One of my Facebook friends requested this recipe. It's one of my go-to recipes... I usually have a loaf or two in the house for sandwiches and it makes the best toast ever. So here your recipe Carly:
Sourdough Caraway Rye BreadMakes 2 loaves
Sponge: (make the day ahead)
3 cups bread flour
½ cup stone-ground rye flour
1½ tsp. active dry yeast
1½ cups warm water
Place the sponge ingredients in a large bowl. Stir until moistened and then dump onto a floured pastry board or countertop. The mixture will be rough and lumpy. With well-floured hands gather the mixture together and knead until a well-combined mass forms. Wash and dry the bowl and place the mass in the bowl. (Do not oil the bowl.) Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let stand for 12 – 24 hours. The finished sponge will have a slightly sweet/sour/yeasty aroma and will be very bubbly.
Add to the bowl:
1 cup warm water
3 cups bread flour
½ cup stone-ground rye flour
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. caraway seed
Stir until moistened. Once again, the mixture will be rough and lumpy. Dump the mixture onto a floured pastry board or countertop. With floured hands, begin gently gathering the dough together, pressing it and folding it in a kneading motion, as best you can. Eventually, a cohesive mass will form. Continue kneading, adding a little more flour to the board and your hands if the dough becomes too sticky to handle. Knead for 5-10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. Wash and dry the bowl. Place the finished dough in the bowl. (Again, do not oil the bowl.) Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let the dough rise in a warm place for 1-2 hours until doubled in size but not collapsing.
Scrape the dough out of the bowl onto a floured surface. Pat it out into a 9 x 12” rectangle, expelling large air bubbles. Fold it in thirds like a business letter, being careful not to trap any large air bubbles. Pinch the seam edge together with your fingers. Oil a 9 ¼ x 5 ¼” pan or coat it with cooking spray. Pat the dough into a loaf shape and place it in the pan, seam-side down. Let the dough rise until almost doubled.
Preheat the oven to 350° F. With a single edge razor blade or a very sharp knife score the top of the loaf, lengthwise, about ½” deep at a 45° angle. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until golden brown, and hollow-sounding when tapped. Immediately remove loaf to a cooling rack and allow to cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing.
For more delicious recipes from Beth Spencer:
Pea Soup: Recipes for Body, Mind, and Spirit from a "Kitchen Table Gourmet."
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