Auvergne Dark Rye Bread

By Bread Festival Bakers, John Jacobson

This recipe is adapted from Daniel Leader's version published in 'Local Breads'. Daniel describes this recipe style as "astoundingly unconventional." The changes I made from his published version include changing the hydration and adding a small amount of instant yeast. I added the yeast while making this in my cold kitchen one winter.Baking Temperature: 500F

Ingredients

Rye Starter

Medium Rye Flour 50g
Water 50g
Firm sourdough starter 45g

Final Dough

Bread Flour 200g
Medium Rye Flour 500g
Water (appprox. 115F) 475g
Sea Salt 17g
Rye Starter 145g (freshened overnight or about 12 hours)
Instand Yeast 2g

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, combine starter, water, and rye flour. Mix to incorporate. Cover and ferment for 75 minutes at 78F.
Add salt, bread flour, and instant yeast to rye batter and mix thoroughly – it doesn’t knead by hand well, and that’s not too important. Just make sure all is a uniform ball of dough. I use a dough whisk to mic the bread flour into the rye, then finish incorporating by hand with a few gentle kneads on a lightly rye-dusted countertop. Cover and ferment for 60 minutes at 78F.
Divide into tow equal pieces and gently shape into boules, placing boules in prepared proofing baskets. Alternatively, you can place the boule on parchment lined sheets, dust the boules with rye flour and cover with plastic to proof. This can also make one large boule. Cover and proof for 20-30 minutes at 78F. You will see the surface of the dusted boule(s) begin to crack open when proofing is complete.
Bake in covered, pre-heated dutch oven(s) for 20 minutes at 500F. Uncover and bake another 15-25 minutes.
Cool on a rack and rest the bread for about 24 hours before slicing thinly and serving. Enjoy!