Salt-Crusted Currant & Walnut Rye Bread

I first learned to bake this bread in culinary school, and I’ve been baking it ever since—for nearly twenty years. I’ve tweaked the recipe quite a bit over time, but the original idea comes from Chef Patrick O’Connell’s timeless and wonderful The Inn at Little Washington Cookbook. The loaves are wonderful for breakfast with softened butter and a drizzle of honey. And they’re equally good as a cocktail bread, sliced thin and topped with cheese—or with gravlax, honey mustard, and red o