Sourdough Rye Bread

Thanks to Scott Johnson. I've slightly modified his recipe so that it makes one loaf of bread. This is a delicious loaf. It looks a lot more complicated to make than it really is. Makes one loaf

Note: If you have already prepared a rye sourdough starter, go to the Rye Sour step, below.

Starter

1/8 t dry yeast
1/2 c (4 oz) warm water
1/2 c (2.3 oz) rye flour

In a medium mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Add the rye flour and mix until smooth. Cover the bowl and set in a warm place in the kitchen for 24 hours. At this point, you can refrigerate the starter, or you can begin mixing the rye "sour."

Rye Sour

1 c starter
3/4 c (6 oz) warm water
1-1/2 c (7.5 - 8 oz) rye flour
1 T crushed caraway seeds
1 T minced onion

Mix together, cover, and set aside for overnight, or until it has doubled in volume.

Bread Dough

rye sour mixture
1/2 c (4 oz) warm water
1-1/2 t dry yeast
2 + 1/2 c (7 + 2 oz) bread flour
1/2 t salt
1 T caraway seeds

Remove 1 c (8 oz) rye sour to use as a starter for your next loaf of bread. You should have about 1-1/2 c rye sour remaining. Store the starter in a glass or plastic container. Cover the container, but do not tightly seal it. Refrigerate the starter up to a week or so.

Dissolve the yeast in the water and add to the sour. Stir in 1-1/2 c bread flour, the salt, and the caraway seeds. Mix in another 1/2 c bread flour by hand. Sprinkle some flour on a board or countertop, turn the dough onto the board, and begin kneading the dough. The dough will be sticky, so gradually work additional bread flour into the dough. Knead the dough for 10 - 15 minutes until it become very elastic. Keep your work surface lightly floured to prevent the dough from sticking too much.

Cover the dough with a towel, and let it rest for 15 minutes (this helps the gluten in the dough relax). When the dough has rested, shape it into a loaf. Flour the bottom of the loaf and place on a greased baking sheet, OR flour a bread peel, and place the loaf on the peel to rise. Cover the loaf with a towel. Let the loaf rise for 2 hours.

Conventional Baking

Heat the oven to 375°F. If you have not already done so, place the loaf carefully on a greased baking sheet. Score the top of the loaf. Bake for about 45 - 50 minutes.

Dutch Oven Baking

Heat the oven to 450°F. Place a large covered dutch oven near the bottom of the oven to preheat while the oven is heating. The dutch oven should be in the hot oven about 20 minutes before you bake the bread. When the dutch oven is very hot, remove it from the oven, and remove the dutch oven's cover. Using the peel, transfer the loaf to the dutch oven. Sprinkle some rye flour over the loaf. Cover the dutch oven, and return it to the oven. Bake for 25 minutes and remove the cover from the dutch oven. Lower the oven temperature to 350°F, and bake another 25 minutes.

Remove the loaf from the oven, and from its pan. Cool on a rack.