Wholemeal rye bread with spelt and pumpkin seeds

St Michael, 28 May 2024

In the bread-making course organised on 28 May 2024, our member Jutta showed us how she makes the delicious rye bread that we all enjoy when we eat together at Laguna nel bicchiere.

The preparation is simple but it takes a little patience in the timing.

The ingredients are flour, water, a sourdough starter (also called levain) and salt. The choice of ingredients and long fermentation make the aroma and flavour of this bread truly unique.

PROCEDURE

THE SOURDOUGH STARTER

First of all, it is important to feed the sourdough starter in order to make a wonderful sourdough bread.

It can be prepared in the morning and left to rise for about three hours:

  • 50 g sourdough starter
  • 50 g wholemeal rye flour
  • 50 g water

or the night before and leave to rise for about 8 hours:

  • 5 g sourdough starter
  • 50 g wholemeal rye flour
  • 50 g water
Lievito madre / Sourdough starter
Lievito madre / Sourdough starter

LET’S START WITH THE DOUGH

  • 320 g water
  • 100 g morning or evening sourdough starter
  • 380 g Manitoba flour
  • 70 g wholemeal rye flour
  • 9-10 g salt

Pour the water into a bowl, add the sourdough starter and mix, then add the manitoba flour and wholemeal rye flour. Finally add the salt, mix well and leave to rest for 30 minutes.

Impasto / Dough
Impasto / Dough

FOLDS AND MORE FOLDING

Take the dough after the resting time and make twelve classic folds
Then cover the bowl and let it rest for an hour.

Pieghe / Folds
Pieghe / Folds

.. Stretch the dough out on a lightly strayed surface and place 80-100 g of spelt seeds, previously cooked for about 10 minutes, 40 g of pumpkin seeds and some wild fennel or whatever you like.

Then fold and roll into a loaf and leave to rest for another hour.

Stendere / Roll out
Stendere / Roll out

… Take the dough and make six more folds, always with wet hands, cover with the bowl and let it rest for another hour.

The folds must be made at least four times.

Ancora pieghe / More folds
Ancora pieghe / More folds

RESHAPE AND FINAL SHAPE OF THE LOAF

With the help of a spatula, turn the dough over onto a floured surface, make six more folds then cover with the bowl and leave to rest for an hour.

Capovolgere / Flip
Capovolgere / Flip

… Carefully stretch out the dough and make six more folds, then take the proofing basket also called banneton flour it and place the dough inside, keeping the seam side facing up.

Leave to rest in the refrigerator for twelve hours.

Finale / Final
Finale / Final

WE ARE NOW READY TO BAKE IT

Preheat a cast iron pot with lid in the oven for about 15 minutes at 250C Remove the loaf from the fridge and turn it upside down onto a piece of baking paper, make a cut on the surface of the loaf and place the loaf with the baking paper in the hot pan iron with the lid on.

Bake at 250 degrees for 30 minutes, after which time remove the lid and continue baking at 200 degrees for about 30 minutes, until the loaf is golden brown.

At this point, remove the loaf from the pan and leave to cool on a wire rack.

The bread is ready.

Pronto!