Boiled cider rye bread

Mix room-temperature water, equal weight of medium rye flour and sourdough culture at about 10% of the flour weight into a homogenous clay-like pre-ferment.

Cover and leave 12 to 16 hours to rise until acidic and smelling of fresh-cut grass.

Add the water to the pre-ferment and mix by hand to distribute the culture.

Add the 544 g medium rye flour, the boiled cider and the yeast, and stir with a spatula until combined; keep hands wet when touching the sticky dough.

Cover and rise about an hour somewhere around 75F, up to 80F, until slightly puffy with pinprick bubbles.

Sift a thorough but light coat of flour over the basket liners.

Flour the top of the dough, turn it out and divide into two pieces of just under 800 grams.

Pat each piece and gather the outside into the middle to form a rough round without degassing; place smooth side down in the basket.

Cover and proof about 30 minutes in a warm spot until it yields only slightly.

Invert onto parchment and score a checkerboard with a lame, about five cuts each way; or leave unscored to crack naturally.

Load into the oven, add steam, close the door quickly and give a full bake.