Scandinavian Dark Rye Bread

The evening before baking, combine the cracked rye berries with an equal weight of water. Stir well, cover, and leave at room temperature overnight (8–12 hours). The grains will absorb most of the water and swell significantly — this soaker prevents them from stealing moisture from the dough during baking and gives the loaf its characteristic chewy grain pockets.

In a large bowl, combine the rye flour, sourdough starter, salt, caraway seeds, and molasses. Add the soaked grain mixture along with any residual soaking water. Mix thoroughly with a stiff spatula or dough scraper for 3–4 minutes — rye dough does not knead like wheat dough because rye has almost no gluten. What you are building is a sticky, cohesive batter, not a dough. Mix until completely uniform — no pockets of flour or unmixed starter.

Line a 23 x 11 cm (9 x 4 inch) loaf pan with oiled parchment. Scrape the batter in and smooth the top with a wet spatula — rye batter will not level itself. Cover with plastic wrap and let proof at room temperature (20–22 C) for 3–5 hours, or until the surface has risen to within 1 cm of the pan rim and shows small cracks and bubbles. Rye rises slowly and only about 20–30% in volume. Do not expect a dramatic rise — this bread proves its fermentation through texture and flavour, not height.

Preheat the oven to 200 C (390 F) with a rack in the lower third. Remove the plastic wrap and place the pan directly in the oven. Bake for 60–70 minutes. At 20 minutes, cover the loaf loosely with foil to prevent the top from hardening too fast. The internal temperature should reach 97–99 C (206–210 F). This is a dense loaf — do not rush it. If you have an oven thermometer, use it: dark rye must hit temperature to avoid a gummy center.