Step 1

Prepare the levain – 9:00 p.m.Mix the Levain ingredients in a large jar or medium bowl and leave them covered with a lid or reusable plastic bowl cover at a warm temperature, 74-76°F (23-24°C), to ripen overnight.

Step 2

Mix – 9:00 a.m. (the next day)Warm the mixing water to 82°F (28°C). Place the flour, water, salt, and levain in a large bowl. With wet hands (or, my preference, using a sturdy dough whisk), mix thoroughly until no dry bits remain. Gather up the dough into a ball in the center of the mixing bowl (see below, right).

Step 3

Bulk fermentation – 9:15 a.m. to 9:35 a.m.At a warm room temperature, 74-76°F (23-24°C), bulk fermentation should take 20 minutes (yes, it’s short!). No stretches and folds are necessary.

Step 4

Shape – 9:35 a.m.Prepare an 8-inch round proofing basket or banneton by liberally dusting on whole rye flour. Be sure the entire surface area of the basket’s interior is covered with flour. Flour your work surface, the top of the dough in the large bowl, and your hands. Scrape the dough onto the floured work surface with the floured top of the dough facing down. Using your bench scraper, fold the left side of the dough over to about the middle. Then, use the scraper to fold the top (twelve o’clock) down to the middle. Repeat for the right side and bottom. You should now have a folded-up shape that loosely resembles a square in front of you. Using your floured hands, flip the dough over and quickly and confidently round it until it gets into a rough ball shape. Using your bench scraper, scoop up the dough and place it seam-side-down into the prepared proofing basket. Dust the top of the dough with more whole rye flour in an even layer. Cover the basket with a reusable plastic cover for an air-tight seal.

Step 5

Proof – 9:45 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.At room temperature, this rye sourdough bread will take 1 hour to proof. During this time, preheat your oven with a baking stone or steel on a rack in the bottom third to 450°F (230°C).

Step 6

Bake – 10:45 a.m.Place a piece of parchment paper on a pizza peel or inverted baking sheet. Tip the dough out of the basket into your hand and quickly invert it over the parchment paper seam-side down. Slide the dough onto the preheated baking surface, steam the oven, and bake for 30 minutes. After this time, reduce the temperature of the oven to 400°F (205°C) and bake for 30 to 35 minutes longer, until the crust is deep golden brown and a knock to the bottom sounds a bit hollow. Let the bread cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Then, to ensure the interior is fully set, place it inside a plastic bag or cover it with baker’s linen and let it rest for 24 hours before slicing.