KS Quotient
Easy: A few fuss-free ingredients, most added all at once. Some hand-shaping.
Made without molasses, brown sugar, cocoa powder, coffee, or any of the other ingredients often used to deepen rye bread color and gussy up its flavor, this hearty, but not heavy, loaf has an entirely different character from some of its darker-hued cousins. Here the distinctive, earthy flavor of the grain takes center stage, and, since the dough is not sweet, the pleasing slight bitterness of the rye comes through.
As is true in most deli or Jewish rye recipes, the rye taste in this version is heightened (just slightly) with a sour component, though not the usual hard-to-come-by yeast starter. Instead, the recipe calls for a longer-than-normal first rise to boost the acid (a by-product of fermentation), and then after the first rise, the pH is lowered even further with some vinegar or dill pickle juice. A combination of caraway, fennel, and dill seeds lends the best flavor to the bread, but just caraway seeds will do in a pinch.
Though this bread is baked in a pot, the method is a little different from most pot breads in the book. Instead of simply being turned out into or shaped in the baking container, it is set on parchment, which is then used as a sling to slip the dough in and out of the baking pot. Particularly if the pot has a smallish diameter (less than 10 inches), the parchment will crinkle and fold up around the loaf edges, giving it an interesting uneven ruffled shape. It almost looks as if it were baked in a classic fluted brioche pan that crumpled from the heat! While this rough-hewn appearance wouldn't suit many loaves, it seems appropriate for this homespun, craggy bread.
Yield: 1 large loaf, 12 to 14 portions or slices
2 cups (10 ounces) rye flour, preferably dark, plus more for garnish
2 cups (10 ounces) unbleached white bread flour, plus more as needed
1½ tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons table salt
1 tablespoon assorted seeds, preferably 1 teaspoon each caraway, fennel, and dill seeds mixed together (or substitute 1 tablespoon caraway seeds), divided
¾ teaspoon instant, fast-rising, or bread machine yeast
2¼ cups ice water, plus more if needed
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or dill pickle juice
Corn oil, canola oil, or other flavorless vegetable oil or oil spray for coating dough
First Rise In a large bowl, thoroughly stir together the rye flour, white flour, sugar, salt, 2 teaspoons of the seeds, and the yeast. In another bowl or measuring cup, stir together the water and vinegar, then vigorously stir into the bowl with the flour, scraping down the sides until the ingredients are thoroughly blended. If the mixture is dry, add in just enough more ice water to facilitate mixing; don't over-moisten, as the dough should be stiff. If necessary, stir in enough more white flour to stiffen it. Brush or spray the top with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. If desired, for best flavor or for convenience, refrigerate for 3 to 10 hours. Then let rise at cool room temperature for 16 to 20 hours.
Second Rise Vigorously stir the dough, adding more rye flour until very stiff, if necessary. Thoroughly scrape down the bowl sides. Using a well-oiled rubber spatula, fold the dough in towards the center, working all the way around the bowl. Set out a 15-inch square of baking parchment. Spray it with nonstick spray, then very generously dust it with rye flour. Invert the dough into the center of the parchment. Generously dust the dough with more rye flour. Smooth out and round the surface and firmly tuck the dough edges underneath all around to form an evenly shaped, domed loaf; it will be sticky, so flour your hands, and sprinkle more flour over the top as needed. Using the parchment as a sling, transfer the loaf to a deep bowl just slightly smaller in diameter than the baking pot to be used. Tent the bowl with nonstick spray—coated foil.
Let Rise Using Any of These Methods For a 1½- to 2½-hour regular rise, let stand at warm room temperature; for a 1- to 2-hour accelerated rise, let stand in a turned-off microwave along with 1 cup of boiling-hot water; or for an extended rise, refrigerate for 4 to 24 hours, then set out at room temperature. Continue the rise until the dough doubles from the deflated size.
Baking Preliminaries 20 minutes before baking time, put a rack in the lower third of the oven; preheat to 450°F. Heat a 3½- to 4-quart heavy metal pot or Dutch oven (preferably with 10-inch maximum diameter) or a deep 4-quart heavy ovenproof saucepan in the oven until sizzling hot (check with a few drops of water), then remove it (use oven mitts). Sprinkle or spray the dough top generously with water. Sprinkle over the remaining seeds, patting down to embed slightly. Using well-oiled kitchen shears or a serrated knife, cut a ½-inch-deep, 3-inch diameter circular slash in the dough center. Using the parchment as a sling, carefully lift the dough into the pot; take care not to touch the hot pot. Immediately top the pot with its lid.
Baking Reduce the heat to 425°F. Bake on the lower rack for 45 minutes. Remove the lid. Using the parchment, lift the loaf from the pot and place on a baking sheet. Pull the parchment away from the loaf sides so they are exposed. (If the top is well browned, cover it with foil.) Bake for 15 to 25 minutes longer, until a skewer inserted in the thickest part comes out with just a few crumbs on the tip (or until the center registers 210° to 212°F on an instant-read thermometer). Then bake for 5 minutes longer to ensure the center is baked through. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the loaf to the rack; cool thoroughly.
Serving and StoringCool before slicing and storing. The flavor improves after several hours of storage. To maintain the crisp crust, store in a large bowl draped with a clean tea towel or in a heavy paper bag. Or store airtight in a plastic bag or foil: The crust will soften, but can be crisped by heating the loaf, uncovered, in a 400°F oven for a few minutes. The bread will keep at room temperature for 3 days, and may be frozen, airtight, for up to 2 months.