Boiling water at around 70 degrees is essential for rye flour, as it will result in a richer flavour! Sticky, difficult to handle dough is normal. With this bread you don't need to fold it. We will get a solid but delicious bread. Measure out the rye flour and "boil" it with water at around 70 degrees, then mix the dough and let it rest for about 2 hours, covered.
When it has cooled down to around 30 degrees, you can add the active or residual leaven. (The cumin and the fat can be omitted, but the cumin goes well with rye bread, I think it tastes better this way.) Mix the dough, then shape the bread and press the top well. (I have already "risen" it in the pan I baked it in.) Let it rest for about 3 hours.
When the top of the floured bread is nicely cracked, preheat the oven. (With rye bread, don't expect a large increase in volume.) Preheat the oven to 250 degrees on the bottom-up baking program. When the oven is hot, put the loaf in with the lid on and immediately turn the oven down to 180 degrees and bake with the lid on for 45 minutes, then remove the lid and bake uncovered for another 30 minutes. Baking times may vary from oven to oven!
Put the baked rye bread on a wire rack and cut it into pieces, let it cool down slowly, let the flavours "meld".