Rye Bread (Bouchon)

In the middle of the week, we ran out of bread for making toast at breakfast, so this quick sourdough loaf was something I could do on a weeknight. Despite using instant yeast, this bread couldn’t escape the fate of a lot of other whole-grain breads: a dense, and somewhat coarse texture.

The recipe comes from Bouchon Bakery and is the fastest sourdough bread to make. The mixer kneading time is a bit reduced (16 minutes vs 20 minutes for the other recipes in the chapter), and the fermentation time is quite short as well. You also slash the bread before the final proof.

I didn’t bother with any steam in the oven, aside from a half-hearted spritz of water on the surface of the loaves, and on the oven floor. These loaves turned out quite beautifully, but their texture wasn’t enjoyed by my tasters. Oh well.