Apricot rye loaf
A dense rye-and-wheat loaf with small pieces of soft dried apricot. Make the preferment the night before, and allow a long rest after baking for clean slices.
Method
01 · Mix and mature the preferment
600–720 minUse: Wholemeal rye flour; Strong white bread flour; Water; Instant dried yeast
Mix the preferment rye flour, white flour, 175 g water and 0.6 g yeast into a thick paste. Cover with room for expansion and leave at 18–21°C for 10–12 hours.Ready when: The paste has expanded and contains many small bubbles.

01 Ferment the overnight pasteLet the overnight preferment become bubbly. 02 · Develop the final rye dough
5–7 minUse: Wholemeal rye flour; Strong white bread flour; Water; Instant dried yeast; Fine salt; Unsalted butter
Add the final rye flour, white flour, 175 g water, 4.4 g yeast, salt and softened dough butter. Mix firmly with a sturdy spoon or dough hook for 4–5 minutes, until evenly combined.Ready when: The dough is cohesive and sticky. It will not form the thin elastic sheet of a white-flour dough.

02 Mix the final rye doughMix the final dough until evenly combined. 03 · Fold in the apricots
2–3 minUse: Soft dried apricots
Fold the chopped soft apricots into the dough with a scraper until they are evenly spread.Ready when: There are no large pockets of unmixed filling. Keep the dough soft rather than adding flour to remove all stickiness.

03 Fold in the soft dried apricotsFold the chopped soft dried apricots through the dough. 04 · Let the rye dough rise
60–90 minUse:
Cover and leave at 22–24°C for 60–90 minutes.Ready when: The dough is visibly aerated and has increased in volume by roughly half; it need not double.

04 Let the fruit dough riseLet the covered fruit dough become visibly aerated. 05 · Shape and fill the loaf tin
8–12 minUse: Butter for the tin; Flour for shaping
Butter a 23×13×8 cm loaf tin and line its base with baking paper. Use the shaping flour sparingly on the worktop and scraper. Form the dough into a short log and place it in the tin, then press it gently into the corners and smooth the surface.Ready when: One evenly filled tin has a level dough surface and no large empty corners.

05 Fill and level the tinFill the tin evenly and smooth the surface. 06 · Proof and heat the oven
45–90 minUse:
Cover loosely and leave at 22–24°C for 45–90 minutes. Heat the oven to 220°C conventional during the final 20 minutes.Ready when: The loaf is puffy and rises toward the top of the tin. Fine surface cracks may begin to appear; bake before the surface sinks.

06 Proof the tin loafLet the loaf rise toward the top of the tin. 07 · Bake at two oven settings
45–55 minUse:
Bake for 15 minutes at 220°C, then reduce the oven to 200°C and bake for another 30–40 minutes. Cover loosely with foil if the top darkens early. Probe the bread near the centre, avoiding a piece of fruit.Ready when: The bread reaches 96–97°C and the sides and base are set.

07 Bake until firm and fully setBake until the centre and loaf structure are set. 08 · Rest for twelve hours before slicing
720 minUse:
Leave in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack. Once fully cool, wrap in a clean cloth or paper. Wait at least 12 hours from the end of baking before slicing.Ready when: The loaf is completely cool and the dense crumb cuts cleanly rather than smearing.

08 Rest fully before slicingRest for at least twelve hours before slicing.
What to look for
| Stage | Look / feel for | Needs attention |
|---|---|---|
| Mix and mature the preferment | The paste has expanded and contains many small bubbles. | |
| Develop the final rye dough | The dough is cohesive and sticky. It will not form the thin elastic sheet of a white-flour dough. | |
| Fold in the apricots | There are no large pockets of unmixed filling. Keep the dough soft rather than adding flour to remove all stickiness. | |
| Let the rye dough rise | The dough is visibly aerated and has increased in volume by roughly half; it need not double. | |
| Shape and fill the loaf tin | One evenly filled tin has a level dough surface and no large empty corners. | |
| Proof and heat the oven | The loaf is puffy and rises toward the top of the tin. Fine surface cracks may begin to appear; bake before the surface sinks. | |
| Bake at two oven settings | The bread reaches 96–97°C and the sides and base are set. | |
| Rest for twelve hours before slicing | The loaf is completely cool and the dense crumb cuts cleanly rather than smearing. |
Troubleshooting
| If you see this | Likely cause | What to do now | Next time |
|---|---|---|---|
| The dough is sticky. | Rye forms a paste-like dough rather than a stretchy white-flour dough. | Use a scraper and the measured dusting flour without trying to make it dry. | Measure the water and use the stated tin for support. |
| The crumb smears on the knife. | The loaf may have been sliced too soon or baked too briefly. | If fully baked, finish the stated rest before trying another slice. | Check the bread centre and keep the full 12-hour baked rest. |
| The top sinks before baking. | The final rise went beyond the dough’s capacity. | Bake promptly; expect a denser loaf. | Use the surface and volume cues rather than extending the timer automatically. |
Storage: After the full rest, wrap and keep in a cool dry place for up to 3 days. Freeze wrapped slices for up to 2 months. Toast thawed slices if the crumb has firmed.; Contains: rye, wheat, milk, sulphites if present in the dried apricots.; This Nepedia version has not been kitchen-tested.
Other approaches to this recipe
| Cook / recipe | Use | What differs |
|---|
The working ingredients and method form one recipe. Different formulas are compared without averaging their quantities or rise schedules.
