesh sieve onto the top of the loaf. Gently shake off any excess** (see Baker's Notes).
- Let the loaf rise in the pan for 1-2 hours, or until it has risen significantly and you can see cracks or open scores in the top of the loaf. The timing of this final rise depends greatly on the temperature in your kitchen. In a cooler kitchen the rise will take longer, in a warmer kitchen it will happen more quickly.
- Once you see the loaf rising, preheat the oven to 475°
- Once the loaf has risen to the top of the pan (increased in size by about 30%) and the cracks or scores have opened up, you’re ready to bake it. Place it in the oven and set a timer for ten minutes.
- After ten minutes, reduce the temperature of the oven to 400°F and bake for 50 minutes to one hour more, until the top and sides are well browned. A thermometer inserted into the center should read 215-220°
- Let rest at least 12 hours or overnight before slicing.
Baker's Notes:
* If you can’t find cracked rye berries, you can skip this step, but they add a really nice toothy texture and an extra pop of rye flavor to the bread.
** If you don’t do anything to the top, the rye dough will crack beautifully as it rises and bakes, and the rice flour will make a nice dramatic white background for the cracked dark rye bread. Alternatively, you can also score it if you like. To do so, score it before it rises in the pan, right after you’ve dusted it with rice flour. Use scissors, a razor, or a very sharp knife to make decorative marks in the top of the loaf, roughly ¼ inch deep. These will open and become more apparent as the loaf rises.