Best Sourdough Rye Recipes

ARTISAN SOURDOUGH RYE BREAD

Steps:

• Sourdough Version
• In a mixing bowl, mix the starter into the water. Add the molasses, all the seeds and orange zest.
• In a separate bowl, combine the flours and salt.
• Gradually stir the dry ingredients into the wet using a dough whisk or spoon until the flour is well incorporated. Cover with plastic and let rest for 15 minutes. After about 15 minutes, mix again for a minute or two. Again let rest for 15 minutes and mix one more time as before. Now cover the bowl with plastic and let sit at room temperature for roughly 12-14 hours.
• Instant Yeast Version
• The only difference is don't use sourdough starter and instead mix the instant yeast into the dry ingredients before combining with the wet ingredients.
• Both Versions
• After the long 12-14 hour proof, stretch and fold the dough and shape into boule or batard (round or oblong) shape for baking. (If you didn't follow that, I'm afraid you're doomed to watch the video.) Cover again with plastic and let rest 15 minutes before putting in a proofing basket for the final rise. If you don't have a proofing basket, line a bowl with a well floured kitchen towel and put the dough in there for the final rise. The final rise should last somewhere between 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Keep the dough covered with plastic to prevent it from drying out.
• Preheat your oven to 475 F a half hour before baking.
• Score the dough with a razor or sharp serrated knife and bake until the internal temp is about 200 F.
• Let cool completely before eating.

SOURDOUGH RYE

Steps:

• The night before you want to bake the bread, feed your active sourdough starter with 1 cup rye flour, 1/2 cup bread flour, and 2/3 cup water. Mix until fully combined, cover, and let stand at room temperature overnight.
• The next morning, mix together the expanded starter and 1/4 cup water. Stir in 1 cup rye flour, 1 cup bread flour, salt, sugar, olive oil, and caraway seeds.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until satiny. Place in a well oiled bowl, and turn once to oil the surface. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise in a warm spot until doubled.
• Punch down dough, and shape into loaves. Place on a greased baking sheet or in greased loaf pans. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Score the tops of the loaves with a serrated knife. Bake in preheated oven until deep brown and loaves sound hollow when thumped on the bottom, about 40 minutes.
• Alternate baking method for chewier, salty crust: Bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a small bowl, mix together 1/2 cup water and 1 teaspoon salt. Remove loaves from oven and brush crust with salt water. Continue baking for 25 minutes more, brushing at 10 minute intervals.

RYE SOURDOUGH BREAD

Steps:

• Day 1: To begin your starter, mix 50g of the flour with 50g tepid water in a jar or, better still, a plastic container. Make sure all the flour is incorporated and leave, covered with a tea towel, at room temperature for 24 hrs.
• Days 2, 3, 4 & 5 : Mix 25g flour with 25g tepid water and stir into yesterday's mixture. Make sure all the flour is incorporated and leave, covered with a tea towel, at room temperature for 24 hrs.
• Day 6: The mix should be really bubbly and giving off a strong smell of alcohol. A teaspoonful of the starter should float in warm water if ready. If not, continue adding 25g flour and 25g tepid water into the mixture daily until it becomes active.If your jar is becoming full, spoon half the mix out of the jar and continue. You now have rye starter, which is a malty flavoured base to sourdough bread. Keep it in the fridge (it will stay dormant) and 12 hrs before you want to use it, spoon half of it off and feed it with 100g flour and 100g water. Leave, covered, at room temperature.
• Tip 100g of the starter into a bowl and add 400g of tepid water. Whisk or rub the two together with your hands, don't worry if there are a few lumps. Add the flour and bring together (with a spatula or your hand) into a thick, sticky dough, making sure all the flour is mixed in, including any dry bits on the sides of the bowl. Cover with a damp tea towel and leave at room temperature for 2 hrs.
• Work the salt into the dough then leave, covered, for another 2 hrs.
• Heavily butter a 900g loaf tin. Dust the work surface with more rye flour, then scrape all the dough out. Mould the dough into a block roughly the same size as the tin and sit it in the tin. Press the dough down so it fills it completely and scatter the top generously with more flour. Leave the loaf out, uncovered, for 2 hrs until it's risen by about a quarter and gone craggy on the top, or leave it in the fridge, uncovered, overnight. This will give it an even deeper flavour.
• Heat the oven to 230/210C fan/gas 8 with a shelf in the middle of the oven and a shelf below with a roasting tray on it. Put the loaf on the middle tray and carefully pour a small glass of water into the roasting tray. Cook for 50-55 mins until hollow sounding when tapped. (The middle of the loaf will read 98C on a digital thermometer when ready.) Remove the tin and leave to cool on a wire rack for at least 4 hrs. Will keep for 3-4 days in an airtight container.

