Polish Sourdough Rye Bread

An old-fashioned sourdough rye bread from my grandmother’s 90 year old neighbor! Let the starter rise overnight and make the bread the next day.

Step: 1

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.

Step: 2

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.

Step: 3

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.

Step: 4

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Step: 5

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.

Step: 6

Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for about 35 minutes or until the bottom of the loaves sound hollow when tapped.

Per Serving: 156 calories; protein 5g; carbohydrates 31.9g; fat 0.8g; cholesterol 0.3mg; sodium 237mg.

The best flavour of the flour could make a real deal to your bread. Different brands do vary. Extra-strong or Canadian flours, which are bet higher in gluten, may give you a best rise than standard dough flours – especially if you’re make wholemeal bread , which doesn’t always rise as well as white bread.

To make this in a breadmaker , add all the ingredients to your breadmaker and follow the makers instructions.

A bread first rising can be make in the fridge 24 hours . This slows down the time it takes to rise to double its size, giving it a deeper flavour. It’s also a great timesaver , as you can work it yesterday , then finish it off the next day.