German Rye-Spelt Bread

• porții: 1 loaf
• timp activ: 30 minutes
• timp total: 12 hours

Ingrediente

Levain

50g starter (rye or regular)

100g whole rye flour

100g water (32-37°C / 90–100°F)

Dough

300g rye flour

200g whole spelt flour (or whole wheat)

420g warm water

12g salt

8g toasted & ground spices (2g fennel, 3g caraway, 3g coriander – adjust to taste)

Instrucțiuni

Levain:

Mix all ingredients and let it ferment at a warm temperature for 5 hours. (Rye needs warmth to activate so make sure to keep it in a warm spot!)

Dough:

Mixing: Mix the levain, flours, spices, water and salt for 5 minutes. I suggest you use a mixer because this dough is very sticky, but hand mixing works too!

Ferment: Cover the dough and place it in a warm spot, ideally around 30-31°C / 85-87°F and let it ferment for 4-5 hours. You’re looking for a domed shape, that leaves an indent when you run your finger through it and signs of bubbles under the surface.

Shape and final proof: Lightly oil a loaf pan. Using very wet hands and a wet dough scraper, scoop the dough out and gently flatten it into the pan. Don’t press too hard, you want to keep as many of the little bubbles as you can. Use a wet bowl scraper to smooth the top of the dough and cover it with a light coating of rye flour. Let it sit in a warm spot for 60-90 minutes, until the top is cracking, you see some tiny holes and it reaches the top of the pan.

Bake: Bake at 233°C / 450°F with steam for 25 minutes and an additional 25 minutes without steam. Make sure to temp your dough, it must reach 95°C / 200°F degrees internally.

Cool: Do not cut it for at least 8 hours. This loaf is best sliced thin, and will develop more flavor over the next few days.

Note

Dense, Earthy, And Deeply Spiced—This Traditional Rye-Spelt Loaf Is A Staple Across Germany, Austria, And Switzerland.

This bread is everywhere in Germany, Austria (where I was born!) and Switzerland but here in the US we’ve lost our love of dark, dense breads. It has savory spices- fennel, coriander and caraway- and it’s made with primarily whole grains. It has a deep earthy flavor and will last on your counter for over a week. Slice it thin and top it with your favorite toppings!