Makes 2 thin baguettes, each about 12 inches (30 cm) long
SPONGE
Sponge
VARIATIONS
1. cups medium or whole-grain rye flour
Add 1 teaspoon of caraway seeds or ground caraway
: cup unbleached all-purpose flour
to the dough. Or paint the outside of the unrisen
1- teaspoons salt
loaves with water and sprinkle each one with 1½
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
teaspoons of caraway seeds. Form the entire
- cup warm water, about 110°F (45°C)
1 jelly-roll pan dusted with cornmeal
quantity of dough into 1 large or 2 small boules, as
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (spoon flour into a dry-measure cup and level off)
on pages 80–81. Moisten and sprinkle with caraway seeds if you wish. A large boule will take 45 to 50 minutes to bake.
r y e D O U G H 1- teaspoons active dry yeast (the rest of the envelope you opened for the sponge) 1 cup warm water, about 110°F (45°C)
Pain de Seigle:
83
French Rye Bread At the end of the first summer season I worked in Monte Carlo, I went to Nice with some friends to celebrate with dinner. We ordered enormous plateaux de fruits de mer—large platters of mostly raw shellfish. These were accompanied by thin slices of gray-looking bread served with butter. I took a bite of the bread, and then another, and then I identified the familiar taste—rye bread! The rye bread I knew back home was Jewish rye, while the French rye bread was less crusty, but equally delicious. Here’s a recipe for the French rye bread. Don’t be turned off by the fact that you need to prepare a sponge the day before (and don’t be tempted to skip it—it’s essential). It does require forethought, but the sponge takes all of 5 minutes to prepare, so it doesn’t add an excessive amount of work to the process.
press the sponge into a coherent ball. Cover 6. Scrape the risen dough to a lightly floured the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and set it work surface and use a bench scraper or a aside at room temperature to rise for 2 hours. knife to divide it in half. Stretch - of the dough into a rough 6-inch (15-cm) square. 2. After the sponge has risen, use a small Roll jelly-roll style from one side, and pinch rubber spatula to deflate it and stir it back the end to seal it. Repeat with the other piece into a ball. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap of dough. Using the palms of your hands, again and refrigerate until you are ready to roll the first piece of dough into a cylinder prepare the rye dough, at least overnight. about 12 inches (30 cm) long. Repeat.
3. When you are ready to prepare the rye dough, whisk the yeast into the water in the bowl of an electric mixer. Scrape the sponge into the bowl and use a large rubber spatula to mix the liquid and sponge together until smooth. Stir in the rye flour in 3 additions, stirring the dough smooth after each. Add the all-purpose flour and salt and continue stirring until the dough is evenly moistened and there are no dry spots.
1. Make the sponge the day before you 4. Place the bowl on the mixer with the dough intend to bake the bread (it keeps in the hook and mix on low speed for 3 minutes. refrigerator for up to 5 days as long as Scrape the sides of the bowl and the hook you watch that it doesn’t dry out, and and allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes. you deflate it occasionally). Whisk the yeast into the water in a small mixing 5. Mix the dough on low to medium speed bowl. Use a small rubber spatula to stir until it is smooth and elastic, about 3 in the flour, stirring vigorously so that minutes. Scrape the dough into an oiled the sponge becomes somewhat elastic. bowl then turn it so that the top is oiled. Scrape the inside of the bowl free of any Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and let bits stuck to it, then use the spatula to the dough rise until doubled, 1 to 2 hours.
7.
Arrange the formed loaves equidistant from each other and the sides of the pan. Cover the pan with a towel or plastic wrap and set aside to rise for about 45 minutes. The dough should only just start to puff; it does not have to rise until doubled.
8. About 20 minutes before the loaves are risen, set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 375ºF (190ºC). Bake until the loaves are well risen and firm to the touch, about 35 minutes. Slide the loaves from the pans onto racks to cool.
Serving:
Slice the bread thinly and serve it with
butter. It’s also great toasted.
Storage:
Keep loosely covered with plastic wrap on
the day that it is baked. Wrap and freeze for longer
storage. Defrost and serve at room temperature.
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