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1
Soak the rye berries in about 6 cups of the hot spring water, or at least enough to cover berries by 1-inch.
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2
Let stand 8 hours or overnight (if the water becomes completely absorbed before soaking time has ended, add more hot spring water to cover).
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3
Drain and reserve the soaking liquid.
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4
Add enough fresh room-temperature spring water to the reserved soaking liquid to measure 6 cups total.
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5
Reserve.
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6
Combine the starter, rye berries and reserved 6 cups water in a 6-quart bowl.
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7
Break up the starter well with a wooden spoon and stir until it loosens and the mixture is slightly frothy.
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8
Add 1 cup (5 1/2 ounces) of the rye flour and all the cracked rye.
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9
Stir well until combined.
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10
Add the salt and remaining flour.
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11
Stir until combined and the mixture is wet and sticky.
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12
Take the dough's temperature -- the ideal is 78 degrees.
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13
Cover with a clean damp towel and put in a moderately warm (74 to 80 degrees) draft-free place.
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14
Note: If the dough temperature is higher than 78 degrees put it in a cooler than 78 degree place, like the refrigerator, until the dough cools to 78 degrees.
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15
If it is lower than 78 degrees, put it in a warmer than 78 degree place until the dough warms to 78 degrees.
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16
The point is to try to keep the dough at 78 degrees during its fermentation.
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17
If you have to move the dough, be gentle and don't jostle it, or the dough might deflate.
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18
The dough will become spongy but not springy, distinctly sour-smelling and increased in volume by about 1/4.
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19
Generously grease 2 (5 by 9 by 3-inch) loaf pans with vegetable shortening and dust with rye flour.
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20
Turn the dough into the prepared pans.
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21
Smooth the tops with a wet thin flexible cake spatula.
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22
Cover the loaves with a clean damp towel or plastic wrap and put in a moderately warm (74 to 80 degree) draft free place until the dough has domed slightly and increased in volume again by 1/4.
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23
Bake on center rack of a preheated 300 degree oven until the loaves have shrunk from the sides of the pan and the tops are dark brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
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24
Remove the loaves from the pans and hold the loaves upside down.
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25
Strike the bottoms firmly with your finger.
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26
If the sound is hollow, the breads are done.
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27
If it doesn't sound hollow, bake 15 minutes longer.
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28
Cool the pans for 10 minutes, then remove and cool completely on wire racks.
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29
Let the bread rest 24 to 36 hours before eating.
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30
It is very moist in the center when removed from oven, but as it cools the moisture distributes evenly throughout the bread.
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31
It will keep for weeks at room temperature wrapped tightly in plastic wrap.
