Jewish Rye Bread

Yield: one large loaf, 18 slices

Time: Prep 50 minutes, rise overnight, bake 40 mins. to 50 mins

Difficulty: Moderate

Ingredients:

Rye sour

• 15g fed ("ripe") sourdough starter
• 240g organic rye flour
• 200g room-temperature water (70°F)

Old bread soaker

• 75g cubed rye bread (or other old/stale bread)
• 75g cool water

Dough

• 425g King Arthur Organic All-Purpose Flour or King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 425g rye sour from above*
• 240g water (80°F)
• 85g old bread soaker from above, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon caraway seeds (optional)
• ¼ to ½ teaspoon ground caraway seeds (optional)
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon instant yeast

Instructions

1. To make rye sour: Mix ingredients until all the flour is fully moistened; the mixture will be very stiff. Place the sour in a nonreactive container, sprinkle with a light coating of pumpernickel flour, cover, and let rest for 13 to 16 hours, preferably at a temperature of 70°F.
2. To make old bread soaker: Cut bread into 1" cubes and place in a lidded container. Add the water, shaking container to fully moisten bread. Store the mixture overnight in the refrigerator. Next day, squeeze out excess water and stir bread until it breaks down and becomes the consistency of stiff oatmeal. Measure out 1/3 cup (3 ounces, 85g), and bring to room temperature.  (or warm briefly in the microwave).
3. To make dough: Place ingredients in a mixing bowl. Using the dough hook, mix on lowest speed for 3 minutes, then speed 2 for 3 minutes. Ideal dough temperature after mixing is 78°F.
4. Place dough in an oiled bowl, cover, and allow to rise in a warm spot (78°F) for 1 hour.
5. Deflate and cover the dough and allow it to rest for 10 minutes on a floured surface, folded side up.  Preheat oven and baking stone for 1 hour at 460°F. 
6. Shape the loaf into a bâtard or football shape, taking care not to rip the surface of the dough. Use flour on your hands and the table to help prevent sticking. Pinch the bottom seam closed, if necessary.
7. Place the loaf on a lightly greased piece of parchment paper, sprinkling the parchment with coarse cornmeal, if desired. Cover and let rise for 40 to 45 minutes in a warm spot (78°F).
8. Spray or brush the top of the loaf with room-temperature water and sprinkle with caraway seeds, if desired. Score loaf with 5 horizontal cuts across the top of the loaf, holding blade perpendicular to the surface of the loaf. The cuts should slightly diminish in length as they approach the tips of the loaf.
9. Carefully place the parchment onto a peel (or the bottom on a baking sheet), and slide parchment and loaf onto the hot stone.
10. Bake for 10 minutes at 460°F, then reduce oven temperature to 430°F and bake for 30 to 35 more minutes, checking often for color. The finished loaf should be a deep golden brown when done; its internal temperature should be at least 205°F.
11. Spray or brush the loaf with water again after removing it from the oven. Cool the bread on a rack overnight before slicing.

Notes:

• Leftover bread soaker can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week.
• If you're not baking on a stone, simply transfer the parchment and loaf to a baking sheet, and place in the oven — cover partially with a stainless steel bowl.
• For extra crispy crust, preheat a cast iron frying pan on the shelf below the baking stone, and pour ½ cup boiling water into the pan when putting bread in oven, partially covering the loaf with a stainless steel bowl to catch the steam.  
• For best steam, cover the loaf with a large metal bowl, with the front of the bowl hanging over the front of the baking sheet or stone so the steam from the frying pan below can vent into the bowl. Remove the bowl after 10 minutes, when you reduce the heat (to avoid burns, use a butter knife to lift it, then grip and remove.)
• This dough is difficult to knead by hand because it's very sticky. If you're up for the challenge, stir all the ingredients together in a bowl until the mixture forms a shaggy mass. Turn the dough out onto an unfloured work surface. Using a bowl scraper to help, knead by hand for 10 minutes, or until the dough is relatively smooth. Scrape the kneading surface frequently to help prevent sticking; the dough will continue to be sticky throughout the process. Wetting your hands, rather than adding more flour, will help prevent sticking without making the dough too dry.
• Be sure to save a large slice in the freezer to make old bread soaker the next time you want to bake this recipe.
• For more detailed information see http://www.kingarthurflour.com/blog/2016/03/23/make-jewish-rye-bread-part-2/

Variations:

• Instead of sprinkling with caraway, try charnishka, available at Indian groceries or through Penzeys.com.  
• Add chopped dill to dough before kneading (or substitute ¼ cup pickle juice for water).

Source: http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/jewish-rye-bread-recipe