Pane di Segale: Rustic Italian Rye Bread

Pane di Segale — a dark, hearty Italian rye loaf, gently tangy, with a chewy crumb and a beautifully rustic, flour-dusted crust.

Ingredients

• 2 cups (240 g) rye flour
• 2 cups (250 g) bread flour
• 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) lukewarm water
• 2 1/4 tsp (7 g) active dry yeast
• 2 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• Rye or bread flour for dusting

Instructions

1. Stir the warm water, honey and yeast together. Rest for 5–10 minutes until foamy.
2. Add both flours, salt and olive oil. Mix until you have a soft, slightly sticky dough.
3. Knead for about 6–8 minutes. Rye dough naturally stays a little tackier and denser than white bread dough.
4. Place in a lightly oiled bowl and cover. Leave somewhere cozy until noticeably puffed, about 1–1 1/2 hours.
5. Gently form the dough into a rustic round loaf. Place on parchment, dust with flour, cover, and rise again for 30–45 minutes.
6. Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Score a simple cross or leaf pattern into the top. Bake for 35–40 minutes, until the crust is deep brown and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped underneath.
7. The hard part: let it cool completely before slicing.

Serve it rustic-style — thick slices are especially lovely with butter and honey, aged cheese, soup, or a drizzle of good olive oil. Baker's note: for an even more rustic character, sprinkle the top with rye flour before scoring. It creates that beautiful flour-dusted country-loaf appearance. Buon pane fa buone giornate.