Flour Power

PROOFING SHAPED BREAD OVERNIGHT Once the bread has passed the poke test, it can be refrigerated overnight to deepen its flavor. This accentuates the tanginess of the dough, while the cold temperatures cause the loaf to contract, making it easy to remove from the basket and score.

To prepare your rye starter for a fridge rest, add 50g of your starter to a clean container (such as a 1-quart deli container) and mix in 100g whole-grain rye flour and 75g of warm water. Stir gently until there are no patches of dry flour. Cover tightly with a lid and leave out at room temp (68° to 72°F) for 3 hours, then transfer to the fridge.

size—I like to use a 1-quart deli container), combine 100g whole-grain rye flour with 90g of warm water.

Breads that have a combination of rye and wheat flours may need to be kneaded to develop the gluten in the wheat flour—if so, the recipe will specify. Consult the Methods for Bread Making chapter (starting on this page) for refreshers on getting the correct water temperature for your dough, sprouting berries, and toasting seeds and nuts.

MEDIUM RYE FLOUR has a higher percentage of bran in the flour than light rye, but it is still a sifted flour, meaning the largest flecks have been removed. It’s more flavorful and active than light rye, but it still rises easily when fermented properly. Try the Mountain Rye

DARK RYE FLOUR is flour made from the outer layers of the endosperm with a portion of the bran included (what’s left after making light rye flour). It contains the most pigment and tends to be coarse in texture, due to the bran. Dark rye flour has the most intense flavor and creates the densest crumb of all the rye flours. I love the dark rye flour

any bread dough made with more than 20% rye flour needs to ferment and bake in a different timeframe than dough for a wheat-based bread.

FOR ALL THE FORMULAS in this chapter, refresh your rye starter between 6 and 8 hours before you want to mix the dough or make the leaven or sponge. Keep in mind that warm environments (70° to 80°F) will shorten the time it takes for the starter to become active, and cooler environments (60° to 68°F) will extend the time it takes for the rye starter

WELDING GLOVES Regular oven mitts or pot holders aren’t thick enough when handling hot cast iron, and they won’t protect your wrists and forearms from the steam when the lid is removed. I use heavy-duty Hobart welding gloves instead (which I also use when working with my wood-fired oven and grill).