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Prep Time: 0 Minutes Cook Time: 60 Minutes |
Ready In: 60 Minutes Servings: 1 |
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This is a firm, substantial bread; great with pates and sausages; hearty German and Swiss cheeses; stews and hearty soups (goulash); or just butter or schmaltz Ingredients:
sourdough |
400g wholeweat flour, coarsest texture |
400ml water |
bread dough |
300g rye flour |
500g wheat flour of your preferred quality |
2 teaspoons salt |
1 teaspoon each of ground coriander and carraway (or cumin) |
whole carraway seeds to garnish crust |
10g dry yeast |
500 - 600ml water |
all purpose flour for dusting the tray and the loaf |
Directions:
1. Use a large glass bowl with tight lid
2. add 100g of the wholegrain flour and 100ml water and stir well
3. keep the dough in a warm place (25 degrees centigrade) for 24 hours
4. Every day, add 100g of flour and 100ml of water
5. Depending on the climate and the quality of the flour, by Day 2, little bubbles will appear and it will smell pleasantly sour (the fresh, clean sourness of a granny smith apple)
6. There may be some alcoholy liquid; just str back into the dough
7. No need to bother with starter cultures; the flour and the air contains all you need for a good sourdough
8. Your sourdough will turn out differently depending on where you live; in tropical Mombasa, it is a bit more sour and contains less natural yeast
9. Important: use only fresh flour; if it has been in your cupboard for a few months, there is a risk of the sourdough turning putrid; in this case, discard and start again
10. Once you have 400g of sourdough, dissolve it in 500ml of warm water (30 degrees centigrade)
11. Stir in the rye and wheat flour, add the salt and ground spices
12. Dissolve the yeast in a bit of warm water and knead into the dough
13. Depending on the consistency of the dough, you may need more water; the dough should be firm, but slightly sticky
14. Cover and allow to rest for 1 hour
15. Knead the dough again for about 10 minutes
16. Dust your baking tray with a thick layer of plain flour
17. Form a loaf and use water to rub the surface to make it smooth
18. sprinkle with carraway seeds (optional)
19. Make incisions (whatever pattern you desire)
20. Allow to rise for 1- 3 hours (sourdough may take much longer to rise; the volume should double)
21. Preheat oven to 220 degrees centigrade
22. Place a pie dish with water on the bottom of the stove to provide humidity
23. Bake for 45 minutes (if the crust turns too dark, lower heat to 175 degrees after 30 minutes)
24. Remove the tray from the oven
25. Use a wet clean towel to dampen the crust
26. Bake for another 15 minutes (the wet surface will turn shiny)
27. Bread is ready if it sounds hollow when you tap it
28. Dust the loeaf with a thin layer of plain flour and allow to cool on a rack
29. If the bread is dense and firm, you have succeeded; if it turns soft, spongy, fluffy or squishy, it's back to the drawing board; it should require some effort to slice
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