Ryebread

Young sourdough starter

Refresh your rye sourdough starter 12 to 24 hours before making the rye bread dough. Mix all the ingredients for the starter thoroughly in a small bowl, then leave it at room temperature, loosely covered with a lid or a clean tea towel, until it becomes bubbly and develops a pleasantly sour aroma.

The longer you leave the starter to ferment, the more pronounced its acidity will become, and the tangier your rye bread will be. Experiment to find the flavour you prefer.

Any of the young starter that you do not use in the dough becomes your rye sourdough starter for the next time you bake.

Mixing the dough

Combine all the ingredients and mix until thoroughly incorporated. This takes about 8 to 10 minutes by hand, or slightly less in a stand mixer.

Grease the rye bread tins generously with butter and fill them about two thirds full, leaving enough room for the dough to rise. Smooth the surface with a wet rubber spatula or the palm of a damp hand. Cover the tins with cling film or a clean tea towel to prevent the dough from drying out.

Proofing

Leave the dough to proof at room temperature. Rye dough should rise by about 30 to 50%, which can take anywhere from 2 to 6 hours, depending on the activity of your sourdough starter, the room temperature, the temperature of the dough, and its consistency.

As the dough approaches full proof, the surface will begin to crack slightly and tiny pinhead sized holes will appear. Once you can see 6 to 7 small holes, the dough is ready and should be transferred to the oven without delay.

Use your eyes rather than the clock to judge when the dough is ready. The key is to bake the bread when it is properly proofed, neither underproofed nor overproofed. If the dough has not risen enough, the loaf is likely to crack during baking. If it has risen too much, it may collapse in the oven, leaving a large air pocket beneath the crust. So resist the temptation to let it proof just a little longer in the hope of getting a bigger loaf.

Baking

Preheat the oven to 230 to 240°C well before the bread is ready to bake. If possible, use the fan setting. Place the loaves in the hot oven and bake for 10 minutes. Then reduce the temperature to 180°C and continue baking until done.

The exact baking time will vary, but as a guide, allow 50 to 60 minutes in total. Ovens differ in performance, loaf sizes vary, and oven thermostats are not always accurate. The most reliable way to check whether the bread is fully baked is to use a digital thermometer.

Begin checking after 40 minutes by inserting the thermometer into the very centre of the loaf. The bread is ready when the internal temperature reaches 97 to 98°C. Be careful not to overbake the rye bread, as this will result in a dry crumb.