Twenty-five Rye Sourdough Bread

• 62g whole rye flour
• 68g water
• 32g ripe sourdough starter, 100% hydration

Mix the levain, cover, and leave for about 5 hours at warm room temperature.

• 812g white flour (~11.5% protein)
• 208g whole rye flour
• 690g water

Create the autolyse 1 hour before the levain is done, by mixing the flour with the water until no dry bits remain. Cover and rest at warm room temperature for 1 hour.

• 108g water
• 20g fine sea salt
• 162g levain

Mix the dough by adding the salt, about a third of the water and the ripe levain to the autolyse. Mix and add more water as needed. It should feel firm, but sticky. Then strengthen the dough for 5-6 minutes.

Cover and set aside, do 5 sets of stretch and folds at 30-minutes intervals. Leave for bulk fermentation for about 2 hours after the last stretch and fold.

At the end of bulk fermentation, check to make sure the dough is airy, strong and alive. Wet your hands and using a bowl scraper gently transfer the dough to a clean work surface. Divide the dough into two equal pieces.

Preshape both pieces of dough and leave uncovered for 35 minutes.

Lightly flour your hands and work surface, and shape each piece into a boule or bâtard, transfer to two proofing baskets (that’s lightly floured), cover and keep in fridge overnight.

Preheat the oven to 450°F with the dutch oven and lid inside for at least 30 minutes.

Remove one loaf from fridge, score using baker’s lame or knife, transfer to dutch oven and cover, place in oven and bake for 20 minutes. Remove lid and bake for another 15-20 minutes.

When done the loaf should have an internal temperature of 206°F-210°F. Place the loaf on a cooling rack and let it cool for 2 hours before slicing. Return the pot to the oven for 15 minutes before repeating the baking process with the second loaf.