Old World Sourdough
Caraway Rye Sourdough Bread
This is a chewy flavorful sourdough. Perfect for making sandwiches or just slathering in butter. Another family favorite is to slice it for Patty Melts or Pastrami Melts!! Using a little milk makes for a rich, bold flavor and moist texture. Baking sourdough in a Dutch oven yields moist bread with a soft crumb and crispy crust.
Caraway Rye Sourdough Bread
Prep Time:
30 minutes plus approx 12 hour rise
Cook Time:
1 hour
Serves:
1 loaf
Ingredients
Ingredients:
Equipment
· Heavy Dutch Oven with Lid
· Parchment Paper
Ingredients
¼ cup (60g) sourdough starter
1 cup (350g) warm water (95º to 100º F)
1/8 t dry yeast
2/3 cup (85g) warm milk (95º to 100º F)
1 Tablespoon honey
1 cup light rye flour
3 1/2 cups (500g) bread flour
1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
3 Tablespoons caraway seeds
Preparation
1. In a small bowl, add yeast and warm milk and honey. Let sit 10 minutes until it becomes a little frothy.
2. In a large bowl, add the starter. Mix in warm water and milk/yeast mixture. Stir until dissolved.
3. Mix flours, caraway and salt together before adding to liquid mixture. Gradually add dry mixture to liquid mixture. Stir with a dough whisk or wooden spoon until a thick, shaggy dough forms. Wet your hands, and finish mixing dough by hand. Cover with a clean, damp kitchen towel and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
3. Lightly flour your countertop. Gently coax the dough from the bowl onto the countertop and stretch and fold the dough for 15 seconds. Grab part of the dough, stretch it out about 4 inches and push it into the center of the dough, Then, turn the dough 1/4 a turn. Pull, stretch, push and turn in a clockwise rotation. Continue needing for 8-10 minutes. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with a damp towel, and let rise overnight (at least 8-10 hours) on the countertop or an area that is between 70º and 75ºF degrees. Do not refrigerate the dough overnight.
4. In the morning, lightly flour your counter-top and shape the dough by stretching and folding it again. Let the dough rest 10 minutes. With floured hands, gently cup the dough and pull it toward you in a circular motion to tighten its shape. Using a bench scraper, place the dough into the bowl, seam side up. Line a medium bowl with a towel or use a banneton with linen cover, and dust heavily with flour. Let dough rise in it for 45 – 60 minutes.
5. Preheat your oven to 450º. Spray inside of Dutch Oven with non-stick spray. The dutch oven does not need to be preheated.
6. Cover the dough bowl with a two long pieces of parchment paper (cross them to make X), and turn it over onto the counter top. Slash the top of the loaf with a lame or sharp serrated knife. Gently lower the parchment paper dough into the dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid.
7. Put the covered dutch oven in the preheated oven. Bake the bread covered for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake 20 minutes. Using oven mitts, carefully remove the bread from the dutch oven and bake it directly on the oven rack for 5-10 minutes to crisp the exterior.
Notes:
Let cool for at least one hour before cutting. I usually can’t but you should.
· Store sourdough bread at room temperature in a bag for up to 5 days.
· Bake sourdough bread without a cast iron dutch oven, A heavy oven-safe pot with a lid will work. Use one that is about 9″ to 10″ in diameter and 6″ high.
· This recipe calls for kneading by hand. A mixer with dough hook could also be used. I just enjoy kneading by hand and think I get better results.