GERMAN COUNTRY STYLE SOURDOUGH RYE BREAD WITH CARAWAY SEEDS

Steps:

• To make the sourdough Sponge.
• Mix all the ingredients together to make a smooth paste, cover with a tea towel and leave to ferment overnight at room temperature, for between 8 to 12 hours.
• To make the bread.
• When you are ready to make the bread, pour the water into the bucket, followed by all of the sourdough sponge and then add the caraway seeds.
• The add in this order: rye flour, salt, sugar and then the white bread flour.
• Finally sprinkle the dried yeast over the top and fit the bucket into the bread machine/maker.
• Set to the rapid wholemeal setting, for a medium sized loaf (750g) with the crust setting of your choice.
• Once the bread has cooked - take it carefully out of the bucket and leave to cool on a wire cooling rack. Remove the paddle if it is still in the bread before slicing.
• Serve with soups, hams, cold meats, cheese and pickles or make sandwiches of your choice.

CRUSTY SOURDOUGH RYE BREAD

Steps:

• Combine starter, rye flour, and one cup of the water in a large bowl; stir to blend; if you'd like an extra-sour flavor, cover mixture with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm place 6-24 hours (I let mine go six hours) until bubbly and sour, even boozy, smelling.
• Combine yeast and remaining water in small bowl; let stand about 5 minutes until foamy; stir into sourdough mixture; add whole-wheat flour, 1 3/4 cups of the all-purpose flour, salt, sugar, and caraway seeds; stir (in KitchenAid stand mixer on low speed) until dough comes together.
• Knead 9-10 minutes (in KitchenAid stand mixer on speed #2) until dough is smooth and springy; add more all-purpose flour, a tablespoon or two at a time during the kneading process as necessary to reduce excess stickiness (this particular dough will remain somewhat sticky); cover and let rise about 1 - 1 1/2 hours in a warm place until doubled.
• Punch down dough and knead a few strokes to release air; shape into a round loaf and place on a baking stone or a greasing baking sheet; cover loaf lightly and allow to rise about 30 minutes until almost doubled.
• Cut a couple small slashes about 3/4" deep on top of loaf; spray loaf with water and bake at 425° for 9 minutes, spraying loaf after 3, 6, and 9 minutes; reduce oven temperature to 400° and bake another 20-25 minutes until loaf is browned and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom; transfer finished loaf to cooling rack.
• NOTE: If you opt to let your starter and rye combination stand for several hours, you can get by without the additional yeast ~ Just plan on increased rising times.

SOURDOUGH RYE WITH CARAWAY SEEDS

Steps:

