Deli-Style Rye from Artisan Bread in 5 (4 Chicago)

mkc

Me again. Here's the typed-up copy of the Deli-style Rye from the book, Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoë Françoise.

Once again, it's mostly just transcribed from the book, but I did add the "Perpetual Rye" version of the end, which is taking an idea Zoe posted on their website (www.artisanbreadinfive.com) to do a sourdough version of many of their recipes.

Michelle


Deli-Style Rye

This loaf, our version of a classic sourdough rye, started Jeff's 20-year-obsession with bread baking. This method produces a traditional rye comparable to those make with complicated starters - the kind that need to be "fed", incubated, and kept alive in your refrigerator. This dough makes a very nice loaf to eat on day one, but it will not be as good until day two or three. It is great with butter but it is perfect for a Reuben Sandwich.
Along with the caraway seeds, which give this bread its classic flavor, what sets this rye apart from other rustic breads is that there is no flour on the top crust; instead it's glazed with a cornstarch wash, which serves the triple function of anchoring the caraway seeds, allowing the slashing knife to pass easily without sticking, and giving the loaf a beautiful shine.
A word about rye flours: If you're using a true medium rye like King Arthur brand, you need less water. Whole-grain products like Hodgson Mill and Bob's Red Mill require more water, per our directions.

3 1/2 cups lukewarm water
1 1/2 Tbs granulated yeast
1 1/2 Tbs kosher salt
1 1/2 Tbs caraway seeds, plus more for sprinkling on the top
1 cup rye flour
5 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
cornmeal for pizza peel
Cornstarch Wash
1/2 tsp cornstarch
1/2 cup water

Mixing and Storing the Dough

1. Mix the yeast, salt, and caraway seeds with the water.

2. Mix in remaining dry ingredients with out kneading, using a spoon, a 14-cup capacity food processor (with dough attachment), or a heavy-duty stand mixer (with dough hook). If you're not using a machine, you may need to use wet hands to incorporate the last bit of flour.

3. Cover (not airtight) and allow to rest at room temperature until the dough rises and collapses (or flattens on top); approximately 2 hours.

4. The dough can be used immediately after the initial rise, though it is easier to handle when cold. Refrigerate in a lidded (not airtight) container and use over the next 14 days.

On baking day

1. Dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a 1-pound (grapefruit-size) piece. Dust the piece with more flour and quickly shape it into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go. Elongate the ball into an oval-shaped loaf. Allow to rest and rise on a cornmeal-covered pizza peel for 40 minutes (typist's note - I find 1 hour works better since my fridge is quite cold).

Twenty minutes before baking time

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F, with a baking stone placed on the middle rack. Place an empty broiler tray on any other shelf what won't interfere with the rising bread.

Cornstarch Wash

1. Using a pastry brush, paint the top crust with cornstarch wash and then sprinkle with additional caraway seeds. Slash deep parallel cuts across the loaf using a serrated bread knife.

2. Slide the loaf directly onto the hot stone. Pour 1 cup of hot tap water into the broiler tray and quickly close the oven door (typist's note - I use 2 cups so the pan doesn't dry out and get scaled). Bake for about 30 minutes or until deeply browned and firm. Smaller or larger loaves will require adjustments in baking time.

3. Allow to cool before slicing or eating.

Yield: Makes four 1-pound loaves. The recipe is easily doubled or halved.


Sourdough method dough alternative recipe (aka MKC and Zoë's Perpetual Rye):

1 pound leftover deli-rye dough, approximately

3 cups lukewarm water

1 1/2 tablespoons dry yeast

1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt

1 1/2 tablespoons caraway seeds

1 cup rye flour

5 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (approximately, see instructions below)

Let’s use some old dough to kick up the sourdough flavor. In the book, we say “never wash the dough bucket,” because that old dough gives sourdough flavor a head start in the next stored batch. You can take that further, by using up to a pound of old dough in the next batch. The problem is getting that sticky dough to incorporate in the water before adding flour.

An immersion blender is the best tool I’ve found for that job.

Measure the leftover dough, water, yeast, salt, and caraway seeds into a bucket or high-sided bowl. Grab your immersion blender.

When the coast is clear, let it rip, keeping the head of the immersion blender submerged (or you will get splashed!) to make a slurry.

Place a weigh-able bowl on your scale and zero it out. Measure the 1 cup of rye flour into the bowl and DO NOT RE-ZERO. Add enough all-purpose flour to equal 2 pounds (32 ounces) by weight.

Mix the flour into the slurry with a spoon the dough is ready after about two hours at room temperature. Follow instructions above for refrigerator storage and baking.

Sundown

have you baked these breads on your Egg? How did they turn out?

mkc

I have "baked" the Artisan Bread in 5 one in the Egg, not bothering with any of the "pan to create steam" stuff.

I say "baked" because the way I have been baking breads these days is merely using the residual heat after a pizza. I just plop the bread (on parchment) on the stone after the pizza comes off, replace the daisy with the rain cap and close the lower vent. The Egg holds heat so well (especially with the pizza stone in there) that if I start with a 450-500 degree Egg, the bread is done in about 30-40 minutes.

I've done this with several of the Artisan Bread in 5 recipes.

I haven't made the Clayton recipe in years, but it is my absolute favorite from an authentic NJ Jewish bakery rye bread perspective.

Michelle