DANISH RUGBRøD

Steps:

• Hydrate and sprout about 175g (1 heaping cup) rye berries, which makes approximately 260g when hydrated. Or hydrate 175g already-sprouted rye berries.
• To sprout rye berries, soak them in water in a bowl or jar for about 6 hours, then drain the excess water, rinse and drain again, and cover with a towel or sprouting lid (mesh screen). Sprouts will form after an additional 6-18 hours. Rinse and drain every twelve hours while sprouting. Then refrigerate for up to 5 days in a ventilated jar.
• To rehydrate already-sprouted rye berries, soak in water for 12-24 hours, then drain the excess water.
• Build 160g of 100% hydration mature starter.
• Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl and mix until everything is incorporated. (Stand mixer with dough hook or paddle attachment works well.) The dough will have a thick batter consistency, not flowing off a spoon but still scoopable.
• Cover the bowl and let the dough bulk ferment. This takes about 5 hours at warm room temperatures (78F/26C) and longer if the ambient temperature is cooler, or if you refrigerate the dough for any portion of time. Make sure to flip the dough in the bowl after a long refrigeration to redistribute heat and moisture. The bulk fermentation is finished when you shift the dough with a spatula and see web-like strings of gluten.
• Pour/scrape the batter into a greased loaf pan. Smooth the surface of the dough with wet fingertips and cover.
• Proof 12-20 hours in the refrigerator, or 2-3 hours at room temperature, or a combination of cold and room temperature. (See the gallery for examples.) The dough will be rounded-puffy at the edges and have holes from popped bubbles when it is ready to bake.
• Preheat your oven to 425F.
• Decorate the top of your proofed dough with extra seeds or a flour stencil.
• Bake the bread uncovered for 70-85 minutes, until the internal temperature is about 210F.
• Let the bread cool for about 30 minutes, then remove it from the pan.
• If possible, wait 24 hours before slicing the bread to allow the crumb to set.
• Store the bread wrapped in parchment paper, a bread bag, bee's wrap or a flour sack towel for about a week outside the refrigerator. You can also slice and freeze the bread tightly wrapped in plastic.