Day 1 morning
Soak the rye berries in 5 cups/1.25 L boiling water; let stand 8 hours.

Starter: Mix Rye Mother, rye flour and 1/2 cup/125 mL water together; cover and let stand in warm place for 8 hours.

Day 1 afternoon or evening
Dough: Reserving liquid, drain rye berries. Adding water if necessary, place 4 cups/1 L of the soaking liquid in bowl of stand mixer or in large bowl; sprinkle yeast over liquid. When yeast is dissolved, with paddle or large wooden spoon, stir in Starter, malt syrup, whole wheat flour, rye flakes and salt until thoroughly mixed.

Add rye flour and beat on medium speed until mixture blisters or has a stretched look, about 7 minutes (or by hand for at least 10 minutes). Beat in drained rye berries. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, then a tea towel; leave at room temperature for 2 hours. Transfer to refrigerator; refrigerate overnight.

Day 2 morning
Remove dough from refrigerator; let sit 30 to 60 minutes. With a wooden spoon, stir to deflate.

Meanwhile, generously grease two 9-inch/23 cm loaf pans; sprinkle bottoms and sides of pans with sesame seeds until entirely coated. Scrape dough into pans to fill just over three-quarters full, smoothing tops. (Do not overfill pans. If you have a little extra dough, fill a small loaf pan for a mini-loaf or discard).

Sprinkle tops with sesame seeds to cover completely. Cover loosely with plastic wrap, then tea towel. Let rise in warm place until dough has just about reached top edges of pans, 1-1/2 to 2 hours.

Bake on preheated bread stone or on baking sheet in centre of 325°F/160°C oven until centre of bread is moist but not sticky when tested with skewer, 3-1/2 to 4 hours. (If top crust is browning too quickly, lower oven temperature to 275°F/140°C and extend baking time as necessary.)

Remove loaves from pans; if sesame seeds on bottoms and sides aren't crisped, return loaves to oven directly on bread stone or baking sheet to crisp seeds, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven; let cool on rack. Cover with tea towel and let rest 24 hours before slicing.

Makes 2 loaves, each yielding twenty-four 1/3-inch/8 mm thick slices.

RYE MOTHER
Make this starter and use just for the Whole Grain Rye Bread, or keep the remainder in your refrigerator in a jar or plastic container and feed it every week.

DAY 1: Stir together 1 cup/250 mL whole (dark) rye flour, 1 cup/250 mL room-temperature boiled or spring water and 4 grains active dry yeast. Cover and let rest at room temperature for 24 hours.

DAY 2: Stir in 1/2 cup/125 mL whole (dark) rye flour and 1/3 cup/75 mL room-temperature boiled or spring water. Cover and let rest at room temperature for 24 hours.

DAY 3: Repeat additions of flour and water; let rest as on Day 2.

DAY 4: Repeat additions of flour and water; let rest at room temperature for 8 hours. Transfer to refrigerator; store until needed.

EVERY WEEK: Remove about 3/4 cup/175 mL starter (use to make bread or discard). Stir in 1/2 cup/125 mL whole (dark) rye flour and 1/3 cup/75 mL room-temperature boiled or spring water. Cover and let stand at room temperature for 4 hours. Refrigerate until needed.