How to Make a Dark and Rich Eastern European Style Rye Bread

This one is quite similar to the other dark rye bread recipe I posted recently. With a few changes like using some wholegrain rye flour for extra flavour, skipping the pre-ferment for simplicity, and glazing the loaf towards the end of the bake, this bread turned out to be quite unique.

It is soft and bouncy with a rich aroma and flavour. The crust is beautifully shiny and soft thanks to the glaze. And like most other rye breads it will stay soft for days.

Adjustments are always welcome. You can swap the caraway for fennel, use other sweet syrups, and even change the shape of the loaf. The glaze can also be changed to one of the 15 glazes I made a video about a while back.

Watch the video down below for detailed instructions.

Ingredients

For the scald –

200g (7oz) wholegrain rye flour

40g (1.4oz) rye malt powder

40g (1.4oz) molasses

10g (0.35oz) caraway seeds

280g (9.9oz) boiling water

For the main dough –

100g (3.5oz) warm water

20g (0.7oz) apple cyder vinegar

5g (0.17oz) instant dry yeast or 6g (0.21oz) active dry yeast or 15g (0.52oz) fresh yeast

10g (0.35oz) salt

100g (3.5oz) white rye flour

100g (3.5oz) white wheat bread flour

100g (3.5oz) wholegrain rye flour

For the glaze –

80g (2.8oz) water

2g (0.07oz) cornstarch

Method

1. Make the scald. In a large bowl combine the wholegrain rye flour, rye malt powder, caraway seeds, molasses, and boiling water. Mix well. Leave to cool down.
2. Make the dough. Add the water, vinegar, salt, and yeast to the scald. Mix well. Add the white rye flour and mix again. Add the wheat flour and the wholegrain rye flour and mix to a dough. *Desired dough temperature 25C (77F). If your dough is warmer, then it will ferment more rapidly. If it is cooler, then it will take longer. Adjust fermentation time accordingly.
3. Cover and ferment for 1 hour.
4. Fold.
5. Ferment for 1 more hour.
6. Shape and place in a breadbasket.
7. Final proof for 1 hour.
8. Invert the dough onto a piece of non-stick paper and spray the surface with water.
9. Place in a pre-heated oven at 250C (480F) fan off and turn the temperature down to 190C (375F) immediately.
10. Bake for 30 minutes.
11. Remove the lid form the pan and place the loaf back into the oven to bake for 15 minutes.
12. Make the glaze. Combine the water and cornstarch in a small pan and place on high heat. Cook whilst stirring until the mix thickens. It will take a couple of minutes.
13. Remove the bread from the oven and brush with the glaze all over.
14. Place it back into the oven to set the glaze for another 5 – 10 minutes or until the glaze looks dry.
15. Leave to cool down for a couple hours. Wrap in clingfilm and leave to mature overnight before slicing.

Keep in mind that the conditions in each kitchen are different, so fermentation times may vary for you. It is up to the baker to control the bread and react accordingly.

Your oven may be different too, so your baking time may vary.