Our Daily Bread - Marbled Deli Rye
Crusty exterior with a soft springy interior, a slight tang and lots of caraway.
Our Daily Bread - Marbled Deli Rye
Makes 1 – 9x5 in (23x12.75 cm)
When I think of rye bread I think of diner breakfasts and having a massive western omelet with hashbrowns and toast on the side ready to slather in salted butter from small square packets with foil tops. I think of Katz’s Deli where my parents ordered sandwiches for my brother and I on club but always rye for themselves.
When I envisioned this Our Daily Bread series, I knew I had to add a rye bread because it is something I have very distinct memories of. I chose a marbled rye because I knew I could make it prettier to look at than the typical swirl of brown in the center. That being said, the chocolate marble mixed into a portion of the dough does not taste like chocolate nor is it particularly sweet. It is used solely to add natural color.
The final deli rye loaf has a crusty exterior with a soft springy interior. The flavor has a slight tang from using the rye as the preferment with lots of caraway which is the only way to eat rye bread in my opinion. My favorite part of this loaf is the marble which changes slightly with each slice making each slice unique.
“Recipe Tips:
1. This loaf rises massively in a normal loaf pan. You can also use a Pullman loaf pan however the size of the rectangles will need to be adjusted.
*2. The onion powder adds depth and helps to enhance the caraway flavor.
**3. Toasting the caraway is optional. I’ve made the bread with both toasted and untoasted caraway. The flavor is delicious either way but the toasted caraway adds a slightly deeper more aromatic element.”
Ingredients
Preferment
80g (0.50 c + 2 T) dark rye flour
85ml (0.25 c + 2 T + 1 t) water
Small pinch of instant yeast
Marble
8g (4 t) dark brown sugar
8g (1.5 t) unsweetened cocoa powder
8g (1.5 t) water
Dough
358g (2.75 c) bread flour
7g (1.75 t) kosher salt
*4g (1 t) onion powder – optional
4g (1 t) instant yeast
20ml (4 t) vegetable oil
225ml (1 c + 2 T) water
**8g (2.5 t) whole caraway seeds, toasted and cooled
Method
Preferment
1. In a medium bowl, combine the preferment ingredients mixing well until all the flour is hydrated.
Cover and allow to sit at room temperature overnight, 18 – 24 hours.
Dough
2. In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the marble well to form a paste.
Set aside until needed.
3. Place the flour in a large mixing bowl and make a well in the center.
Add the salt and onion powder into the well with a large splash of the measured water. Stir to dissolve.
Add the yeast and oil with another splash of the measured water and stir to dissolve the yeast.
Add 90% of the remaining water mixing well and begin to mix in the flour to create a dough.
Add the remaining water as necessary to fully hydrate the flour and make a tacky dough.
Using the slap and fold method, knead for 4 minutes until the dough is smooth and shiny.
To slap and fold: place your hands at 12 o’clock and 6 o’clock on the dough, lift the dough and turn a quarter turn (your hands will be at 3 and 9) “slap” the bottom of the dough against the work surface. Stretch the dough in your hands toward yourself and “fold” or “throw” the dough over the dough on the table. Quickly remove your hands from the dough and place your hands at 12 and 6 again and repeat for the time listed.
This step will be sticky but try not to add additional flour. For best results try to make your movements quick to prevent sticking and use a bench scraper regularly to scrape the dough from the bench and your hands.
Flatten the dough on the work surface and spread the preferment on top sprinkling over the caraway seeds.
Enclose the preferment and seeds by bringing the dough from the corners up and to the center.
Force the ingredients into the dough by squeezing the dough repeatedly.
This will get very messy but continually squeeze mixing in any seeds or preferment that come out until the mixture is homogeneous. Once this happens, scrape your hands and the work surface and continue.
The dough will be much looser because rye flour has no gluten. When mixed into the dough, it weakens the gluten that was previously created to some extent.
Once homogeneous, continue to slap and fold the dough for 5 minutes longer.
4. Divide the dough 60/40.
Shape the larger portion of dough into a ball and place back into the mixing bowl. Cover.
This is now the plain dough.
Flatten the remaining dough and spread with the chocolate mixture.
Enclose as done previously with the preferment and force the mixture into the dough.
Squeeze until homogeneous, scrape your hands and the work surface and slap and fold for 2 minutes longer.
Shape into a ball and place into a separate medium bowl. Cover.
Ferment both doughs for 30 minutes.
Fold the plain dough first then repeat with the brown dough.
To fold: wet your dominant hand and loosen the dough from the bowl flipping the ball of dough over. Press out the dough to even out its thickness. Grab a grip of dough across from you, lift and stretch the dough out a few inches then fold it over the center. Turn the bowl 90 degrees and repeat this process, wetting your hand as necessary to prevent sticking, until you reach the point where you began. The dough should have formed a ball at this point. Flip the ball again, placing the “seams” of the dough on the bottom and tuck the dough together to make a ball.
Do not add flour during the folding.
Cover and ferment 30 minutes longer.
Repeat the fold.
Ferment for 30 minutes longer.
The doughs will nearly double in size.
5. Line a loaf pan with parchment if necessary.
My loaf pan is great but sometimes causes sticking. To prevent this I always line it.
6. Flour the top of the doughs and the work surface.
Use a bench scraper to release the doughs from their bowls and remove to the work surface next to each other leaving the unfloured surface on top.
Starting with the plain dough, flour the top and flatten to a rough rectangle.
Lightly flouring as necessary, roll to a 28cm x 23cm (11 in x 9 in) rectangle with the short sides facing and across from you.
Repeat with the brown dough rolling to a 20cm x 18cm (8 in x 7 in) rectangle with the short sides facing and across from you.
Very lightly dampen the surface of the plain dough with water.
Brush as much flour as possible from the top and bottom of the brown dough.
Place the brown dough on the lower 2/3 of the plain dough pressing to ensure full contact across the surface of the dough.
Fold the top 1/3 of the plain dough down to cover about 1/2 of the brown.
Fold the bottom of the dough up to make a rectangle with plain dough on the outside.
Turn the dough a quarter turn so the short sides are facing and across from you, lightly flouring if necessary.
Using a rolling pin, roll the dough gently to ensure full contact of the doughs and to widen some.
Starting at the side across from you, roll the dough down to create a chunky cylinder.
Seal the bottom seam well and place in the prepared loaf pan pressing to spread into the corners of the pan.
Cover loosely and proof for 45 – 60 minutes or until the dough has risen 2.5 – 4 cm (1 – 1.5 in) above the rim of the pan.
7. Preheat oven to 200 C / 400 F.
Bake for 5 minutes.
Reduce to 180 C / 350 F.
Bake 25 – 30 minutes longer.
After 25 minutes, carefully test the loaf with an instant read thermometer stuck into the side into the middle of the loaf.
The bread should register 94 C / 200 F.
If not ready, allow to cook longer.
If the dough is browning too much, tent loosely with foil.
Remove to a cooling rack and cool in the pan for 5 minutes.
Remove from the pan and cool completely.
8. Slice and serve.
