Step 1

Levain (the night before)

Step 2

Mix the ingredients for the rye levain and let ripen overnight. In a cool kitchen, this may take 8-10 hours. In the summertime, use cool water to prevent the starter from ripening in the middle of the night. 100% hydration rye starter is fairly stiff so you may see no expansion for the first few hours (likewise with the dough). Aim for the starter to have at least doubled in size when you use it.

Step 3

Dough (the next morning)

Step 4

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl until everything is incorporated. Different yogurt brands have different hydration, so feel add a smidge more flour or water if needed.

Step 5

Let the dough rise until it has expanded by about 75% (see photo in the gallery below). In a very cool kitchen (63-65°F), this took 14 hours. A subsequent dough at 68°F took 10 hours. The beer and yogurt are cold additions, and the dough is relatively stiff, so it doesn't ferment very quickly.

Step 6

Shaping (early evening)

Step 7

Sprinkle your work surface with whole rye flour and scrape the dough out of your bowl or bucket.

Step 8

Using a floured bench knife, fold the dough into a ball. Adding flour as needed, flip over the ball and shape the dough into a boule with your hands. Oval and oblong shapes are fine too, but not the traditional tourte.

Step 9

Flour your proofing basket and flip the dough into it, seam side up. You'll flip the dough again into your baking vessel with the smooth side up, but the crust will still crack nicely.

Step 10

Cover and let the dough proof for 1-2 hours, depending on your ambient temperature. The dough will expand a little and look slightly puffier (see photo gallery).

Step 11

About 30 minutes before the end of the final proof, start preheating your oven and baking vessel to 425F.

Step 12

When the preheat is complete, flip the rye dough out of the proofing basket and onto a sheet of parchment paper or the base of your hot baking vessel, cover, and return the vessel to the oven.

Step 13

Bake for 60-65 minutes (late evening)

Step 14

10 minutes at 425F lid on

Step 15

30 minutes at 415F lid on

Step 16

20-25 minutes at 415F lid off (leave the lid on longer or the entire time if you prefer a softer crust)

Step 17

When baking is complete, the bread should have an internal temperature of at least 208F and it should sound hollow when you knock on the bottom of the loaf.

Step 18

Cool and Set (cut the morning after the next)

Step 19

Wait 24-48 hours before cutting into this bread so that the crumb can set and isn't gummy. Store cut-side down on a cutting board and cover with a bowl, towel, or bag.