Harpoon Miche

ByNatalya Syanova Updated
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All rye bread lovers are going to enjoy this recipe. By texture, Harpoon Miche is lighter comparing to the 60% rye sourdough bread, but has a great flavor from rye and whole wheat flours. Also dark beer brings up all the components together providing richness to the loaf.

You can bake it same day, which is very convenient. 

Recipe was adapted from King Arthur website, from Martin Philip’s book Breaking Bread: A Baker’s Journey Home in 75 Recipes

Ingredients

Rye sourdough starter

White sourdough starter 

Main dough 

Directions 

Day 1

Rye sourdough Starter

  • 10 pm add starter to the water and whisk together, add rye flour, mix well, cover loosely, let it sit at room temperature 74-78F until in about 8-10 hours starter reaches its peak (doubles or triples in volume). You can learn how to make starter from scratch here.

White sourdough starter 

  • 10 pm add starter to the water and whisk together, add bread flour, mix well, cover loosely, let it sit at room temperature 74-78F until in about 8-10 hours starter reaches its peak (doubles or triples in volume). You can learn how to make starter from scratch here.

Day 2

Main dough

  • 8 am mix all water, dark beer and flour, let autolyse for 1 hour
  • 9 am add both sourdough starters (rye and bread flour) and salt, knead by hand or in mixer until we’ll dissolved. Cover, let rest for 15 min.
  • 9.15 am stretch and fold, cover, let rest 30 min
  • 9.45 am coil fold, cover, let ferment 30 min
  • 10.15 am am coil fold cover, let ferment 30 min
  • 10.45 am cover, let ferment 1 hour.
  • 11.45 pm dough should increase in volume significantly. (About 40-50% )

Note: if dough didn’t puffy enough, perform another fold and let it ferment for 30 more min. 

Shaping

  • 11.45 am generously sprinkle counter top with whole wheat flour.
  • Dump the dough on the counter.
  • Shape as desired. I prefer a round shaped loaf. Pull all edges to the center, flip it over, try to round the dough with your hands.
  • Transfer the shaped loaf into proofing basket.
  • Let it proof for 1 hour to 1 hour and 30 min. The dough should get bigger.
  • Meanwhile preheat your oven to 500 F, place a cast iron pan with the lid or a baking stone inside for 45 minutes – 1 hour.
  • 1.15 pm flip the dough over on a parchment paper. You can score the Miche or bake it scoreless. 
  • Transfer the dough on to the hot cast iron pan, cover with the lid (to create steam for a beautiful and crusty crumb).
  • Bake at 480F for 10 minutes with the lid on.
  • Remove the lid, lower the temperature to 450F and bake for 20-25 more minutes until golden brown.

Enjoy!

Harpoon Miche

Harpoon Miche

1927kcal
5 from 1 vote
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Prep 30 minutes
Cook 30 minutes
Overnight Starters Rise 8 minutes
Total 14 minutes
An extraordinary artisanal sourdough loaf offering a brilliant middle ground for rye bread lovers. Lighter in texture than a 60% rye sourdough, this loaf combines a double starter build (rye and white) with whole wheat and dark beer for a rich, complex flavor profile in a convenient same-day bake.
Servings 1 Loaf
Cuisine European / French

Ingredients

Rye Sourdough Starter (Night Before)
  • 10 g Ripe sourdough starter culture
  • 50 g Water
  • 60 g Whole rye flour
White Sourdough Starter (Night Before)
  • 10 g Ripe sourdough starter culture
  • 50 g Water
  • 50 g Bread flour
Main Dough (Day 2)
  • 110 g Rye sourdough starter from above
  • 100 g White sourdough starter from above
  • 360 g Bread flour
  • 20 g Whole rye flour
  • 25 g Whole wheat whole grain flour
  • 10 g Salt
  • 155 g Water
  • 150 g Dark beer boiled 1–2 minutes to evaporate alcohol, then cooled completely

Equipment

Method

1. Night Before (10:00 PM): Build Dual Starters
  1. Rye Starter: In a small glass jar, whisk 10 g starter culture into 50 g water, then stir in 60 g whole rye flour.
  2. White Starter: In a second glass jar, whisk 10 g starter culture into 50 g water, then stir in 50 g bread flour.
  3. Cover both loosely and let rest at room temperature 74–78°F (23–26°C) for 8–10 hours until both peak in volume.
2. Day 2: Autolyse & Knead
  1. 8:00 AM (Autolyse): In a mixing bowl, combine 155 g water, 150 g cooled dark beer, 360 g bread flour, 20 g whole rye flour, and 25 g whole wheat flour. Mix into a shaggy mass, cover, and rest for 1 hour.
  2. 9:00 AM (Mix): Add 110 g rye starter, 100 g white starter, and 10 g salt. Knead by hand or in a mixer until completely incorporated and smooth. Cover and rest for 15 minutes.
3. Stretch-and-Folds & Bulk Fermentation
  1. 9:15 AM: Perform 1st Stretch & Fold. Cover and rest 30 minutes.
  2. 9:45 AM: Perform 1st Coil Fold. Cover and rest 30 minutes.
  3. 10:15 AM: Perform 2nd Coil Fold. Cover and let ferment for 1 hour.
  4. 11:45 AM: Check dough; it should look light, puffy, and increased in volume by ~40%–50%.
    5. If not puffy enough, perform one more fold and rest 30 additional minutes
4. Shape & Final Proof
  1. 11:45 AM (Shape): Sprinkle work surface with whole wheat flour. Turn dough out, pull outer edges into the center to form a tight boule, flip seam-side down, and round with your hands.
  2. Transfer dough seam-side up into a floured proofing basket. Let proof at room temperature for 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, place cast iron pan with lid inside the oven and preheat to 500°F (260°C) for 45–60 minutes.
5. Steam Bake
  1. 1:15 PM: Flip dough onto parchment paper. Score top if desired.
  2. Transfer dough into the preheated cast iron pan and cover tightly with lid.
  3. Bake covered at 480°F (248°C) for 10 minutes.
  4. Remove lid, lower heat to 450°F (232°C), and bake uncovered for 20–25 minutes until golden brown. Cool completely before slicing.

