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I haven’t plucked up the courage to bake sourdough bread, but I do love the sourdough look so I would bake this Rye Bread instead. This is one of the recipes in my baking book “Low-Sugar Cakes and Bakes”.

It is another Rye Bread recipe created by me using Tangzhong (water roux) method that I bake in a Dutch oven. This method yields a crispy crust bread with soft and chewy insides. However, it turns soft once it cools down but that is probably because of the Malaysian humidity. To get back a crispy crust, just put the bread in a hot oven for 10 to 15 minutes to reheat or toast it.

Tangzhong method is quite similar to Yudane method. Both methods are scalding method. For Tangzhong method, a small portion of dough is cooked over the fire.

Please click here to see the differences between Yudane vs Tangzhong Method.

If you have any questions regarding this recipe or any other post, please leave me a comment in the “LEAVE A COMMENT” link and I will reply you as soon as possible. Do tag me on Instagram @Bakewithpaws if you attempt on this recipe.

Recipe - Rye Bread with Chia Seed (Tangzhong Method)

Yield: 1 loaf

Tangzhong Dough:

30g bread flour

145g water

Main dough:

100g rye flour

220g bread flour

All Tangzhong

1 tsp instant yeast

1 ½ tbsp (15g) sugar

1 tbsp full cream milk powder

1 tsp salt

2 ½ tbsp chia seeds

20g olive oil or coconut oil

150g fresh milk

Toppings:

5g black sesame seed

5g white sesame seed

5g poppy seed

10g sunflower seed

Utensils:

Dutch oven (cast iron skillet)

Baking tray

METHOD:

How to make Tangzhong:

In a sauce pan, combine flour and water. Mix with whisk or spatula until no lumps.
Cook over medium-low heat, stirring consistently until the mixture becomes thicker. Once you see some lines appear, it is ready.
Remove from heat and transfer to a clean bowl to let it cool. Tangzhong can be used straight away once it cools down to room temperature. It can be stored in fridge up to a few days The chilled tangzhong should return to room temperature before using.

Kneading Main Dough:

Add all ingredients (first add salt, flours, sugar, yeast, milk powder, chia seeds, olive oil, fresh milk and lastly tangzhong) into the bowl of stand mixer. Using the dough hook on a stand mixer, knead until the dough comes together, become elastic and tacky but not sticky. It takes around 12 - 15 minutes at medium speed. If the dough is too dry, add 1 tablespoon of water at a time. Some bread flour absorbs more water.

1st Proofing:

Let the dough complete the first round of proofing in the same bowl for 1 hour or until double in size in a warm and dark place. The best place is in an oven (off).

Toppings:

Combine all the topping ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.

Shaping:

Punch down the dough and transfer to a floured top. Shape it into a ball. Slightly flatten the dough with your hand. Fold the top to the centre, bottom to the centre, fold into half and press the bottom to seal, then shape it into an oval shape.
Spread the topping seeds on the table top. Brush the top of the bread with water and then roll the bread on the seeds mixture. Transfer the dough into a pan lined with parchment paper.

Final Shaping:

Let the dough rise for second proofing about 45 to 60 minutes or until double in size.

Baking:

Pre-heat the oven with Dutch Oven with lid on at maximum temperature, 250C (Fan-forced) for about 30 minutes.
Transfer the Dutch oven from oven and open the lid carefully. Gently drop the dough with parchment paper into the Dutch oven. Close the lid and return to oven. Bake for 30 minutes at 230C. After 30 minutes, remove the lid and check. If the bread still not brown enough, then return the Dutch oven to the oven and continue to bake for another 5 to 10 minutes until the desired colour.
Let it cool on cooling rack.

GENERAL NOTES:

GLUTEN DEVELOPMENT & WINDOWPANE TEST

Gluten forms when flour comes in contact with water. Hydration of the flour causes the sticky and stretchy protein to form, giving structure to the bread. This makes your bread trap air and rise.

Gluten in dough can be developed by autolyse, resting, kneading or folding.

