Porcini Rye Bread

by Johannes Kroller, from La Quercia in Kitsilano

Porcini Rye Bread

Yield: 1 Loaf

Starter Dough

50g sourdough starter

100g light rye flour

100g water (temperate)
Mix and let sit for 8 hours at room temperature

Add:
150g water (temperate)

10g salt

25g honey

15g finely chopped dried porcini (boletus edulis)
Mix well and add

275g unbleached all purpose flour

Work for 3 min. and let sit for 8 hours or at least doubled in size. Punch down and work for 3 min. Put into a butter and floured rectangular loaf pan (like a banana loaf pan). It will be a very sticky and wet dough compared to other breads. Wet your spoon or hand and spread dough evenly into pan. Dust top with flour and cover.

Let proof about 3 hours before baking, or until more than doubled and ultra soft (like on the verge of collapse). If you don’t have enough time at this point, you can let the bread rest in the fridge for up too 12 hours before doing the final proofing at room temperature. Do not proof warmer than room temperature, as bread will end up sticking to the pan. Gently cut the top of the bread lengthwise right before baking for about 25 minutes at 425 Fahrenheit (different ovens might vary, mine is a crappy non-convection). Knock out of pan and let cool on rack. Let cool completely before cutting, otherwise valuable moisture/steam will escape.
For a denser, richer bread: Use 100% whole grain flour in all steps, minus 50 grams of the final flour because it seems to drink more.