Harpoon Miche

ByNatalya Syanova
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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

2047kcal
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Prep 30 minutes
Cook 45 minutes
Rise & Rest Time 14 hours 45 minutes
Total 16 hours
An extraordinary artisanal sourdough loaf that offers a brilliant middle ground for rye bread lovers. Lighter in texture than a dense 60% rye bread, this recipe balances a double starter build (both rye and white) with whole wheat and a complete dark beer soak. The enzymes in the beer draw out the deeper malt notes of the whole grain, delivering a rich 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
The Main Dough (Next Morning)
  • 110 g Prepared rye sourdough starter all of it
  • 100 g Prepared white sourdough starter all of it
  • 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 for 1-2 minutes to evaporate alcohol, then cooled completely

Equipment

  • Mixing Bowl (or a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment)
  • Cast Iron Dutch Oven (with a tightly fitting lid)
  • Proofing Basket (Banneton, or a bowl lined with a clean kitchen towel)
  • Sharp Bread Lame or razor blade
  • Kitchen Scale
  • Parchment Paper
  • Small Saucepan (for boiling the beer)

Method

Dual Overnight Levain Builds
  1. 10:00 PM (Night Before): Set up two separate glass jars for your starters. In the first jar, combine 10g of culture, 50g of water, and 60g of whole rye flour to create your Rye Starter. In the second jar, combine 10g of culture, 50g of water, and 50g of bread flour to create your White Starter.
  2. Stir both jars thoroughly with separate clean utensils until no dry pockets remain, cover loosely, and let them ferment at room temperature 74–78°F (23–26°C) for 8 to 10 hours overnight until both reach their peak volume.
Autolyse and Bulk Fermentation
  1. 8:00 AM (Day 2): In a large mixing bowl (or your stand mixer bowl), combine the 155g of water, 150g of cooled dark beer, 360g of bread flour, 20g of whole rye flour, and 25g of whole wheat whole grain flour. Mix cleanly by hand just until a shaggy mass forms. Cover and let it rest undisturbed for 1 hour for the autolyse phase.
  2. 9:00 AM: Add all 110g of your mature rye starter, all 100g of your white starter, and the 10g of salt directly into the autolyzed dough. Knead vigorously by hand or in your mixer on medium-low speed until the starters are completely dissolved into the dough and a cohesive ball builds. Cover and let rest for 15 minutes.
  3. 9:15 AM: Wet your hands with water and perform a firm round of stretch-and-folds directly in the bowl. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
  4. 9:45 AM: Perform your 1st round of coil folds to build structure. Cover and let rise.
  5. 10:15 AM: Perform your 2nd round of coil folds. Cover and allow the dough to ferment completely undisturbed for 1 hour.
  6. 11:45 AM: Check the dough; it should look noticeably puffy, light, and have increased significantly in volume by roughly 40% to 50%. (If it does not feel aerated enough, perform one extra fold and extend the rise for 30 more minutes).
Round Shaping and Staged Dutch Oven Baking
  1. Generously sprinkle your countertop with whole wheat flour. Gently tip the fermented dough out of the bowl onto the floured surface.
  2. Gather all the outer edges of the dough and pull them firmly into the absolute center to build tight surface tension, then flip the dough mass completely over so it sits seam-side down. Shape into a tight, uniform round boule.
  3. Transfer the shaped loaf seam-side up into a proofing basket lined with a floured towel. Cover loosely and allow it to proof at room temperature for approximately 1 hour.
  4. While the loaf undergoes its final proof, place your cast iron Dutch oven with its lid on inside the oven and preheat completely to 475°F (245°C).
  5. Carefully invert the proofed boule out onto a sheet of parchment paper. Use a sharp bread lame or razor blade to score a large, clean pattern across the top surface.
  6. Use the parchment corners to lift and lower the dough safely into the piping hot Dutch oven. Secure the lid tightly to trap the expanding steam and bake at 475°F (245°C) for exactly 20 minutes.
  7. Remove the lid carefully, lower the oven temperature down to 425°F (220°C), and continue baking uncovered for an additional 20 to 25 minutes until the crust turns a rich, deep mahogany brown. Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

Nutrition

Calories2047kcalCarbohydrates404gProtein71gFat9gSaturated Fat1gPolyunsaturated Fat4gMonounsaturated Fat1gCholesterol15mgSodium734mgPotassium986mgFiber23gSugar2gVitamin A24IUVitamin C0.3mgCalcium119mgIron7mg

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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40 Comments

    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.

  3. 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

  5. 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

  7. 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?

  10. 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.

  12. 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
  15. Pingback: Chleb na zakwasie w dwóch wersjach - naturalnej lub z suszonymi pomidorami - Fork and Spoon

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