The Hearth
Neo-Nordic Rye
HTH-001.1
Dark, patient, and built to deepen overnight.
A dark, coffee-scented sourdough rye loaf built around a hot rye scald, malt, cocoa, and a long cooling rest before slicing.
Yeild
Servings
16
Prep Time
25
Cook Time
50
Rest Time
1020
This rye evolved toward a darker, more Nordic-leaning loaf by replacing the water with coffee and using part of that coffee hot in the rye scald. The scald carries rye flour, malt syrup, and cocoa; the final dough adds more rye, bread flour, a large proportion of active sourdough starter, salt, and another 90 g of cooled coffee. The result is a dense, aromatic pan loaf with coffee, malt, cocoa, and rye working together rather than reading as a sweet bread.
Ingredients
Scald
200 g rye flour
325 g hot strong coffee
55–65 g malt syrup
12 g cocoa
Final dough
150 g rye flour
250 g bread flour
300 g active 100%-hydration sourdough starter
90 g cooled coffee
11 g salt
8–10 g toasted caraway, optional
Methods
1. Make the scald: dissolve the malt syrup in the hot coffee. Pour over 200 g rye flour and the cocoa, mix to a thick paste, cover, and rest 60–90 minutes.
2. Combine the scald with the active starter. Add 150 g rye flour, 250 g bread flour, salt, optional toasted caraway, and 90 g cooled coffee. Mix until evenly combined.
3. Rest 20 minutes.
4. Bulk ferment 2–2.5 hours at about 21–22°C / 70–72°F, looking for roughly a 25–30% rise.
5. Divide between two greased 9×5-inch loaf pans and smooth the tops.
6. Proof about 75–90 minutes, until visibly aerated and risen.
7. Score one center slash about 1 cm deep.
8. Bake at 425°F / 220°C for 15 minutes, then reduce to 375°F / 190°C and bake 30–35 minutes more, to an internal temperature of about 205–208°F / 96–98°C.
9. Cool 10–15 minutes in the pans, remove, then wrap in parchment and a towel. Rest 12–24 hours before slicing.
Equipment
2 greased 9×5-inch loaf pans; mixing bowl; thermometer recommended
Notes
Current liquid treatment uses coffee throughout rather than water. Current coffee: Starbucks House Decaf, medium roast. Optional caraway remains a variation.
