Ahhh, Rye Bread.
Here's the recipe for 1 loaf.
From the book "Wild Fermentation" by Sandor Ellix Katz
First: you've got to make the wild yeast rye started.
Mix together equal parts rye flour and water. 1-2 cups each. Cover with a cloth that lets air in and keeps bugs out. Stir it up at least twice a day if not more to really get the yeasties going. If the starter does not begin to foam ( not while stirring) on the 3rd day try adding unwashed organic grapes or a plum. The white on the peel is yeast. That should help get things moving. Remember to remove the fruit after the the starter is activated. Additionally making the starter with the water that pasta or potatoes were cooked in will help attract yeast. The Starter can last forever if taken care of. Remember to feed it every few days with a couple of teaspoons of rye flour and add water if it starts to become dry. You can also keep it in the fridge which will put the yeast into dormancy. Before doing so feed the starter and let it sit out for 3 hours. Cover and put in the fridge. Feed once a week. Remove the starter a day before beginning the sponge.
Every time the starter is used replenish the remaining part with equal parts flour and water. Only a little left over starter is needed to keep the yeast strain going.
The Bread
2 onions (medium dice)
1 cup sourdough Starter
1 1/2 cups water
1 Tbs. caraway seeds
4 Cups Rye flour (Use coarsely ground rye flour if you can find it)
1 teaspoon salt
Step 2: The sponge
Saute the onion until browned. Cool
combine the sourdough starter, water, caraway seeds, onions and 2 cups of the rye flour. Stir well. Cover with a cloth and let sit in a warm spot for 8 to 24 hours. Stir occasionally. When the sponge is good and bubbly it is time for step three.
Step 3: We are getting closer
Add the salt and 1/2 cup flour at a time until the dough becomes so thick that it seems ineffective to stir it with a spoon. Cover with a moist towel and let rise 8-12 hours until its bulk has increased noticeably.
Step 4: The last step
Form the dough into loaves if you can. It is awfully sticky but wet hands help. The other option is to just spoon the dough into a well oiled bread loaf. Or, try the boule, a round free standing loaf. That is my next experiment.
Leave the loaf to rise another hour or two until the dough has risen noticeably.
Preheat the oven to 350 and bake the bread.
Check the loaves after 1 1/2 hours to test for doneness. It may take closer to 2 hours. take the loaf out of the pan and knock on the bottom. If it sounds hollow then it is done. let cool on a wire rack.
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2 comments:
Thanks Z, we're in Step 2 now. I'll let you know how it comes out.
This failed miserably for us. I don't know what we did -- too much starter, too much water, or some unanticipated vinegar-like fermentation. Whatever happened, after baking for three hours, the result was like Brie: a thin crusty rind and totally gooey throughout.
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