Amazingly Fluffy 70% Medium Rye Wheat Toast
The first time I made whole wheat toast that rose this high, I had to share it with everyone. This recipe has a high water content, so for first-timers, it's recommended to reserve 10-30g of water. Adjust water volume based on your flour's water absorption. Tips: A properly kneaded high-water dough isn't sticky; it feels elastic and springy. If it feels sticky, it's under-kneaded. You can slap or fold the dough to increase its gluten strength, but reduce water next time. This recipe isn't too challenging and is quite manageable. If your flour is excessively sticky and difficult to handle, try switching brands of bread flour. Also, make sure your flour is properly stored and doesn't absorb moisture. For first-timers, stick to the original recipe and avoid altering it. If it doesn't turn out well, don't blame the recipe. Making toast is challenging due to higher dough requirements compared to regular bread. Keep practicing and experimenting, and I hope you'll soon achieve the perfect loaf 🍞. In summer, use chilled water, eggs, and milk to control dough temperature. During summer, you can knead the pre-fermented dough straight from the fridge, while in winter, let it warm to room temperature before kneading. The final dough temperature should be around 26°C. For fermentation temperature and humidity, a home proofing box is highly recommended for easier control. Most home ovens have temperature discrepancies, so it's best to place an oven thermometer inside. If you don't have one, buy one now. It's an essential tool for baking. For non-rising dough, it could be due to inactive yeast. Try using a fresh batch of high-sugar-tolerant yeast for bread-making. For shaping and rolling: 1. You can roll once or twice, depending on personal preference. 2. Roll evenly from the center outward, keeping the thickness uniform. 3. Don't roll too tightly or loosely; seal the bottom well. 4. Roll 2.5-3 rotations for a standard loaf. 5. Place rolls in the loaf pan in the same direction. 6. Handle the dough gently; avoid pulling or tearing. Using a lower proportion of whole wheat flour results in better texture, as stronger gluten allows for better volume. If you're aiming for 100% whole wheat, try making European-style bread with long fermentation for an incredibly aromatic final product.
Ingredients
Steps
Start by preparing the pre-fermented dough by mixing all its ingredients together until combined. It's best to prepare the pre-fermented dough the night before and let it chill in the fridge for use the next day.
The dough was fermented for around 12 hours, growing 3-4 times its original volume with a honeycomb structure inside—it's ready for use.
Cut the pre-fermented dough into small chunks, then mix them with all the main dough ingredients except the butter in a bowl.
The pre-fermented dough develops gluten easily. Avoid over-kneading; once the dough clings to the dough hook and leaves no residue on the bowl's walls, add butter and knead until fully developed.
Here's a short video showing the moment when the dough is nearly done kneading. Once it stops sticking to the bowl walls and wraps around the hook completely, it's ready. Keep observing and adjusting during kneading. For a good membrane, the dough needs elasticity and resilience. Be mindful of temperature control during kneading; overheating (above 26°C) will affect the outcome. It's recommended to use a mixer for high-hydration dough to avoid difficulties with hand-kneading, especially for beginners. Prolonged hand-kneading can also raise dough temperature. A perfect toast relies more on temperature control than achieving a thin dough membrane. Experienced Japanese bakers often don't emphasize the membrane but still produce excellent toast loaves. Consider referring to Japanese bread books for detailed instructions and solutions to common issues.
After kneading, here's the membrane resulting in a fully developed dough. When stretched out, it should form thin, elastic layers with visible tiny bubbles.
Round the kneaded dough with a tight seam at the bottom, then let it proof in a warm, humid spot (26°C) for 30 minutes. Since this uses 70% pre-ferment, proofing time is fixed rather than judging by volume or appearance.
After the first proofing, this is what the dough looks like. Use this as a reference.
Lightly deflate the dough, then divide it evenly into 3 portions (about 150g each). When cutting, handle with care to maintain the dough's integrity. Avoid chopping it into bits.
Round the divided dough portions, seam side down, and let them rest in the proofing environment for 10-15 minutes. If the dough feels sticky during shaping, lightly dust with bread flour or apply a small amount of oil for anti-stick purposes. Use sparingly.
Roll out the rested portions twice and place them into a loaf pan for the second proofing at 38°C. For the first roll, aim for about 1.5 rotations. For the second roll, aim for 2.5 to 3 rotations. Avoid rolling the dough too thin.
Once the dough has risen to 80-90% of the mold's height, bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 35 minutes. If satisfied with the coloring halfway through, cover the loaf with foil. Preheat the oven fully to avoid extending bake time, which can lead to moisture loss, thick crusts, smaller volume, and impaired texture.
This whole wheat toast rose spectacularly—within just 5 minutes of entering the oven! If you have questions about the tutorial, feel free to contact me on Weibo under the username: Xiao Ai Never Idle.
Adding a GIF here! I've listed a few more key details, so if anything's unclear, leave a comment. Toast-making requires attentiveness to every step. Each detail affects the final appearance. Stay focused and aim for perfection. The greatest joy in toast-making comes from correcting past mistakes, continuously improving, and seeing progress. I look forward to seeing your creations—good luck!
Here's a picture of a higher hydration dough when I added leftover egg, making it even more watery. Fully kneaded high-hydration dough feels springy. For beginners, practice and experience will make you more adept.
Another dough kneading snapshot.
Yet another kneading picture—I really enjoy playing with sticky dough, haha 😃.