Pain De Seigle Rye Bread Recipe by Baker Apollonia Poilâne
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Oct 27, 2024 • 6 min read
This French-style rye is rustic and full of malty, chocolatey flavor.
Learn From the Best
A Brief Introduction to Apollonia Poilâne
When Pierre Poilâne opened his eponymous French bakery in 1932, he didn’t know that his breads would lay the groundwork for an artisanal baking revolution. More than 80 years later, Apollonia Poilâne is carrying on her grandfather’s legacy and putting her own stamp on the family business, using the same recipes and the same 80-plus-year-old sourdough starter to produce Poilâne’s cult-status artisan breads.
What Is Pain De Seigle?
Pain de seigle (which translates as “bread of rye”) was one of the original offerings sold at Poilâne when the famous French bakery opened in 1932. Although the term pain de seigle can refer to any type of rye bread (from pumpernickel to Jewish-style rye bread), Poilâne’s version closely resembles the bakery’s stone-ground wheat miche and is made with the same sourdough starter. Poilâne’s pain de seigle loaves are round and slightly sour.
Benefits of Rye Flour for Baking Bread
Rye is a cold-hardy grain that thrives in nutrient-poor soil and was once a food staple in northern and eastern Europe. Its flour has a floral quality, which Apollonia likens to “walking through a field of flowers on a warm spring day,” and there are a few reasons to use it in baking.
First, rye flour makes for a dense, moist bread. Rye flour is low in gluten and high in carbohydrates called pentosans (aka arabinoxylans), which readily absorb water to produce a very sticky dough. Pentosans, unlike starch, remain moist after baking, yielding a dense loaf. Rye breads won’t rise as high as white breads, and they should be kneaded by hand damaging the fragile pentosans.
Additionally, rye’s bran and endosperm are higher in fiber than whole wheat flour, giving even refined rye a lower glycemic index. The lignans (micronutrients) found in rye are anti-inflammatory. Whole-grain rye flour (or pumpernickel rye flour) uses the entire rye berry (bran, germ, and endosperm) and includes protein, potassium, and B vitamins. White or light rye flour has been milled to contain only the endosperm. Apollonia recommends using medium rye flour, which has some, but not all, of the germ and bran removed.
Apollonia Poilâne’s Pain De Seigle Recipe
makes
1 loafprep time
1 hrtotal time
6 hrcook time
1 hrIngredients
Apollonia likes to make her loaf using 100 percent rye flour, but if you’re just getting started, try cutting your loaf with all-purpose flour (as the recipe here calls for) and work your way up to a pure base.
- 1
Set up your workstation with a large bowl of room temperature water for rinsing your hands.
- 2
In a small bowl, combine the yeast with 1 tablespoon of lukewarm water and whisk with a fork. Let sit until activated, about 2 minutes. Test for activation by briefly whisking with a fork; the mixture should foam.
- 3
In another small bowl, combine the salt with 1 tablespoon lukewarm water and stir to partially dissolve.
- 4
Using a rubber spatula or bench scraper, scrape the sourdough starter into the center of a large glass bowl. Add the activated yeast mixture to one side of the starter and sprinkle with some of the rye flour. Add the salt mixture to the other side of the bowl, making sure the salt does not directly touch the yeast, which could deactivate the yeast. Add the remaining rye flour and all of the bread flour on top of the other ingredients.
- 5
Pour 1 cup plus 6 tablespoons of room temperature water around the sides of the bowl to help the dough detach from the sides of the bowl.
- 6
Lightly flour your hands with rye flour. Make a scoop shape with your dominant hand and scoop the dough, gently stirring to incorporate the ingredients. Use your free hand to turn the bowl as you scoop and mix the dough.
- 7
Continue mixing until the dough comes together. You should have a very sticky, wet dough with a texture similar to cooked oatmeal. Use a dough scraper to scrape any excess dough off of your hands and into the bowl.
- 8
Rinse your hands in the prepared bowl and dry with a clean cloth. Lightly flour your work surface. Rub your hands on the floured surface to spread out the flour and dry out your hands.
- 9
Use a bench scraper to tip the dough out of the bowl and onto the floured surface. Flip the dough over using the bench scraper. If it sticks to the surface, add a little more flour underneath the dough.
- 10
Knead the dough into a ball. Use your palm to bring one edge of the dough in toward the center, then press it down with the heel of your hand. Repeat this process, going all the way around the dough mound, until it forms a smooth dough that can be easily shaped into a ball. If the dough sticks to the surface, pick it up using the bench scraper and re-flour.
- 11
Let the dough rest on a floured work surface for 1½ hours in a warm (68 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit or 20 to 25 degrees Celsius), draft-free space, covered with a cloth. The dough should rise slightly, about 20 to 40 percent.
- 12
After about 1½ hours (but no more than 2 hours), uncover the dough. Re-flour the work surface and your hands, if needed. Flip the dough over on the work surface with your hands or a bench scraper.
- 13
Flour a cloth-lined wicker proofing basket (or large colander lined with cotton or linen) with 1 teaspoon rye flour and set aside. If using a new basket, spray it with water before sprinkling the sides with flour. Do this a few hours ahead of using it.
- 14
Slowly roll the dough ball across the length of the work surface, using your hands to keep a round shape, about 3 times. Add flour to your hands and the work surface as necessary. Use your hands to grab the dough from underneath and turn it into the proofing basket, seam side up.
- 15
Cover the proofing basket with a cloth and let rise in a warm (68 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit or 20 to 25 degrees Celsius), draft-free space until the seam opens up and the dough rises to the top of the basket or an inch above (about 2 fingers wide), about 1½ hours (but no more than 2 hours).
- 16
When the dough is almost fully risen, position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit or 220 degrees Celsius.
- 17
Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. In one smooth motion, flip the bread onto the baking sheet. If the dough sticks to the basket, tip the basket and use your hand to delicately coax the dough out. (Alternatively, you can bake the loaf in a Dutch oven to give it some extra lift.)
- 18
Score the dough. Using a very sharp lame or razor blade with light pressure, create a hash mark that’s about ¼ inch deep. Let the dough rest to allow the slash to open up slightly, about 2 minutes.
- 19
Bake until the loaf no longer expands, at least 60 minutes. To determine if the bread is fully baked, use the knock test: Balance the bread on its side and knock or tap on the bottom of the bread. If the resulting noise sounds clear, the bread is ready. If the knock sounds muffled, return the loaf to the oven for 5 more minutes and test again. For this loaf, err on the side of overbaking rather than underbaking.
- 20
Let the bread cool on a wire rack for about 1 to 2 hours.
- 21
Wrap the bread in a cloth or place it in a paper bag. Store at room temperature for 3 to 7 days. If freezing, wait until the bread has cooled down entirely. Store it in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw the loaf at room temperature when you’re ready to use.
Become a better chef with the MasterClass Annual Membership. Gain access to exclusive video lessons taught by culinary masters, including Apollonia Poilâne, Dominique Ansel, Gabriela Cámara, Chef Thomas Keller, Yotam Ottolenghi, Gordon Ramsay, Alice Waters, and more.