Russian Rye Bread, dense and chewy

Light sourness, crispy crust, delicate smell and chewy crumb — that's what you expect from Russian rye bread. That kind of feelings teleports you to the nearest Eastern European shop to buy some nice ‘икра’ or at least ‘докторская колбаса’.

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Vitals

Parameter	Value
Loaf Weight	500g
Hydration	75%
Starter	22g
Pre-ferment Flour	29.3%

Flour selection

I tried different rye flours available on the market, but my favourite one is Bacheldre Stoneground Rye. My wheat favourite is Bacheldre Strong Unbleached White Flour, it has 12% protein.

Bacheldre was quite difficult to find during lockdown, like any other flour though, especially rye flour.

Total in formula

Ingredient	Weight
Water	262g
Dark Rye Flour	239g
Strong Wheat Flour	93g
Salt	6g
Honey	9g

Starter and levain

Starter refreshment

Ingredient	Weight	Percentage
Ripe Starter	20g	33%
Water	60g	100%
Dark Rye Flour	60g	100%
Total	140g	233%

Levain Build

Ingredient	Weight	Percentage
Ripe Starter	22g	25%
Water	86g	100%
Dark Rye Flour	86g	100%
Total	194g	225%

Dough Mix & Shape

Ingredient	Weight	Percentage
Levain	194g	105%
Water	116g	62.5%
Dark Rye Flour	93g	50%
Strong Wheat Flour	93g	50%
Salt	6g	3%
Honey	9g	5%
Total	510g	275.5%

There is no need to knead this dough for longer times. We don't expect gluten development that much with this formula — it would stay sticky and wouldn't pass the window pane test for sure.