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Jewish Rye Bread

A tender, classic Jewish-style rye made with first clear flour, rye flour, and a rye sour starter for deep flavor.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 16 servings

Ingredients

  • 1.5 tablespoons active dry yeast
  • 1.5 cups warm water about 110°F
  • 2 cups first clear flour about 250 g
  • 1.5 cups rye flour about 153 g
  • 1.5 cups rye sour starter about 354 g
  • 1.5 tablespoons salt
  • 2.5 tablespoons caraway seeds optional

Instructions

  • Dissolve the yeast in the warm water in a large bowl and let rest 5 minutes, until foamy.
  • Add the first clear flour, rye flour, rye sour starter, salt, and caraway seeds to the bowl; stir with a wooden spoon until combined.
  • Turn the dough onto a well-floured surface. With a wet hand and a bowl scraper or dough cutter, knead by scraping, folding, pulling and stretching for about 5 minutes until the dough is elastic and resists stretching.
  • If the dough feels insufficiently elastic, add first clear flour 1/4 cup at a time and continue kneading, up to 3 more minutes, keeping the dough fairly soft.
  • Transfer the dough to a clean, wet bowl; keep your hands wet and pat the dough, then cover lightly with a film of water and plastic wrap. Place in a warm spot and let rise until doubled, about 45 to 60 minutes.
  • Prepare a baking sheet by sprinkling with a mixture of cornmeal and rye flour.
  • Wet a clean work surface and your hands. Divide the dough in half and gently shape each portion into a round, handling gently so it does not tear. Let rest up to 10 minutes; no further proofing is required.
  • Place an empty broiler pan on the oven floor and preheat the oven to 375°F for 5 minutes.
  • Brush the loaves with water and place them on the prepared baking sheet on the middle rack (or on a preheated stone). Carefully add 6–8 ice cubes or 1 cup hot water to the broiler pan on the oven floor and quickly close the door to create steam.
  • Bake 5 minutes with steam, then remove the broiler pan. Use a skewer to make 10–12 holes around each loaf's crust, return to the oven, reduce heat to 350°F, and bake 10 minutes.
  • Make holes again and brush the loaves with water. Continue baking until the crust is hard and the loaves sound hollow when tapped on the bottom, about up to 1 hour total (about 50 minutes in the original test).
  • If desired, transfer loaves to a preheated stone and bake an additional 10–15 minutes for a crisper crust.
  • Remove the bread from the oven, brush the tops with more water, and cool on a wire rack before slicing.

Equipment

  • Large Bowl
  • Wooden Spoon
  • bowl scraper or dough cutter
  • Plastic Wrap
  • Baking Sheet
  • Wire Rack
  • oven-safe broiler pan

Notes

  • First clear flour is a high-protein flour used for Jewish-style rye.
  • You can substitute 1½ cups all-purpose + ⅓ cup cake flour if needed.
  • The author recommends white rye flour for best results.