Whole Rye Berry Loaf (Volkornbrot)
ALLOW 12 TO 24 HOURS TO BUILD THE SOURDOUGH AND SOAK THE RYE BERRIES; I TO I
1/2 HOURS TO FERMENT;
45 MINUTES TO I HOUR TO PROOF; I 3/4 TO 2 HOURS TO BAKE
Volkornbrot ("whole kernel bread") is a 100 percent dark rye bread, chewy and
thick with whole rye berries, the kernels of rye that are ground into flour. It
is a staple throughout Germany and Austria, where it was served for breakfast
in ultra-thin slices at every hotel, guesthouse, and inn I visited. I spoiled
myself by enjoying this moist bread spread with good European butter every
morning.
Because so much more-ten times more-rye sourdough is used than in most of the
other recipes, I've included a refreshment step bakers call a "build" to make
just the right amount. The dough itself is not a typical bread dough but more
like a quick bread. It is a stirrable batter spooned into a loaf pan. Because
it is wheat free and has little gluten, there is no need to knead.
Traditionally, German bakers shape volkornbrot into a perfect rectangle by
using a special pan with a lid, called a Pullman loaf pan. You can improvise
one by putting a baking sheet on top of a loaf pan and weighing it down with a
heavy ovenproof object like a cast-iron skillet. Or you can just bake the bread
uncovered.
This bread is baked low and slow-325 degrees for about 2 hours-so the crumb
becomes moist and sweet and a thin crust forms. It improves after baking
because the moisture continues to redistribute throughout the loaf, and is best
12 hours or more after it comes out of the oven. MAKES I SANDWICH LOAF (18
OUNCES/510 GRAMS)
Equipment
ONE 8 1/2-X-4 1/2-X-2 1/2-1 NCH LOAF PAN BAKING SHEET CAST-IRON SKILLET SHEET
PAN AND OVENPROOF WEIGHT SUCH AS A CAST-IRON SKILLET (OPTIONAL)
INGREDIENTSVOLUMEU.S. WEIGHTMETRIC WEIGHTBAKER'S PERCENTAGE
Rye Sourdough: German rye sour-dough About 1/4 cup Water, tepid (70 to 78
degrees) 1/2 cups Rye flour, preferably finely ground 1 cup
Rye Berries:
Whole or cracked rye berries 2/3 cup Water, boiling 3/4 cup
PREPARE THE SOURDOUGH AND SOAK THE RYE BE R R I E S. Twelve to 24 hours before
you plan to bake, refresh your rye sourdough and build enough for the bread.
Measure out 1/4 cup (1.8 ounces/50 grams) of rye sourdough. (Refresh and store
the remaining rye sourdough.)Scrape it into a large mixing bowl or the bowl of
a stand mixer. With a rubber spatula, stir in the water and rye flour to make a
smooth, thick paste. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave it to ferment
at room temperature.
Pour the rye berries into a small bowl. Pour the boiling water over the berries
and leave them to soak, uncovered, at room temperature until they swell and
soften, absorbing all the water.
MIX THE DOUGH. Uncover the bowl of rye sour. dough. It will be darker in color
than when you mixed it and will have doubled in volume. It will look spongy and
smell tangy and effervescent.
By hand: Pour the water over the sourdough and stir with a rubber spatula to
loosen it. Add the soaked rye berries, flour, and salt and stir with the
spatula until the ingredients combine into a thick, batterlike dough. By
machine: Pour the water into the mixing bowl.
Add the sourdough, soaked rye berries, flour, and salt. With the paddle, mix
the dough on low speed (2 on a KitchenAid mixer) until the ingredients combine
into a thick, batter like dough, 1 to 2 minutes.
FERMENT THE DOUGH. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it stand at room
temperature (70 to 75 degrees) until it has risen slightly, by approximately
one third its original volume, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. If you sweep through the dough
with a rubber spatula or your fingers, you'll notice that it has developed a
light, spongy ,quality.
PUT THE DOUGH IN THE PAN. Generously oil a loaf pan with vegetable oil and coat
it with rye flour, tapping out any excess. With a rubber spatula, scrape the
dough into the pan, smoothing it into the cor. ners. Cover the loaf with
plastic wrap.
PROOF THE LOAF. Let the loaf rise at room temper ature (70 to 75 degrees) for
45 minutes to 1 hour. It will rise only slightly but will form a dome.
PREPARE THE OVEN. About 15 minutes before bak ing, set an oven rack in the
middle position and a cast-iron skillet on the lower rack. Heat the oven to
325 degrees.
BAKE THE LOAF. For a perfectly rectangular loaf, oil the bottom of a sheet pan
and set it on top of the loaf pan. Weight it with a cast-iron pan or another
heavy ovenproof object. Place the loaf pan on the oven rack. Place
3/4 cup ofice cubes in the skillet to produce heavy steam. Bake until the loaf
shrinks from the sides and a cake tester or wooden skewer inserted in the
center comes out clean, 1 3/4 to 2 hours. If you covered the loaf, remove the
sheet pan to check it. If the loaf needs to bake longer, you can leave the
cover offfor the remaining time.
COOL AND STORE THE LOAF. Remove the loaf to a wire rack. Cool for 10 minutes in
the pan before turning the pan over and releasing the bread. Let the loaf cool
completely on the rack, at least 2 hours. It's best to wait at least 12 hours
(and up to 24 hours) before slicing and eating. Cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices.
Store the cooled loaf in a resealable plastic bag for 1 week or more.
Local Breads by Daniel Leader
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