• Combine the starter and water in a 6-quart bowl. Break up the starter well with a wooden spoon and stir until it loosens and the mixture is slightly frothy. Add the rye flour and stir until well combined. Add the whole wheat flour, salt, caraway seeds, and just enough of the bran flour to make a thick mass that is difficult to stir. Turn out onto a well-floured surface and knead, adding remaining flour when needed, until dough is soft and smooth, 15 to 17 minutes, or make in a heavy-duty mixer. All finished rye doughs will remain slightly sticky. Be cautious about adding too much flour when kneading. The dough is ready when a little pulled from the mass springs back quickly.
• Shape the dough into a ball and let it rest on a lightly floured surface while you scrape, clean, and lightly oil the large bowl. Place the dough in the bowl and turn once to coat with oil. Take the dough's temperature (ideal temperature is 78 degrees). Cover with a clean damp towel or plastic wrap and place in a moderately warm (74 to 80 degrees) draft free place until doubled in volume.
• Deflate the dough by pushing down in the center and pulling up on the sides. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead briefly. Cut into 2 equal pieces. Flatten each with the heel of your hand. Shape each piece into a 12-inch log for long loaves.
• Using 2 well-floured towels and wood blocks, make a couche* in a moderately warm draft-free place. Place the loaves seam side up the couche. Cover with a clean damp towel or plastic wrap and let proof until almost doubled in volume, or until a slight indentation remains when the dough is pressed with the fingertip.
• Preheat the oven and baking stone on the center rack of the oven to 450 degrees, 45 minutes to 1 hour before baking. The oven rack must be in the center of the oven. If it is in the lower 1/3 of the oven the bottom of the breads may burn, and if it is in the upper 1/3, the top crusts may burn. Gently slip the loaves from the couche onto a well-floured peel so that they are right side up. Using a very sharp, serrated knife or a single-edged razor blade, score the loaves by making quick shallow cuts 1/4 to 1/2-inch deep along the surface.
• Using the peel, slide the loaves onto the hearth. Quickly spray the inner walls and floor of the oven with cold water from a spritzer bottle. If there's an electric light bulb in the oven, avoid spraying it directly?it may burst. Spray for several seconds until steam has filled the oven. Quickly close the door to trap the steam and bake 3 minutes. Spray again in the same way, closing the door immediately so that steam doesn't escape. Bake until loaves begin to color, about 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375 degrees and bake until loaves are a rich caramel color and the crusts are firm, another 15 to 20 minutes.
• To test the loaves for doneness, remove and hold the loaves upside down. Strike the bottoms firmly with your finger. If the sound is hollow, the breads are done. If it doesn't sound hollow, bake 5 minutes longer. Cool completely on wire racks.
• Note: If the dough temperature is higher than 78 degrees, put it in a cooler than (78 degree) place like the refrigerator, until the dough cools to 78 degrees. If it is lower than 78 degrees, put in it a warmer than 78 degree place until the dough warms to 78 degrees. The point is to try to keep the dough at 78 degrees during its fermentation. If you do have to move the dough, be gentle and don't jostle it, or the dough may deflate.
• *Couche?French for "couch" or "resting place". This is a simple holding device you make yourself for proofing long loaves like logs, torpedo shapes, and baguettes. Using well-floured canvas or linen towels create folds to separate loaves while hold them securely next to each other during proofing. Use a length of fabric at least a yard long. Place 12 to 16-inch wooden blocks cut from 2 by 4's at either long end to contain the loaves. Or substitute large books to contain the loaves.
• Place the chef in a tall 2 to 3-quart flat bottomed, round, clear plastic container with a tight fitting lid. Add the rye flour and spring water, and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture becomes thick and pasty. Mark the level of the mixture on the side of the container with a black marking pen. Scrape down, cover tightly, and let stand in a moderately warm (74 to 80 degree) draft-free place until almost doubled in volume, 8 to 10 hours. The mixture will look light and spongy. You can observe the level of sourdough by using the black mark on the side of the container as an indicator. Do not let the sourdough ferment for longer than 10 hours, or the yeast may exhaust itself and the dough may not rise properly. The ripe chef has now produced 18 ounces of ripe sourdough, which you can use in any rye sourdough recipe.
• The Rye Chef: Day 1 1/2 cup (4 fluid ounces) spring water 2/3 cup (3 ounces) organic stone-ground rye flour, preferably medium ground
• In a tall 2 to 3-quart clear plastic container with a tight-fitting lid, stir together the water and flour. Scrape down the sides of the container with a rubber spatula. Cover tightly and put in moderate (74 to 80 degree) place for 24 hours.
• Day 2 1/2 cup (4 fluid ounces) spring water 2/3 cup (3 ounces) organic stone-ground rye flour, preferably medium ground
• Open the container. The young chef will probably show few signs of activity; the mixture will look like cardboard pulp. Don't worry! It's still a young chef. It will, however, have a sweet and musty smell and the beginnings of a tangy taste. Continue building the chef by adding the water and rye flour. Stir vigorously to bring fresh oxygen into the chef and distribute the fresh flour and water. Scrape down the sides, cover tightly and put in a moderate (74 to 80 degrees) place for another 24 hours.
• Day 3 1/2 cup (4 fluid ounces) spring water 2/3 cup (3 ounces) organic stone-ground rye flour, preferably medium ground
• The chef should have expanded noticeably. There should be bubbles on the surface. Taste it; it will have a pronounced sour taste and smell. Hold the container up and observe the large and small holes formed beneath the surface. Stir it with a wooden spoon; you should hear the faint crackle of gas bubbles popping. The chef is very much alive and maturing. Insert the spoon again and lift it up slowly. Short glutinous strands will stick to the spoon. Once again, nourish the chef by vigorously stirring in another addition of the spring water and rye flour. Scrape down the sides, cover tightly again, and return to its moderate-temperature place. Let stand for another 24 hours.
• Day 4 1/2 cup (4 fluid ounces) spring water 2/3 cup (3 ounces) organic stone-ground rye flour, preferably medium ground
• The chef is almost mature and ripe. It has expanded a great deal; maybe almost doubled in volume from Day 3, and it is very lively with bubbles and a well-developed cellular structure. You will see a honeycomb of large and small holes through the clear plastic container. Taste and smell the chef; it is pungent and unmistakably tangy, sour but not bitter. Nourish again with the last addition of spring water and rye flour, stirring vigorously. Using a black marker pen, mark the level of the chef on the side of the clear plastic container. Scrape down the sides, cover tightly, and let stand again in the same place for only 8 hours.
• If your chef was ripe, the mixture should almost double in volume. You can check its growth by comparing the height of the risen chef against the mark you made on the side of the container before the last rising.
• The chef is now ready to use to create your sourdough starter. If you are not going to make the starter immediately, refrigerate the chef in its tightly covered container for up to 3 days.

