Don’t you totally love it when a baker friend comes over to eat? Chances are he or she will bring bread and when, as is the case with Larry Lowary (of Tree-Top Baking), he is in full off-season research and development mode and has just spent a couple of days feeding starters, mixing and baking, he might get a bit carried away and arrive at your house with such an array of loaves that you just want to fall at his feet and kiss them. Okay, I am getting a bit carried away myself right here but I was truly thrilled when I saw what was in the big brown paper bag he put on the counter. I knew immediately that I couldn’t let him slice into any of these loaves without taking a few pictures first, so that you too can see what a baker bakes when he goes on a rye bender. My only regret is that I didn’t take a picture of the bread basket Larry put on the table. It was truly a thing of beauty but by the time I was done with the photo shoot, we were so famished that I couldn’t decently keep anyone waiting any longer. I guess we’ll have to invite Larry back…
Chad Robertson’s Danish Rye
Hanne Risgaard’s Spelt Rye
Jeffrey Hamelman’s 80% Rye
SFBI’s Finnish Rye
In case you are interested in making any or all of these breads to taste them yourself, here are the websites or books where you can find the recipes or formulas:
Chad Robertson’s Danish Rye Bread
http://www.foodarts.com/recipes/recipes/15988/danishstyle-rye-bread-rugbrt
Hanne Risgaard’s Spelt Rye Bread
Hanne Risgaard, Home Baked: Nordic Recipes and Techniques for Organic Bread and Pastry, p. 134
Jeffrey Hamelman’s 80% Sourdough Rye
Jeffrey Hamelman, Bread: A Baker’s Book of Techniques and Recipes, p. 213
SFBI’s Finnish Rye
http://sfbi.com/images/Finnish_Rye.pdf
Larry, thank you for sharing both your breads and your sources! You are not only a great baker but also (and even more importantly) a wonderful friend. We are privileged to have you in our lives.