FIG RYE WITH OATS

Course Breakfast, Side Dish

Ingredients

10 ounces active
Dark Rye Flour (total 26 ounces)
8 ounces dried mission figs
1 cup thick cut oats
¼ cup dutch process cocoa powder
Kosher salt
Warm Water total 26 ounces

Instructions

To Begin measure out: 10 ounces sourdough, 10 ounces water, 10 ounces rye flour (2 ¼ cups)
Mix together in a medium bowl (it will be a stiff dough). Cover and let sit at room temperature for 8 hours. This is your rye starter. To this you will add the rest of the ingredients.
After 8 hours: When almost ready to mix final dough, rehydrate 8 ounces mission figs in 8 ounces of warm water and soak 1 cup thick cut oats in 8 ounces of warm water let both sit for 30 minutes.
Puree the figs with their water in a food processor adding ¼ cup of dutch processed cocoa powder, blend until you have a lump free paste.
Pour 16 ounces of warm water over starter, add the figs and the oats and stir together well. mix in 16 ounces of rye flour and 1 tablespoon kosher salt. Stir together to form a rough ball in the center of the bowl.
Cover and let sit 2 hours.
The dough will have risen to about double in size. If not, it’s ok to let it go a little longer. Just remember this is a very dense bread with not a ton of rise.
Pour out onto a well floured surface and using a knife or bench scraper, divide the dough into 3 equal parts.
Grease 3 loaf pans and carefully pick up each section of dough and tuck it into a pan. No need to knead, there is really no gluten to develop and you’ll just have a sticky mess on your hands. (Think of it as a wet scone batter rather than bread dough and you will be better off)
Cover with plastic wrap and let rise another 45 minutes to an hour.
Bake in a preheated 325 degree F./163 degree C. oven for about an hour. You are looking for an internal temp of 200 degree F./93 degree C. Pull from the oven and let cool completely before pulling from the pan. Wrap well and store at room temperature for about a week or lasts 3 months in the freezer.

Notes

This is a very dense and moist bread, perfect for toasting and slathering and topping with yummy things. (This process uses a sponge that is left to rise overnight, and while it may seem complicated, it’s more wait time than anything else. It’s a good recipe to do on a snowy day at home in between naps)