SOURDOUGH STARTER AND SOURDOUGH RYE BREAD

Steps:

• Make the starter:.
• Put the flour into a large bowl and stir in yeast. Make a well, pour in the water and mix.
• Cover tightly and leave at room temperature for 2 days. Or you could leave the starter in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
• Make the sponge:.
• Put the rye flour into a large bowl, add 2 cups of sourdough starter and the water, and stir to mix. Cover tightly and leave at room temperature for 8 hours or chill in the fridge for up to 2 days.
• Make the bread:.
• Put the flour into a bowl, add the sponge mixture , yeast, measured water, caraway seeds(if using), and salt, and mix to a soft and slightly sticky dough.
• Turn the dough into a large ungreased bowl, sprinkle the top with flour, cover loosely with oiled plastic wrap. Leave in a warm place to rise for about 2 hours, until doubled in size.
• Lightly sprinkle 2 baking sheets with cornmeal. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and punch down with your fist. Knead for 3-4 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Halve the dough and form each half into a round. Score the tops with a sharp knife.
• Place on the baking sheets, cover loosely with oiled plastic wrap, and leave in a warm place to rise for 45 minutes or until they have doubled in size.
• Place loaves in a 425*F. oven. Fill a roasting pan with boiling water and place at the bottom of the oven. Bake the loaves for about 35 minutes, until they are lightly browned. Tap the bottoms to see if the loaves are cooked; they should sound hollow. Leave to cool on wire racks. Enjoy!

SOURDOUGH RYE BREAD

Steps:

• Put all ingredients in the bread machine in the order specified by your machine's manufacturer.
• Set on the dough setting. Let it do it's thing, checking after 10 minutes or so to see if you need to adjust the liquid or flour.
• Let rise, take out and form as desired.
• Let rise again, and heat your oven to 350.
• Slash and bake for 15 minutes, turn and bake another 15 minutes. Test for doneness. I use an instant read thermometer, and shoot for 195-200 degrees.
• Let cool completely, slice and enjoy!

