Flour Power

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.

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

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).

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.

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

LIGHT RYE FLOUR is flour made from the center of the endosperm. It is sifted so that the bulky bran is removed, helping the flour rise nicely when fermented. Light rye flour has a creamier, milder flavor than rye flour milled from the entire berry, and it creates a silky crumb when baked. Try the Finnish Rye Ring

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

Today you will begin refreshing your starter, which involves removing most of the starter and “feeding” the remaining portion with rye flour and water. Discard all but 50g of the rye starter. To that 50g, add 100g rye flour and 90g water. Cover and let rest at room temp (68° to 72°F) for 24 hours.

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