Crusty Sourdough Rye

I've started making my rye breads with dark rye rather than light. Not only is the colour improved, but the overall texture is better. The taste, oddly isn't all that different. While I like my 3 day potato water sourdough rye, this bread makes use of the sourdough starter I've been maintaining all year. Both are excellent breads for sandwiches, though the potato loaf is softer. I did not give this loaf a cornstarch glaze when it came from the oven as it had a lovely crackly crust. Crackly crust is hard to do on rye, so I left it alone and admired my baking. I also stopped paying to have First Clear flour shipped to me from half a continent away. I'm getting terrific results using vital wheat gluten and strong (bread) flour. Honestly, no one here can tell the difference.

You Will Need:

Sponge:

1 1/2 cups fed sourdough starter
2 cups water
1 1/2 cups dark rye flour

Dissolve the starter in water. Mix in flour. Cover with cling film and let sit 6-8 hours.

Final Dough:

All of sponge from above
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon sugar
2 cups dark rye flour
8 teaspoons vital wheat gluten
2-3 cups strong bread flour
1 tablespoon caraway seeds

Mix all together and knead until smooth. Place in a greased bowl in a cool spot and let rise until doubled (about 8 hours).

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. I used a Dutch oven for this, and heated it at the same time for about 40 minutes.

Carefully dump the risen dough straight from the bowl into the heated Dutch oven. Cover. Return to oven and bake 30 minutes. Carefully remove lid, and continue baking another 15-20 minutes or until deeply browned and internal temperature reads around 200 degrees F. Cool completely before slicing (sourdough rye is best if it rests several hours (or a day) before using). Makes 1 large boule.