German Rye Sourdough — CRÈME de cornell

By Johanna Keigler

Good bread is one of the most comforting foods that bless this Earth. A hearty rye bread makes me feel especially cozy and inspires nostalgia for my time spent in Germany, which consisted of eating ridiculous amounts of bread in all sorts of shapes, colors, and sizes. My German mother may not be a baker, but I’m always reminded of home when I eat Mestemacher rye bread. You might have seen this packaged sliced rye bread in some natural food stores, with the classic-cute euro-style font and a smiling German lady eating her sandwich.

I jumped on the sourdough bandwagon this year when I was given a jar of decades-in-the-making starter a week before Cornell closed last spring. Working the dough with my hands to give my brain and Zoom-eyes a break has become a form of meditation. It determines the rhythm of a day, with each spaced-out step and hours waiting for dough to rise.

I’m not aiming for perfect, Instagram-worthy “airy crumb” when I bake. Just something warm and homemade, ideally packed with wholesome flavor. Even with a busy schedule, keeping a sourdough starter is surprisingly simple: just refrigerate it and feed it with equal weights water and all-purpose flour once a week. Between batches of bread, I often scoop out some starter into a hot oiled pan to make a super-quick tangy pancake. No need to fret about dedicating hours a week baking bread; at times I’ve let my starter hang out for weeks between bakes. Beyond the starter, you’ll need a scale and a Dutch oven (or a heavy metal pot). Kitchen scales are inexpensive and super useful for all things baking and even making your own ferments.

Some recipes stress very specific measurements and intervals between steps, but don’t worry about timing it all perfectly. If you let your bread ferment longer, it’ll still turn out just fine! If you skip a stretch-and-fold or two, don’t fret. Experiment with a higher or lower rye to wheat flour ratio, using a bit more water if you use more rye.

Of course, you are welcome to experiment with different ingredients. I rarely bake the same bread twice because there are so many ways to switch up flavors and crunch-factors. My favorite way to eat fresh bread is tearing the still-warm bread apart with my hands (even better than sliced bread, if you ask me) and dipping it in olive oil, salt, and pepper. Or slice it up in typical “Butterbrot” fashion, the way many Germans end their day with a simple no-fuss dinner. Top slices with butter, salt, and pepper and pile on an array of veggies, sprouts, boiled eggs, honey, jam, and whatever else strikes your fancy…this list is just a start.

Ingredients

The rest:

200g rye flour (or pumpernickel)

300g whole wheat bread flour

250g warm-but-not-hot water

15g salt

The sponge:

240g rye flour

240g filtered water

35g sourdough starter

Add-ins:

Add up to 1 cup of sunflower or pumpkin seeds, walnuts, and/or (golden) raisins…or a mix of them all!

If you’re using more than ¼ cup of raisins, add a wee bit more water since the raisins will soak up some of the dough’s hydration.

Choose your spices: a teaspoon of cumin seeds, cardamom, cinnamon, and/or fenugreek seeds

Instructions

Mix together the sponge about 14 hours in advance (ideally early in the morning) and leave it to soak in a container covered with a clean damp cloth. If the timing doesn’t work out and you have to leave it longer, you can slow down the fermentation by sticking it in the fridge and taking it out later, then leaving it to grow at room temperature for a few more hours. You’re feeding the starter so it’s strong and ready to leaven the loaf. It’s ready to go when it’s about doubled in size and is a bit bubbly when you stir into it.

Add the remaining water, then slowly incorporate the remaining flour, salt, and your mix-ins/spices of choice. Knead the dough together for two to three minutes until all dry flour is well incorporated. Rye is an especially sticky dough, so wet your fingers before handling it and then just squish it through your fingers to “knead” it. Place it back in the covered bowl for 4-6 hours on the counter before shaping. If it looks like it’s about doubled in size, you’ve finished your bulk ferment! The time it takes to rise will depend on the temperature of your kitchen among other things, so don’t worry if it seems like it’s taking longer than you expect.

Dust your counter with flour and gently stretch the dough out into a rectangular shape. Fold it into a ball-shape (look up how to shape a “sourdough boule” for a guide). Leave it to rest there under a cloth for 15 minutes. Prepare a cloth-lined bowl with plenty of flour sprinkled on the cloth so it won’t stick, and place the dough ball seam-side up in it. Let it rest, covered, 8-24 hours in the fridge for the final proof – or if you’re impatient, an hour or two on the counter will suffice.

When it’s almost ready to bake, preheat the oven to 475°F with your Dutch oven inside. If you don’t have a Dutch oven, you can put a cookie sheet in the oven as it heats and then add a tray of water beneath the bread while it bakes. Tip the dough into the hot Dutch oven so it’s seam-side down, score it (quickly slash the surface of the bread one or two times with your sharpest knife) then bake at 475°F for 10 minutes followed by 400°F for 45 minutes. When you take the bread out of the oven, turn it over and knock to see if you hear a hollow sound, which means it's done. You can also check with a thermometer to ensure the inside has gotten to 200°F. Do your best to leave it to cool on a rack at least an hour before cutting into it – arguably the hardest part about baking bread for me! You’ll find a hearty, dense crumb inside.

Sample Timeline: