Directions

BUILD

Mix together:

450g Sangaste Rye Flour

650g water

20g active Sangaste Rye Starter

Stir into a thick, porridge-like batter. Cover and ferment 8–12 hours, until bubbly and aromatic.

FINAL MIX

Add to the fermented mixture:

380g Sangaste Rye Flour

1 tablespoon salt

Wet your hands and squeeze the mixture until no dry bits remain. This is a paste, not a kneadable dough.

SHAPE

Flour the work surface generously with rye flour.

Turn out the dough and dust the top lightly.

Divide the dough into 2 pieces and shape gently, moving each piece onto fresh floured areas as needed. Rye does not stretch like wheat dough, but it can be folded and rounded.

Shape into round boules, then smooth by rolling gently in small circles.

Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet, seam-side down.

Because whole rye flour is delicate and sticky, handle lightly.

PROOF

Cover and proof at room temperature for about 1 hour, until slightly puffed and the surface shows small cracks.

BAKE

Preheat oven to 475°F. Place a baking sheet, cookie sheet, or baking steel in the oven while it preheats.

Do not score to allow natural cracking.

When ready to bake, carefully place the boule directly onto the preheated surface. (Note: This rye sourdough does not require a high steam environment, so an open bake is ideal.)

Load the loaf and reduce heat to 400°F.

Bake 60–75 minutes total, until the internal temperature reaches 205–210°F.

REST (ESSENTIAL)

Cool completely, allowing it to rest on your counter for 24 hours before slicing. This allows the crumb to fully set and the flavor to develop.

Sangaste Rye produces a dense, moist crumb that only gets better with time: flavor that deepens over several days with a natural acidity that supports both shelf life and digestibility. It's the kind of bread worth baking on a Sunday and eating all week.

This bread was made for good butter, smoked fish, cultured dairy, and a drizzle of honey — though it's pretty hard to argue with a plain slice straight from the loaf.