Pain de Seigle Sur Poolish
I tried my first rye bread recipe. This recipe is called Pain de Seigle Sur Poolish, or Sponge-Method Rye Bread. I got it from my Bread Bible The Village Baker by Joe Ortiz, reviewed here. This is a French rye, which is different from the rye breads you buy at the supermarket which are more German in origin. French rye does not necessarily contain caraway seeds, which is a very distinctive flavor and part of what Americans think rye should taste like. However, they are flavoring, and I believe they cover up the delicious taste of the grains themselves. Personally, I think they taste rather nasty.
I should amend my first sentence. This is my first successful loaf of rye bread. Using the straight yeast method, rye bread and I have never gotten along. I can't get the bread to rise properly. I end of with a really thick, heavy pancake with a thick crust. Not so much fun to eat. Rye has no gluten in it and is usually diluted with white or wheat flour to assist. It will naturally not rise as well for anyone but the more advanced bakers. With my success using sponge and porridge staters, I thought I'd give this recipe a try.
This recipe uses the sponge method, which is a form of starter. It involves mixing some, or all, of the yeast, some water, and some of the flour and letting it rise for a specified amount of time. Everything went very well, except that the dough was enormously sticky. I felt like I was trying to work with thick mud. It stuck to everything no matter how much flour I used. The recipe said that the dough would be firm but sticky. It was firm, but I wasn't sure I would be able to get it off the counter top to shape the loaf!
I did, however, and the bread turned out very pretty. The crust was so pretty and golden, and it was crackling as I took it out of the oven. It did not rise as much as I would have liked, but it was to be expected, and better than previous attempts.
The crumb was soft, moist, and a little chewy. I think it could have used another 5 minutes in the oven, but it's definintely still tasty. No caraway seeds make the heartiness of the rye grain more prominent, and a very yummy bread. Success!
I should amend my first sentence. This is my first successful loaf of rye bread. Using the straight yeast method, rye bread and I have never gotten along. I can't get the bread to rise properly. I end of with a really thick, heavy pancake with a thick crust. Not so much fun to eat. Rye has no gluten in it and is usually diluted with white or wheat flour to assist. It will naturally not rise as well for anyone but the more advanced bakers. With my success using sponge and porridge staters, I thought I'd give this recipe a try.
This recipe uses the sponge method, which is a form of starter. It involves mixing some, or all, of the yeast, some water, and some of the flour and letting it rise for a specified amount of time. Everything went very well, except that the dough was enormously sticky. I felt like I was trying to work with thick mud. It stuck to everything no matter how much flour I used. The recipe said that the dough would be firm but sticky. It was firm, but I wasn't sure I would be able to get it off the counter top to shape the loaf!
I did, however, and the bread turned out very pretty. The crust was so pretty and golden, and it was crackling as I took it out of the oven. It did not rise as much as I would have liked, but it was to be expected, and better than previous attempts.
The crumb was soft, moist, and a little chewy. I think it could have used another 5 minutes in the oven, but it's definintely still tasty. No caraway seeds make the heartiness of the rye grain more prominent, and a very yummy bread. Success!
Photo Credit Katherine Elizabeth
Comments
Post a Comment