RYE SOURDOUGH STARTER

Steps:

• Day 1: To begin your starter, mix 50g flour with 50g tepid water in a jar or, better still, a plastic container. Make sure all the flour is incorporated and leave, covered with a tea towel, at room temperature for 24 hrs.
• Day 2: Mix 25g flour with 25g tepid water and stir into yesterday's mixture. Make sure all the flour is incorporated and leave, covered with a tea towel, at room temperature for 24 hrs.
• Day 3: Today you might see a few small bubbles forming and the mixture should smell grassy and a little acidic. Mix 25g flour with 25g tepid water and stir into yesterday's mixture. Make sure all the flour is incorporated and leave, covered with a tea towel, at room temperature for 24 hrs.
• Day 4: More bubbles should have appeared today and the mixture should smell of yeasty beer. Mix 25g flour with 25g tepid water and stir into yesterday's mixture. Make sure all the flour is incorporated and leave, covered with a tea towel, at room temperature for 24 hrs.
• Day 5: Fermentation should have set in now and the mixture might be ready to use. If a teaspoon of the starter floats in warm water, it's ready. If not, mix 25g flour with 25g tepid water and stir into yesterday's mixture. Make sure all the flour is incorporated and leave covered, with a tea towel, at room temperature for 24 hrs.
• Day 6: The mix should be really bubbly and be giving off a strong smell of alcohol. Test in the same way as yesterday. If it's not ready, continue mixing 25g flour with 25g tepid water into the mixture daily until it becomes active.If your jar is becoming full, spoon half the mix out of the jar and continue.You now have rye starter, which is a malty flavoured base to sourdough bread. Keep it in the fridge (it will stay dormant) and 12 hrs before you want to use it, spoon half of it off and feed it with 100g flour and 100g water. Leave it at room temperature and it should become active again. The longer the starter has been dormant, the more times it will need to be refreshed - the process of pouring off half the starter and replacing it with new flour and water - to reactivate.Use the starter to make rye sourdough bread.

SOURDOUGH ONION RYE BREAD

Steps:

• To proof your starter, feed it with equal parts of flour and water, cover loosely and let it sit overnight or up to 12 hours (longer proof=sourer flavor).
• At this point, measure out your 2 cups of starter into mixing bowl and proceed with recipe.
• Saute onions in olive oil until they become translucent.
• Remove from heat and add butter, water and salt.
• Cool to lukewarm (85 degrees F) and stir into starter.
• Add the rye flour and mix well.
• Add the white flour gradually, until it is too stiff to mix by hand.
• Turn onto a floured surface and knead in enough remaining flour until dough is satiny.
• Shape into an elongate loaf.
• Place on baking sheet and let rise, covered, in a warm place for 1 to 2 hours, or until about doubled in bulk (rising time will vary according to your starter, but it takes longer than breads made with commercial yeast).
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Make diagonal slashes in top of loaf with a razor blade or very sharp knife.
• Bake for 40 to 50 minutes.
• Remove from baking sheet and cool on wire rack.
• This bread could also be made using the dough cycle of your bread machine.

SOURDOUGH RYE BREAD WITH CARAWAY

Steps:

• Mix sourdough starter with warm water with a whisk until thoroughly combined.
• Add rye flour a little bit at a time, incorporating well before each addition.
• Add bread flour in the same way, first in the mixing bowl and then turned out on to a floured surface while kneading, until you get a uniformly elastic ball of dough that is tacky but not sticky. This may take about 10 minutes.
• Make a hole into the center of the dough and add the salt and caraway seed, and continue kneading another 5 minutes or so, until the seeds are dispersed throughout the bread dough.
• Coat a bowl with a thin layer of canola oil, add the dough and roll the dough around until all sides are covered with oil. Cover well, and refrigerate for 24 hours.
• Punch down dough, cut in half and form loaves.
• Leave out on a warm counter, covered, to rise until doubled in size. The length of time will depend on the vigor of your starter, but this may take a few hours.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Bake for 30 - 35 minutes, bread will appear lightly browned.
• Cool on racks.
• Freezes well.

