Deli-Style Rye from Artisan Bread in 5

mkc

Ingredients

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

Instructions

Mixing and Storing the Dough

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

2. Mix in remaining dry ingredients with out kneeding, using a spoon, a 14-cup capacity food processor (wiht 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.

Notes

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.

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