The windowpane test is used to determine whether the dough has been sufficiently kneaded. By gently pulling the dough (or you may pinch off some dough) and trying to stretch it into a thin membrane. If you are able to stretch the dough paper thin and translucent without tearing, then the gluten is fully developed. However, if you can stretch it without tearing but the membrane is not transparent, then the gluten is not yet fully developed.

However, from my experience not all the recipe can achieve a thin and translucent window pane stage easily. For example low hydration and low fat dough. For such recipes, a reasonable window pane is good enough and it can be left to rest. Gluten will continue to develop while resting. Exercising restraint to not over-knead the dough prevents the gluten from being overworked and broken. Some of you may have experienced the dough breaking during the second proofing. It is because the dough is over kneaded.

The total kneading time for me is usually 15 minutes at low speeds except brioche dough with high fat percentage or dough using liquid fat which usually takes a little longer (maybe 18-20 mins).

From my experience, I found that high hydration dough with high percentage of fat will be easy to stretch and achieve a paper thin windowpane stage.

KNEADING TIME

For kneading, please regard the timing provided as an indication only. It is only meant as a guide. Timing may differ depending on the brand of flour and electric mixer used. The protein content may vary from one brand of flour to another.

FLOUR
The right flour plays a very important role in bread making. To achieve fluffy, soft and light bread, I used Japan High Gluten Flour in most of my bread baking. The protein content is around 12 - 13%.

HYDRATION

The liquid measurement given is also a guide. It is advisable to always reserve some liquid and not add it all in one go. This would give you the opportunity to adjust if necessary. If dough is too dry, add the reserve liquid one tablespoon at a time until the right consistency. This is because each flour absorbs water and hydrates differently.

PROOFING

Please note that the proofing timing may also vary depending on your climate and environment. The humidity and temperature at your place will influence how dough rises.

If you are unable to judge by just looking at the dough, you can do the finger poke test:

First Proofing:

Lightly flour or oil your finger or knuckle, gently poke in the centre of the dough then remove your finger. If it bounces back immediately without any indentation then it needs more time.
If the indentation stays and it doesn’t bounce back or if the dough collapses, then the it is over proved.
If it bounces back just a little, then the dough is ready to be punched down and shaping.

Second Proofing:

Lightly press the side of the proved dough with your finger. If it bounces back immediately without any indentation, it means the dough is under proved and needs more time before baking.
If the indentation stays and it doesn’t bounce back, it means it has been over proved.
If the indentation slowly bounces back and leave a small indentation, it is ready to bake.
There will be a final burst of rising once the bread is placed to bake in the oven and it is called oven spring.

WRINKLE TOP OR SHRINKING

If your bread collapses or gets wrinkled on top after removing from oven, it could be because your dough over proved during the second proofing. Please proof until it rises 80 - 90% in size or is slightly below the rim of the pan.

BAKING TEMPERATURE & TIME

Do also note that the baking temperature and timing provided are what works for my oven and should also be regarded as a guide only. Every oven behaves a little differently, so please adjust accordingly for your oven.

Comments

NicoleApril 30, 2019 at 8:41 AM
I'm experimenting with Rye bread recently and this recipe looks good. Can I omit the chia seed?
AnonymousMay 8, 2019 at 5:27 PM
Hi, I am very interested to bake this bread but I don't have a Dutch oven. Can I omit it and adjust the temperature and baking time to yield the same result?
MeganFebruary 19, 2021 at 11:53 PM
Hi, this bread looks good. I don’t hv a Dutch oven. Should I bake at 180 degree for abt 30mins ? Thanks for sharing yr recipe
AnonymousMarch 15, 2022 at 7:58 PM
Hi there, can I omit the milk powder? And if I want to replace it, what can be the substitute - more milk? Thanks!
Bake With PawsMarch 16, 2022 at 1:05 AM
Hi, thanks for reading this recipe. Yes, you can omit milk powder and do not need replacement.

Cheers :)