Can this be baked as a free-form loaf? There is a rye here in the Midwest, typically available at year-end, that is called "cocktail rye." It is rye bread but baked in a batard/baguette sort of long, narrow shape so that its slices are suited for appetizers. We have had a difficult time finding it in stores. (We do find a different version commonly, one that is baked in a small Pullman-type pan, I suspect, because it is perfectly square. Unfortunately, it tastes like cardboard.)

I'd love to be able to make this for my husband.

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