RYE SOURDOUGH STARTER AND BREAD

Steps:

• Starter:.
• Day 1: In a 1 quart jar with a lid mix 100 g rye flour with 100 ml lukewarm water. Stir well to completely mix. Don't mind if it seems not to be enough water and the dough is sticky. Just mix well to have a homogenous dough.
• Close the lid of the jar loosely and let stand for 24 hours at room temperature, maybe not in the coolest room of the house --.
• Day 2: Stir the starter well, close the lid again and let stand for another 24 hours.
• Day 3: Stir in 100 g finely ground whole rye flour and 100 ml lukewarm water, cover again and let stand for another 24 hours.
• Open the jar and check the smell: DON'T stick your nose into the jar! I did that with my first attempt and nearly burnt off my mucosa with the cloud of acetic acid that evaporated from the vinegar starter I produced -- So, open the jar and carefully check the smell. If it doesn't sting but smell pleasantly sour, proceed. The colour of the starter should be greyish brown.
• Bread:.
• Place the flour in a large bowl, make a well and fill the sourdough starter into the well. Hold back about 2 tablespoons of the starter, put it into a glass jar, tightly close the lid and keep the jar in the refridgerator. It will not rise while in the fridge nor produce gas, so don't be afraid of tightening the lid.
• Mix the starter with some of the flour, then add the salt and water and knead for about 15 minutes. The dough is very heavy, so most machines give in and collaps. I always kneaded by hand on a floured surface until the dough was smooth.
• Form a ball and dust with flour, cover and let rest for 2 hours.
• On a dusted surface, knead lightly, form an oval loaf, cover and let rest for another hour.
• Preheat oven to 250 degrees Celsius (220 fan assisted).
• Place bread on a baking tray layered with nonstick parchment paper, prick bread with a fork in a regular pattern all over and brush with water.
• Place an ovenproof bowl with hot water on the bottom of the oven, then slip the baking tray into the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
• After 15 minutes reduce heat to 200 degrees Celsius (180 fan assisted), continue baking for 30 minutes.
• Put off the oven after 30 minutes, but don't open yet. Let the bread rest.
• for another 15 minutes in the hot oven.
• Take it out and knock at the bottom of the bread. It should sound hollow.
• Let completely cool on a wire rack.
• You need not keep the bread in the fridge.
• If you use the starter for the first time, it works better if you add some yeast to the bread dough because the fresh starter is not very strong.
• The starter which you hold back will be strong enough without adding yeast if you feed it again for 3 days like described above.

POLISH SOURDOUGH RYE BREAD

Steps:

• The night before making the bread, in a medium sized mixing bowl, dissolve one packet of yeast and the sugar in 2 cups of water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. Stir in the rye flour until the mixture is smooth. Cover and let stand overnight.
• The next day, dissolve the remaining package of yeast in the buttermilk. Add the rye flour mixture, the baking soda, the salt, 4 cups of the bread flour and stir to combine. Add the remaining 4 cups of bread flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition (you may not need to add all of the flour). When the dough has become a smooth and coherent mass, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and supple, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle the caraway seeds on the dough and knead them in until they are evenly distributed throughout the dough.
• Lightly oil a large mixing bowl. Place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with the oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour or until the volume has doubled.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into three pieces. Form each piece into a loaf and place in 3 lightly greased 9x5 inch bread pans. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 1 hour.
• Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for about 35 minutes or until the bottom of the loaves sound hollow when tapped.

CZECH SOURDOUGH RYE BREAD [ŠUMAVA] IN BREAD MACHINE

Steps:

• Add ingredients according to your bread machine manual and press the dough cycle. The dough will need to rise, up to 24 hours, in the bread machine until doubles in size. You can then bake it, in your bread machine, for one hour.

SOURDOUGH RYE

Steps:

• To make the starter: In a tall, narrow, nonmetal container (a tall, narrow bowl is fine), mix 2/3 cup rye flour with 1/2 cup water, along with the tiniest pinch of instant yeast - less than 1/16 teaspoon. Cover and let sit for about 24 hours, then add the same amount of both flour and water (no more yeast). Repeat twice more, at 24-hour intervals; 24 hours after the fourth addition, you have your starter. (From now on, keep it in the refrigerator; you don't need to proceed with the recipe for a day or two if you don't want to. Before making the dough, take a ladleful - 1/2 to 3/4 cup - of the starter and put it in a container; stir in 1/2 cup rye flour and a scant 1/2 cup water, mix well, cover and refrigerate for future use. This starter will keep for a couple of weeks. If you don't use it during that time and you wish to keep it alive, add 1/2 cup each flour and water every week or so and stir; you can discard a portion of it if it becomes too voluminous.)
• To make the dough: Combine the remaining starter in a big bowl with the rye flour, the whole-wheat or white flour and 2 1/4 cups water.
• Mix well, cover with plastic wrap and let sit overnight, up to 12 hours.
• The next morning, the dough should be bubbly and lovely. Add the salt, the cracked rye and 1 cup water - it will be more of a thick batter than a dough and should be pretty much pourable.
• Pour and scrape it into two 8-by-4-inch nonstick loaf pans. The batter should come to within an inch of the top, no higher.
• Cover (an improvised dome is better than plastic wrap; the dough will stick to whatever it touches) and let rest until it reaches the rim of the pans, about 2 to 3 hours, usually. Preheat the oven to 325 and bake until a skewer comes out almost clean; the internal temperature will measure between 190 and 200. This will take about 1 1/2 hours or a little longer.
• Remove loaves from the pans and cool on a rack. Wrap in plastic and let sit for a day before slicing, if you can manage that; the texture is definitely better the next day.

