Sourdough Deli Rye

Step 1: The day before or early in the morning, refresh your sourdough starter with equal weights of flour and water. Let double in volume and use or refrigerate.

Step 2: Mix the starter with the water oil and molasses. Add the dry ingredients, mix well and let rest covered for 20 minutes.

Step 3: Stretch and fold the dough by stretching the dough on an oiled counter with oiled hands into a rectangle and folding letter-style top down, bottom up and then stretch and fold the sides in to form a rough cubic package.

Step 4: Place in an oiled, straight-sided container covered. Clear containers work best to judge when the dough has doubled in volume.

Step 5: S&F every 20 minutes for one or two more times until the dough is silky smooth.

Step 6: When nearly doubled in size (about 2 hours), tip the dough onto a very lightly floured counter and gently form into ball or torpedo shapes.

Step 7: Place in floured or oiled bowl or a proofing basket (seam side up). Cover with oiled plastic and proof at room temperature about 45 to 60 minutes to bake or refrigerate overnight for baking the next morning.

Step 8: Preheat the oven to 400 F with a steam pan (a skillet you add 1 cup hot water to).

Step 9: When the dough is 1 1/2 times the original volume (a refrigerated loaf should be ready to bake even cold), turn out the loaf (seam down) onto parchment paper (not oiled) and score with a sharp knife or razor blade.

Step 10: Bake for 15 min with steam, rotate loaf and remove steam pan.

Step 11: Bake for 25 more minutes without steam until 205 F internally.