Large Rye Sourdough Bread
This large and versatile sourdough bread is packed with rye and whole wheat flavor. Bake the dough in a long pullman-type pan or scale the recipe to fit a smaller baker. The slices are great for toast, dipping in hummus and olive oil and making all sorts of sandwiches, from grilled cheese to PB&J.
- Prep time
- 45 min
- Cook time
- 50 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- For a 1.5kg dough. See notes for scaling and pan info. *
- 420 grams bread flour (3 1/4 cups)
- 215 grams rye whole grain flour (1 2/3 cups)
- 145 grams stone ground whole grain bread flour or hard red spring wheat berries (1 cup + 2 Tbsp)
- 590 grams water (2 1/2 cups) **
- 150 grams sourdough starter (1/2 cup)
- 15 grams salt (2 3/4 tsp)
Instructions
- 1
Depending on the ambient and dough temp and your starter liveliness, you can expect a bulk fermentation ranging from four to eight hours. In a cool kitchen, my dough expanded by about 50% in 5 hours. I then refrigerated and it finished doubling overnight. (Larger dough cools down slower and therefore sees more fermentation in the early stage of refrigeration -- and my dough was extra large, enough for both large and standard-size breads.) Working with a cold dough the next morning, the final proof was 2.5 hours.
- 2
Mixing and Bulk Fermentation
- 3
In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, add the dough ingredients, holding back some of the water if you use less thirsty flours.
- 4
Mix until well combined. For stand mixing, use the dough hook attachment and pause to scrape down the sides of the bowl at least once.
- 5
Leave the dough in the mixer, cover, and let the dough rest about 30 minutes.
- 6
Mix the dough again for 3-5 minutes at med speed.
- 7
Transfer the dough to a straight-walled bucket if available and let the dough rise until it has expanded by at least 75%. My dough rose by 50% at room temperature, then I refrigerated it overnight, and because it was large and took a while to cool down, it fully doubled by morning.
- 8
Shaping and Final Proof
- 9
For either an Emile Henry or the USA Large Pullman Pan, prep the baking vessel by lining it with parchment paper. You also have the option to simply grease it. For a clay baker or dutch oven bake, you can prep a banneton with flour; the fit will be full but not overflowing.
- 10
Scrape the dough out onto a well-floured work surface and preshape it into a ball.
- 11
Let the dough rest about 20 minutes then shape it.
- 12
Transfer the dough to the baking pan and lay it seam-side down, or to a proofing basket seam-side up.
- 13
Cover the dough and let it rise again for 1-3 hours depending on the dough and ambient temp. My dough proofed for 2.5 hours because it was still cool from the refrigerator and in a cool kitchen.
- 14
Scoring and Baking
- 15
EMILE HENRY PULLMAN/LONG LOAF BAKER
- 16
This pan can go from cold or room temperature to a hot oven.
- 17
Preheat the oven to 500°F.
- 18
Place the covered pan in the oven and bake 20 minutes. Lower the oven temp to 450°F and bake another 20 minutes. Finally remove the lid and continue baking 10-15 minutes more or until the internal temp of the bread is at least 205°F.
- 19
TENTED LARGE PULLMAN PAN
- 20
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
- 21
Create a foil tent over the pullman pan.
- 22
Place the covered pan in the oven and bake 35 minutes. Remove the cover and continue baking 10-15 minutes more or until the internal temp of the bread is at least 205°F.
- 23
LARGE CLAY BAKER / DUTCH OVEN
- 24
Preheat the oven and baking vessel to 500°F.
- 25
Score and transfer the dough to the baker. Cover and return it to the oven.
- 26
Bake at 500°F for 20 minutes, lid on. Lower the oven temp to 450°F and bake 10 minutes more. Finally remove the lid and continue baking 10-15 minutes more or until the internal temp of the bread is at least 205°F.
- 27
Let the bread cool for several hours before slicing. Store cut-side down on a cutting board, or in a closed container, bag, or beeswax wrap.