Fries Roggebrood

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •23 x 13 cm loaf tin
• •Parchment paper and heavy foil
• •Long serrated bread knife

Instructions

1. 1

   Scald the rye

   Put the coarse rye in a large bowl and pour over the boiling water. Stir until every grain is wet, cover, and leave it for 8 to 12 hours. This is not fussing. The scald swells the rye and gives the finished bread its close, sliceable body.

2. 2

   Mix the paste

   Add the rye flour, active sourdough starter, lukewarm water, and salt to the soaked rye. Mix with a sturdy spoon or wet hand until it becomes a heavy paste, more like potter's clay than dough. If dry flour remains, add water one tablespoon at a time; rye should be wet enough to pack, not loose enough to pour.

   There is no kneading here. Rye has little gluten to stretch, so your job is even hydration and firm packing. Wheat habits only make this loaf sulk.
3. 3

   Pack and prove

   Butter a 23 x 13 cm loaf tin and line it with parchment. Press the rye paste firmly into the tin, pushing it into the corners so no hollow pockets remain. Smooth the top with a wet hand, cover, and let it ferment at room temperature for 6 to 8 hours, until the surface looks slightly risen and shows a few fine cracks. It will not double. It is Frisian, for obvious reasons.

4. 4

   Seal and bake

   Heat the oven to 130C. Cover the tin with parchment and then tightly with foil, crimping the edges so the loaf stays moist. Bake for 1 hour, then lower the oven to 110C and bake for another 8 to 9 hours. The bread should feel firm and heavy, and the top should be dark brown to nearly black.

5. 5

   Rest before slicing

   Lift the loaf from the tin, keep it wrapped in its parchment, and let it cool completely. Then wrap it tightly and leave it at room temperature for 24 hours before cutting. This rest is part of the recipe: the crumb settles, the rye sweetens, and the knife stops tearing the bread apart.

6. 6

   Slice thin

   Slice the roggebrood as thinly as you can with a long serrated knife. Serve with butter and aged Frisian cheese, or beside a bowl of snert. Thick slices miss the point; this bread is meant to be firm, dark, and modest on the plate.

Chef Tips

• •Use coarse cracked rye if you can find it. Fine rye flour alone makes a heavy paste, but it will not give the old Frisian chew, the little resistance under the teeth that makes this bread itself.
• •Feed your rye starter 8 to 12 hours before mixing. It should smell pleasantly sour and grainy, not sharp like vinegar. A tired starter gives you a flat loaf and a scolding from the bread.
• •Do not add molasses for colour on the first try. A long low bake will darken the rye honestly. If your oven runs cool and the loaf stays pale, add a spoon of appelstroop next time, but let time make its argument first.
• •Slice after a full day's rest. Fresh from the oven, the loaf is still arranging itself inside; cut too early and you trade bread for rubble.

Advance Preparation

• •The rye scald can be made the night before mixing and left covered at room temperature.
• •The finished loaf keeps 5 to 7 days wrapped tightly at room temperature and slices best after the first 24 hours.
• •Freeze thin slices with parchment between them, then thaw only what you need for soup or cheese.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 55g)