Once again, this is from Stanley Ginsberg’s wonderful book on rye bread, The Rye Baker. It is Galician Rye Bread from page 107. Click through to see my review of the bread

About the bread

Preparation: This bread required both rye flour and wheat flour and the creation of a sourdough starter so it was more difficult than previous rye breads but is still in the easy category. It made a very sticky dough and that was somewhat distressing at first but Ginsberg’s instructions are excellent and I was able to handle this loaf without a problem. My house has been quite a bit colder than usual so rising times are taking longer. We are averaging a kitchen temperature of only 63 degrees. The instructions assume a 68-72 degree room temperature.

Taste: Bold and flavorful with a fresh sour taste. This bread is Steve’s favorite so far.

Pairings: This feels much more like a bread to serve with hearty spreads or cold cuts. We served it with tofu scrambler and a Bota Box Chardonnay and it made an excellent pairing. Out of curiosity, we also tried pairing it with a sauvignon blanc and that just didn’t work. The acid in the wine didn’t complement the bread or tofu scrambler at all and even brought out a slight bitterness within the rye. We believe that a Pinot Noir or a Bordeaux blend would also be quite nice if the bread supported a marinated portobello or a heavy dark spread  like lentil-walnut pate.