I've been recovering from a kidney stone incident that hit me over the holidays. But it hasn't slowed me down in the baking department. Been toying with the idea of putting together another old soaker rye bread, after coming upon Herr Süpkes Rheinisches Schwartzbrot. 

It's a classic 100 percent rye, which calls for "gross und mittel  schrot," or chopped rye in various sizes. I'd baked it before and knew what it meant, but the step-by-step was still a challenge, whether following it in German or translating it to English! 

Out of both chops and rye meal, I had to grind my own. And I wondered what the grainy clay-like dough would give up in a final bake, as during the mix  rye lacks the characteristics of gluten rich wheat dough. Perplexed by the various short mixes and rest periods in-between, and lacking parchment, I opted to plop this dough into a loaf pan rather then go free form.

Well, now complete, it turned out great. Made me even a greater fan of rye than when I'd started, despite any problems along the way. Because with a bit of butter and some ham, oooh it's all the redolent memory of my days as a kid in Germany revisited, pure rye heaven!