Bread Machine (84 page)
PAIN AU SEIGLE
Makes 2 round loaves
F
rench rye bread, like all other French breads, has a specific definition. By law it must contain at least 65 percent rye flour. Some of the loaves are over a foot in diameter. This loaf,
pain au seigle,
literally country bread with rye, contains only a portion of rye flour. Note that this rye has no caraway seeds, which are so often paired with rye that some people mistake the flavor of caraway for the flavor of rye. This is a bread that was first popular in the mountainous regions of France, the Pyrenees and Brittany. It has a starter, since rye breads rise better with some type of acid ingredient (that is why beer and vinegar are regularly added to Scandinavian ryes). Serve this bread with butter and marmalade; with cheese, cold cuts, charcuterie, pâté; toasted topped with melted cheese and floating in onion soup; or as the French do, with oysters. I prefer a simple treatment—toasted with honey and butter.
1
1
/
2
-POUND LOAF
For the
pâte fermentée
rye starter:
1
/
2
cup water
1 cup bread flour
1
/
4
cup medium rye flour Pinch of sea salt
1
/
2
teaspoon SAF or 1 teaspoon bread machine yeast
For the dough:
1
1
/
4
cups water
2 cups bread flour
1 cup medium rye flour
2 teaspoons dark brown sugar or malt powder
1
1
/
2
teaspoons SAF yeast or 2 teaspoons bread machine yeast
1
/
2
cup rye
pâte fermentée
1
1
/
2
teaspoons sea salt
2-POUND LOAF
For the
pâte fermentée
rye starter:
1
/
2
cup water
1 cup bread flour
1
/
4
cup medium rye flour Pinch of sea salt
1
/
2
teaspoon SAF or 1 teaspoon bread machine yeast
For the dough:
1
1
/
2
cups plus 1 tablespoon water
2
3
/
4
cups bread flour
1
1
/
4
cups medium rye flour
3 teaspoons dark brown sugar or malt powder
2 teaspoons SAF yeast or 2
1
/
2
teaspoons bread machine yeast
3
/
4
cup rye
pâte fermentée
2 teaspoons sea salt
To make the
pâte fermentée
starter, place the starter ingredients in the bread pan. Program for the Dough cycle; press Start. Set a kitchen timer for 10 minutes. When the timer rings, press Pause and set the timer again for 10 minutes. Let the starter rest for 10 minutes (the
autolyse
). When the timer rings, press Start to continue and finish the Dough cycle. When the machine beeps at the end of the cycle, press Stop and unplug the machine. Gently deflate the spongy starter, and let it sit in the bread machine for 3 to 12 hours, deflating it about every 4 hours. (If you are making the starter ahead of time, remove it from the machine at this point and refrigerate it for up to 48 hours. Bring to room temperature before making the dough.) You will have about 1
1
/
2
cups starter.
Rinse out a plastic dry measure with cold water. With the measuring cup still wet, measure out
1
/
2
cup (for the 1
1
/
2
-pound loaf) or
3
/
4
cup (for the 2-pound loaf) of starter and set it aside for the dough (it will slide right out of the measuring cup). If you have not already stored the
pâte fermentée
earlier, you can store the rest of the starter in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours (see
A Baker’s Glossary of Bread Starters
for more information). Or discard it and make a new batch the next time you make this bread.
To make the dough, place the water, flours, brown sugar, and yeast in the pan according to the order in the manufacturer’s instructions. (You don’t have to wash out the bread pan from the starter.) Program for the Dough cycle; press Start. After Knead 1, press Pause. Cut the reserved starter into pieces, then add the starter pieces and the salt to the bread pan. Press Start to continue. The dough ball will be moist and have a sticky feel. Do not add any more flour.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. When the machine beeps at the end of the cycle, press Stop and unplug the machine. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead the dough a few times by hand, adding another tablespoon or two of flour just to have the dough hold its shape; it will still be soft. Divide the dough into 2 portions. Shape each portion into a tight round. Place on the baking sheet, seam side down. (Or shape to fit round cloth-lined small baskets or colanders lightly dusted with flour.) Cover the dough loosely with a clean tea towel and let rise for about 1 hour.
Bread Machine Baker’s Hint: Storing
Pâte Fermentée
Pâte fermentée
literally means “old dough” in French. It was traditionally a small piece of dough the baker saved each time he made a batch of bread to serve as the leavening for his next batch.
In recipes that call for
pâte fermentée
, I include instructions for making the starter new each time. You need to prepare it a day before mixing the dough, though, so plan accordingly. You can also use leftover
pâte fermentée
from a previous batch, or you can make a batch of the starter ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator or freezer until you are ready to bake your bread.
Make the
pâte fermentée
according to the directions in the recipe. You will have about 1
1
/
2
cups starter. Remove what you are going to use immediately, or store the whole batch. Transfer the starter to a covered container and refrigerate for up to 48 hours. Be sure there is some extra room in the container you choose; the
pâte fermentée
will grow in size as it sits in the refrigerator. The cover for the container should not be quite airtight, allowing the starter to breathe a little. You can also freeze the starter, but if you do, it will be easier if you portion it out first. Measure out portions for the 1
1
/
2
-pound or 2-pound loaves and freeze them in individual freezer-strength self-sealing plastic bags for up to 1 month. (A helpful hint for measuring—if you rinse a plastic measuring cup with water, then dip it, still wet, into the dough, the dough will easily slide out of the cup and into the bag.)