| Rye %: | 100% |
| Stages: | Sponge, Scald, Scald-sponge, Final dough |
| Leaven: | Rye sour culture |
| Start to Finish: | 11 hours |
| Hands-on Time: | 40-50 minutes |
| Yield: | One 2¼ lb/1.0 kg loaf |
I’d been meaning to make Vitebsk Rye for some time – ever since I found it in Mike Zhuravel’s magnificent Russian-language bread blog, O Khlebye. The result made me wonder why I’d waited so long: this is a truly splendid Belarusian rye bread.
| Rye %: | 69% |
| Stages: | Sponge, Final dough |
| Leaven: | Rye sour culture, Instant yeast |
| Start to Finish: | 9-10 hours |
| Hands-on Time: | 30-35 minutes |
| Yield: | One 1 ½ lb/700g loaf |
I recently was able to get hold of a couple of kilos of Russian rye flour, and so what better bread to try it out on than a Russian rye bread that specifically calls for this type of flour? The recipe comes from O Khlebe, the Russian-language blog that’s my go-to source for all breads Russian. Its name comes from its origin, Podmoskva, the region surrounding Moscow — so a northern bread with the lighter color and milder flavor associated with Russia’s largest and most cosmopolitan urban center.
| Rye %: | 100% |
| Stages: | Sponge, Scald, Scald-Sponge, Final Dough |
| Leaven: | Rye sour |
| Duration: | 19-25 hours |
| Prep Time: | 60 minutes |
| Yield: | one 3½ lb. (1.6 kg.) loaf |
There are many versions of Borodinsky Rye: this one first appeared in the 1935 edition of Tekhnologiya Khlebopyekarnogo Proyzvodstva (Bakery Production Technology) by the legendary Russian process engineer Lev Auerman. Unlike most Borodinsky variations, which contain wheat flour, this one is made of 100% rye. In addition, where many of the other variations have flavor profiles that feature a combination of both sweet and sour, in this one, sweet dominates, thanks to both the long scald and floral accents of scalded caraway or anise.
| Rye %: | 100% |
| Stages: | 3-stage sponge, Final dough |
| Leaven: | Rye sour culture |
| Start to Finish: | 24-28 hours |
| Hands-on Time: | 35-40 minutes |
| Yield: | One 2¼ lb/1.0 kg loaf |
Lublin Rye, which I found in the Polish bread blog Adam Piekarz (“Adam’s Bakes”) appeals to me on many levels. Firstly, its history: according to Adam, “back in the 1960s, when the content of rye bread was regulated by the [Communist] state, Lubelski was considered a great luxury because it used 100% white rye flour, which was available only at certain times of the year.” Second, it’s the most basic of rye breads, containing only rye flour, water, salt and sour culture. If nothing else, I was expecting a bread that showcased the subtlety of white rye and the balance of a three-stage sponge.