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Russian Rye Sourdough Bread -- Rizhsky Khleb

"Joni Repasch" <jrepasch@infi.net>
Wed, 13 Sep 2000 16:31:46 -0700
v100.n062.12
I tweaked this recipe to allow for a sourdough starter and some First Clear
Flour. Excellent and easy.

Russian Rye Sourdough Bread -- Rizhsky Khleb

"The following recipe marks King Arthur's very first venture onto the 
Internet -- we obtained it from a Russian student at Moscow State 
University, via the 'net, back in late 1995." [KA Flours

1/4 - 1/3 cup lukewarm water (105 F-115F)
1/4 cup barley malt extract or dark honey
1-2 teaspoons instant yeast
2 cups rye sourdough starter
1 1/2 cups medium rye flour or pumpernickel
2 teaspoons salt
2 Tbsp caraway seeds
1 Tbsp KA Rye Bread Improver (optional)
2 Tbsp KA Rye Sour (optional)
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
3 cups KA Unbleached A-P Flour OR
    1 1/2 cups First Clear Flour and
    1 1/2 - 2 cups KA Bread Flour

Manual/Mixer Method: Pour the warm water into a mixing bowl and add a 
teaspoon of the malt extract or honey. Stir in the yeast, rye sourdough 
starter and rye flour. Let this sponge work for at least 20 minutes, until 
it's expanded and bubbly.

Add the salt, caraway seeds, butter, remainder of the barley malt extract, 
rye bread improver, 2 rye sour, 1 1/2 cups First Clear Flour and enough of 
the bread flour to create a dough that begins to pull away from the sides 
of the bowl. At this point, cover the dough with a towel or plastic wrap, 
and let it stand for about 5 minutes.

Mixer Kneading:
Remove paddle attachment and insert the dough hook. Knead the dough for 4-5 
minutes. Turn machine off and allow dough to rest 2-3 minutes. Knead again 
by machine or hand another 5 minutes. Add only enough more bread flour to 
keep dough from sticking unbearably.

Manual Kneading:
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured or lightly oiled work surface, 
and knead until it's smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes, adding only 
enough flour (or oil on your hands and the work surface) to keep the dough 
from sticking unbearably. (Rye doughs will always be a bit sticky, so 
resist the urge to keep adding flour to eliminate this inherent stickiness; 
adding too much flour will make a heavy, dense, dry loaf.)

Halfway through, give the dough a rest while you clean out and butter your 
mixing bowl.

Shape the dough into a ball, place it in the buttered bowl, turning to 
coat, and cover the bowl with a towel or plastic wrap. Allow the dough to 
rise for about 1 1/2 hours, or until it's just about doubled in bulk. Punch 
the dough down, and divide it in half. Shape each half into an oval, place 
them on a lightly greased [or corn-meal] parchment-lined baking sheet, 
[pizza peel] cover, and let rise for about 30 minutes.

[After doubled, glaze with egg white/milk or cornstarch glaze from _Secrets 
of a Jewish Baker_*. Make slashes. Bake at 425F for 15 min ..Lower heat to 
400F and bake another 15 - 30 min depending on size of loaves.] Crust 
should be a dark brown, and interior temperature should measure 190 to 200F 
on an instant-read thermometer. Remove the bread from the oven, and cool it 
on a wire rack.

*
"While bringing 1 cup water to a boil, dissolve 2 Tbsp cornstarch in 1/4 
cup cold water; whisk into boiling water until mixture thickens. Brush on 
loaf before slashing & placing in the oven, and again as soon as you take 
the bread out of the oven." from _Secrets of a Jewish Baker_.

Quarter Recipe:
boil 1/4 cup water
Mix together
1 Tbsp + 1/4 tsp water
1 1/2 tsp cornstarch

YIELD: 2 loaves.

SOURCE: Based on: The King Arthur Flour Company, Inc. Copyright 2000

Date Tested: 09/05/00
Results: Excellent and beautiful.
Weather: Delightful. Overcast and very cool in AM, high about 65. By 1:00,
sun was out and temps rose to the low 70's. Ambient kitchen temp by 12:00
noon. 70F.
Ingredients: Use 4 ozs less bread flour than recipe called for.
Method: As written.
Divided dough in half after mixing. Kneaded separately.
Weight: 2 lbs, 8 3/4 ozs after kneading
Comments: This dough came out nice and supple, slack without being sticky.