RYE CHOCOLATE CHERRY SOURDOUGH

Steps:

• Mix all of the ingredients together in a large bowl. I suggest using a dough whisk or stiff spatula as rye is very sticky for hand mixing. Note the time if you want to track the length of the bulk fermentation.
• Optional Stretch and Folds: Cover and let the dough rest for 20-30 minutes. Stretch and fold the dough, cover and let it rest another 20-30 minutes. Stretch and fold the dough a second time.
• Cover and set it aside for several hours to continue fermenting. For my dough, in winter room temperatures (~68F), this was 9 hours from the initial mixing.
• Scrape the dough out onto a lightly floured counter. Gently press it into a thick rectangle. Fold it in thirds like a letter, and then thirds the other way, to make a tall square, seam-side down. Brush off excess flour as you go. Cover and let the preshaped dough rest for 20-30 minutes.
• Without flipping the dough, shape a boule by tucking the sides of the square under and scooting the dough in circles.
• Place the dough into a floured or lined basket, seam-side up. The seams should be closed from all the time they have spent pressing down on the counter. If not, you can wet your fingertips and seal any wide cracks or overly floured areas.
• Cover and proof 1-3 hours, depending on room temperature. My dough proofed 2 hours.
• Thirty minutes before the end of the proofing stage, begin preheating your oven with the baking vessel inside.
• If you plan to try a complicated score, prep a cutting board with a piece of parchment paper on it. At the end of proofing, cover your basket with the paper and cutting board, and flip the dough out onto the paper. Brush off excess flour and score with a lame or razor.
• Remove the hot baking vessel from the oven and lift the dough into it. Cover and return it to the oven.
• Bake at:
• 500 F for 20 minutes covered
• 450 F for 10 minutes covered
• 450 F for 10-20 minutes uncovered
• Internal temperature should be about 205 F.
• This bread is quite a treat when still warm, and possibly worth the melted chocolate mess. However, you may want to let it cool for several hours, as you can always toast the chocolate back to a melted state.

LITHUANIAN BALTIC RYE BREAD (SOURDOUGH)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F degrees.
• Proof the yeast in the lukewarm water with the sugar.
• Bring the coffee to a boil, turn off the heat, and stir in the chocolate to let it melt. Add the molasses and stir again. Let cool until lukewarm.
• Blend together the yeast mixture, the coffee mixture and the sourdough starter. Add the caraway seeds, salt, ground bran cereal and stir in the flour, cup by cup.
• When you have a dough that you can knead, place it on a lightly floured (all purpose flour) work surface, kneading until elastic and shiny.
• Place in a large buttered bowl, cover with a towel and let stand in a warm place to rise until doubled in bulk. This should take about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• Take the dough out again and punch down a couple of times. Divide into 2 equal pieces, shape these into two round loaves and place on a buttered baking sheet. Cover with a towel and let stand in a warm place for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.
• Bake about 50 to 55 minutes or until brown and the breads sound hollow when tapped with your finger. Cool the breads wrapped in a towel. Two loaves. Can be frozen.
• Breads Of The World.

