Sourdough Rye Bread (makes 4 loaves)

from Ernst Beilner

Updated

with experience and consultation with the Master Baker’s son Mike: January 20, 2012 (When I realized how yummy the bread is and we never tire of it – I make this full recipe and freeze a loaf or two. It’s worth the effort and then I bake about every 2 weeks.)

Starter

2 Weeks ahead of time, mix 1 cup dark rye flour and a little water (a couple tablespoons) and 1 tsp sugar and ½ tsp. yeast. (The consistency should be like a bread dough.) Put in fridge. Every couple days add a little water and flour when it rises.

Add to Starter

(when starter is ready: should smell sour, a little bubbly and risen from original amount):

4 cups Warm Water (blend yeast in warm water till dissolved)

1 pkg. Yeast

1 cup dark rye flour

2 cups bread flour (all purpose flour) (by end you will add 2-3 pounds bread flour)

2 cups of whole wheat flour

2 Tb. Ground Caraway Seeds

Optional:

3 Tb. Ground Flaxseeds, ½ c. Chopped Sunflower Seeds

Stir above ingredients till blended well.

Put 1/2 cup Bread flour with 2 TB Salt on top of dough. Cover with Plastic and let sit for 2 hours.

Add 1/4 cup Olive Oil and approximately 2 pounds of Bread Flour. Stir with wooden spoon with an outside/inside motion. (It’s hard to stir; use your musclesJ )

When it’s all blended, put dough on floured counter and take 1/2 cup starter(s) for your next batch of bread. Put the starter in a covered container in the fridge( I use a Tupperware). You don’t have to do anything to it until you make bread again. (Good for several months.)

Separate dough into 4 pieces. Weigh so they are each 1 1/2 pound loaves. Wait 10 minutes; knead/roll. Add little more flour if dough is too sticky in the following directions.

Wait 10 minutes; knead again. Wait 10 minutes knead into loaves.

Place 2 loaves on each pan. Each pan has a sprinkle of cornmeal. Cover with plastic; let rise for 2 hours. At the end of the 2 hours, Brush tops of loaves with little water twice in 5 minutes. Poke top of loaves with holes about 1 1/2 inches apart (I use a wooden skewer).

Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. I bake all 4 loaves in oven (2 loaves on each cookie sheet). Bread will be hard and slightly browned.