Toasted Rye Berry Bread

In a bowl, mix cracked rye with warm water. Cover and let sit for 24 to 30 hours.

Four hours before mixing the final dough, feed sourdough starter with flour and water. Ferment at room temperature. Do a float test on starter before mixing final dough. Place a small piece of levain in water. If it sinks, let it ferment a little longer. If it floats, levain is ready for use.

Heat oven to 350ºF. Spread rye berries on a sheet tray and toast until golden brown. Place toasted berries in a pot, cover with water, and simmer until tender. Remove from heat and cool.

Heat 1.947 milliliters water to 80ºF. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a spiral hook, combine mature Levain, Soaker, bread flour, barley malt, and water until combined. Let mixture autolyse for 45 minutes. After autolyse has completed, place bowl back in stand mixer. Add salt on speed 1. When incorporated, increase speed to 2 until dough is smooth, shiny, and elastic. With the machine running, slowly drizzle in 1.048 milliliters water. Mix until dough recombines and is smooth and elastic. Add Rye Berries and bulk ferment 2 hours, folding dough every 30 minutes.

Portion dough into 1 kilogram-pieces and preshape each into a boule. Let rest for 15 minutes. Shape each round into a boule again. Roll dough in wheat bran, then place in a linen-lined round basket seam side up. Ferment at 70ºF for 1 hour. Then ferment at 36ºF degrees for 7 hours. Heat oven to 500ºF. Dust the seam side of dough with semolina. Remove from basket and place on a peel. Put in oven and steam for 5 seconds. Release steam after 20 minutes. Bake 20 minutes more, until dark brown. Remove from oven and cool.