Pain de Seigle — Cook

Ingredients

650 g rye flour, used in both levain and final dough; same flour throughout
350 g wheat flour
700–800 ml water, 70–80% hydration; adjust within range to achieve paste-like consistency
For the levain
200 g active rye levain, maintained at 100% hydration, fed with rye flour, refreshed before use
20 g fine sea salt, 2% of total flour weight
10–20 g caraway seeds, 1–2% of total flour weight; optional but traditional

Method

1
Refresh the levain: feed the rye culture with rye flour and water at equal weights (100% hydration). Allow to ripen at room temperature until active and slightly domed, with a sour, lactic aroma. The levain is ready when it holds a dome and smells sharply acidic — it must reach a pH of 4.0–4.5 to perform its essential function of inhibiting amylase.
2
Combine the rye flour, wheat flour, water, ripened levain, and salt in a large bowl. Mix minimally — only until the ingredients are fully homogenised into a uniform, thick paste. The dough will not feel elastic; it will not pull away from the sides. Stop mixing as soon as no dry flour remains. Over-mixing at this stage damages the pentosan structure that gives the bread its crumb.
3
Fold in the caraway seeds if using, distributing them evenly through the paste with as few movements as possible.
4
This is where the bread lives or dies. Wet the hands thoroughly — no flour. Shape the dough quickly and confidently into a boule or bâtard directly on the peel or in a lightly oiled tin. Flour creates dry spots that fracture the crumb; wet hands allow the paste to move cleanly. Work without hesitation: rye paste does not forgive prolonged handling.
5
Proof at room temperature for 45–60 minutes. Rye ferments rapidly; the dough is ready when it has risen slightly and the surface shows the first fine cracks. Do not wait for a pronounced dome — rye lacks the gluten to produce one.
6
Score shallowly with a single blade — one or two shallow cuts only. Rye dough cannot sustain deep scoring; deep cuts will collapse the surface rather than open into a grigne.
7
Load the loaf into an oven preheated to 250°C. After 15 minutes, reduce the temperature to 200°C. Bake for a total of 50–60 minutes for a 1 kg loaf. The bread is done when the crust is deeply coloured, the base sounds hollow when tapped, and an internal temperature of approximately 95–98°C is reached. An insufficiently baked centre will be gummy.
8
Remove the loaf and immediately brush the crust with water for a glossy finish. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely for a minimum of 6–8 hours before cutting. The crumb continues to set as it cools; a warm rye crumb is structurally incomplete and will tear gummily. The bread improves further over 24–48 hours as flavours meld and the crumb firms.