UNBEETABLE SOURDOUGH RYE BREAD

Steps:

• The night before combine the ingredients for sponge, cover lightly with plastic wrap and allow to stand in a draft free place overnight. The sponge should have bubbled and have a pleasant sour odor.
• The next morning, stir down and divide the sponge. For the onion rye, warm the olive oil in a small pan and cook the green onions until wilted. Set aside and allow to cool.
• Proof the yeast in 1/2 cup warm water with sugar for 5 minutes or until bubbly. Add the proofed yeast to 1 portion of the sponge along with onions, butter, milk powder, cocoa, salt and rye flour; add the all-purpose flour 1/2 cup at a time until dough forms a ball and leaves sides of bowl. The dough will be lightly tacky but manageable with floured hands.
• Knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic. Place in a large bowl that has been lightly greased with olive oil, turning to coat, cover loosely with a damp cloth and allow to rise until double, approximately 1 hour.
• For bread 2, proof the yeast in 2 tablespoons warm water with sugar for 5 minutes or until bubbly. To puree the beets add them with reserved liquid to a food processor or blender and process until smooth.
• Add the proofed yeast to sponge along with beets, dill weed, dill seed, butter, milk powder, salt, food coloring and rye flour. Add the the all-purpose flour 1/2 cup at a time until dough forms ball and leaves the sides of the bowl. The dough will be lightly tacky but manageable with floured hands.
• Knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic. Place in a large bowl that has been lightly greased with olive oil, turning to coat, cover loosely with a damp cloth and allow to rise until double, approximately 1 hour.
• To make the bread, punch down each of the doughs and knead lightly. Divide each into 2 equal portions. There will be a total of 2 "onion" and 2 "beet".
• Shape each portion into a 10 inch rope. Using 1 of each color tightly braid ropes and when braided twist lightly. With dampened fingers, seal the dough where the colors join. Turn ends under and place in loaf pans that have been lightly oiled.
• Cover with towel and allow to rise until double. The second rise took about 45 minutes. Drizzle the tops of the loaves with olive oil and bake in preheated 375 degree oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until done. Tap the top of the loaf and if it sounds hallow it is baked through.
• Remove from pans and place on wire rack; allow to cool, slice and enjoy.

POLISH SOURDOUGH RYE BREAD

Steps:

• The night before making the bread, in a medium-sized mixing bowl, dissolve one packet of yeast and the sugar in 2 cups of water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. Stir in the rye flour until the mixture is smooth. Add the onion slice. Cover and let stand overnight.
• The next day, dissolve the remaining package of yeast in the buttermilk. Add the rye flour mixture, baking soda, salt, 4 cups of the bread flour and stir to combine.
• Add the remaining 4 cups of bread flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition (you may not need to add all the flour).
• When the dough has become a smooth and coherent mass, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and supple, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle the caraway seeds on the dough and knead them in until they are evenly distributed throughout the dough.
• Lightly oil a large mixing bowl. Place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with the oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour until the volume has doubled.
• Preheat over to 350 degrees F.
• Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into three pieces. Form each piece into a loaf and place in 3 lightly greased 9x5 inch bread pans. Cover and let rise until nearly double, about 1 hour.
• Bake at 350 for about 35 minutes 0r until the loaves sound hollow when tapped.

SOURDOUGH DELI RYE

Steps:

• Mix the sponge ingredients, cover and set at room temp until doubled in volume.
• Mix the dough ingredients into the sponge and, rest for 20 minutes. Dough will be very sticky. Rye doughs resemble wet cement. The rest will help a good deal with the stickiness.
• Knead by machine (recommended) or by hand for 8 minutes. Tip dough onto counter and stretch and fold the dough letter-style.
• Place dough in a straight-sided oiled container. Cover and ferment till double (1-1.5 hour or so at warm (80 F) temperature). Be sure it doubles in volume.
• Divide and shape into 2 loaves and place in bowls or bannetons or in a couche for support. Cover with oiled plastic and refrigerate immediately.
• Overnight, the loaves should rise about 50% in volume. Place on counter while preheating the oven with a water pan to 400°F.
• Glaze with an egg and 1 tsp water, slash the loaves, and bake at 375°F with steam for 12 minutes then remove steam pan and rotate loaves. For glossier finish, add more glaze. Bake for 30 more minutes until 200F internally. Cool on a rack.