10/01/2026
You've probably heard about the new bakery in New York City selling Austrian rye bread for $60 a loaf. Curious to see what all the buzz was about, I decided to bake one myself.
The recipe I followed was inspired by Jeffrey Hamelman's three-stage build process, which uses different hydrations and temperatures to gradually develop acidity and flavor. The entire process, including fermentation and proofing, took nearly three days. I used 80% rye flour rather than 100%, and if you've ever baked with rye, you know how sticky and challenging it can be since it doesn't develop gluten like wheat flour does. It wasn't my favorite dough to work with, and the lengthy, complex process isn't likely to inspire me to make it often.
The finished loaf was rich, mildly tangy, aromatic, and had a tight, closed crumb. It was about twice the size of a standard loaf, but because rye lacks the structure provided by gluten, it was dense and somewhat flatter in shape.
My daughter gave it her seal of approval, calling it "fancy bread" and promptly creating her own sandwich with it.