Nutrition

Calories1927kcalCarbohydrates385gProtein62gFat9gSaturated Fat1gPolyunsaturated Fat4gMonounsaturated Fat1gSodium3905mgPotassium841mgFiber22gSugar2gVitamin A10IUCalcium105mgIron7mg

Notes

  • Why Boiling the Dark Beer is Essential: Never pour raw dark beer straight from the bottle or can directly into your flour mix. Liquid alcohol acts as a natural yeast inhibitor that will actively degrade and stunt your sourdough culture’s rising capabilities during bulk fermentation. Always bring the 150g of beer to a rolling boil in a small saucepan for 1 to 2 minutes first to burn off the alcohol content completely, then let it drop back to room temperature before mixing.
  • The Purpose of the Dual Starter Build: Utilizing two distinct levains is a classical technique derived from traditional European miche baking. The rye starter introduces an intensely deep, earthy, and complex flavor base, while the white bread flour starter balances the acidity with clean structural strength and lift. This dual approach gives you the signature taste profile of rye bread without its characteristic heavy or gummy interior crumb.
  • Mastering the Delicate Coil Fold: High-hydration doughs containing whole grains thrive on gentle handling during bulk fermentation. Instead of punching the dough down or doing aggressive stretch-and-folds, practice gentle coil folds during the later stages. Slip your wet hands underneath the middle of the dough mass, lift it upward slowly until it un-sticks from the bowl, and let the outer flaps curl underneath themselves to build vertical structure safely.
  • Crust Character and Slicing Guidelines: Thanks to the inclusion of natural whole grains and the deep caramelization properties of the dark beer sugars, this loaf develops an incredibly robust, thick, and rustic outer crust. Resist the urge to slice into the boule while it is still warm out of the Dutch oven. Rye-influenced crumbs require a complete cool-down phase to fully set their starch matrix, preventing a gummy interior structure when cut.

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44 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Здравейте. Веднъж вече правих хляб по тази рецепта и стана много вкусен. Сега обаче се чудя тези 25 г пълнозърнесто пшенично брашно дали мога да ги заменя с пълнозърнесто брашно от спелта? Благодаря Ви!

    Reply

    1. Yes, absolutely! You can replace it with whole-grain spelt flour, and it will be just as delicious as the first time 😊

      Reply

  2. Hello
    I am planing to try this recipe
    I am doubling the recipe and would like to cold retard one bread
    How many hours max I should keep the Banneton in the fridge ?
    Thank you

    Reply

    1. 12–18 hours in the refrigerator is ideal. The dough will continue to develop flavor during that time. I generally wouldn’t go much longer than 24 hours, as it may start to overproof depending on your fridge temperature. Happy baking!

      Reply

  5. Looks like the recipe that I wrote and put in my book five years ago—you even used the same name? You credit it to the KABC website (where I published the recipe as Honey-Beer Miche) but don’t mention that Harpoon Miche is directly from my book. Jeffrey Hamelman also used the recipe in his book but credited me there. People obviously don’t own recipes but I’m surprised to see zero attribution.

    Reply

    1. Martin, hi!
      I am so deeply sorry, I had no idea it was your recipe.
      Let me fix this. I’ll give all credits to you.

      Reply

  7. Hi, I am trying making this bread, thank you for the recipe.
    However, I made the rye sourdough starter the day before, the next day it looks so stiff and dry,
    It has been at least 10 hrs since I made it.
    Why didn’t it grow?
    My white sourdough starter has reached its peak without problem.
    Thank you.

    Reply

    2. Hi!
      Usually rye starter has more stiffer consistency, compared to regular starter. But it still has to at least double in volume during fermentation.

      Reply

      1. I see, thank you for the answer.
        I actually used it anyway, and the bread turned out great.
        Thanks for the recipe.

  10. I am getting the starters ready tonight and will mix tomorrow. Any thoughts on proofing over night in the refrigerator and baking the following day?

    Reply

    1. Fermentation doesn’t stop in the fridge it slows down….keep that in mind with water temp and dough temp throughout BF. It’s absolutely doable.

      Reply

      1. Baked loaf after 24 hours in the refrigerator. It scored nicely, tastes great but ZERO oven spring. Dough not strong enough—too long bulk— to long proof?
        Any suggestions?

  12. In the recipe white starter and rye starter the weight is over 100g . I have to add it both right ? Or weight both to 100g😅

    I’m a new Baker. So a little bit confuse. Thank you😊

    Reply

  14. Nice recipe!
    I’ve used beer in recipes but never pre-boiled it, just used it at room temperature.
    Do you try to get rid of the CO2?

    Reply

    1. hi, looks so tasty…
      why boil the beer?
      also, the starters are 110g and 120g, 230 together.
      but then in the instructions you ask for 100g and 110g, 210g together…why need to do more then use?..thanks a lot for your answer 😊

      Reply

      2. Beer comes with it’s own microbiome – for consistent taste, killing off the brewers yeast will leave all the rising up to the sourdough. Boiling also malts whatever residual/remaining sugars are in the beer, changing the flavor a little.

5 from 1 vote

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