Moist sourdough rye bread

Ingredients for 1 servings:

• 20 g rye sourdough, ready-made starter
• 450 g rye flour type 1150
• 300 g wheat flour type 1050
• 20 g rock salt or sea salt
• 500 g water, lukewarm

Instructions

Working time approx. 15 minutes; Rest time approx. 1 day 2 hours; Cooking/baking time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 1 day 2 hours 45 minutes

without yeast, only with sourdough, takes a while, but is worth it

It’s important that the sourdough starter is fully prepared and ready to use. Combine all ingredients for about 5 minutes using a food processor and a dough hook until you have a smooth dough. Place the dough in a bowl with the largest possible diameter, cover the bottom with a damp cloth, and let it rise for 24 hours at a not-too-cold room temperature. I put the bowl in the oven and just turn on the light. This works perfectly. Check occasionally to see if the cloth is still damp enough. If not, the dough will dry out on top. If necessary, moisten the cloth again. After about 8 and then after about 12 hours, briefly fold the dough in the bowl. Like an envelope is folded. Don’t turn the dough over. Simply fold it slightly at the top, then at the bottom, and then on the left and right. After the entire rising time, use a dough scraper to transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface, stretch it slightly—do not press down—and fold it like an envelope. Always tap gently to prevent excess flour from remaining. After folding the dough, turn it over so that the end of the dough is at the bottom. Then, using quick hand movements, shape the loaf into a round loaf. Do this only with the outsides of your palms; handle the dough as little as possible. There are many videos online about round shaping. Cover the shaped dough with a damp cloth and place it in a proving basket lined with a well-floured linen cloth for about 2 hours. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees Celsius (top/bottom heat). I bake my bread using a baking stone; this needs to be preheated to 250 degrees Celsius (top/bottom heat) for about 40 minutes. Turn the oven on accordingly early. When the time is up and the oven is well preheated, lightly flour the underside of the loaf, which is still on top, and tip or slide the dough, end-up, directly onto the baking stone or onto a baking sheet lined with baking paper. I have a peeler, which works wonderfully without having to touch the dough again. I don’t cut the bread, but let it develop naturally. I find that looks better. The dough can also be cut crosswise about 2 cm deep before baking. Now immediately pour a small cup of water onto the very bottom of the oven and close the door immediately. Check beforehand whether this is permitted in your oven! Immediately turn the temperature down to 200 degrees. After about 10 minutes, open the oven door briefly (for about 1 minute) and let the steam escape. Be careful, the steam is very hot! For me, the bread only needs about 25-30 minutes in total with the baking stone, although this can be a little longer or shorter depending on the oven and the type of baking. Place the bread on a wire rack to cool. You can tell if the bread is done this way: it is evenly browned all over. If you press on it, it will crackle. If you tap on the underside, it will sound hollow. Depending on the type of bread, it can sometimes sound muffled. Here, you should rely on your gut feeling, as well as your sense of smell and touch. If you have a thermometer, a loaf is generally baked through at an internal temperature of approximately 98 degrees Celsius. Please keep in mind: Sourdough bread is and should always be a bit “sloppy,” but not wet inside. This is the correct way to do it. Don’t be put off: it’s a bit of work, but the enjoyment afterwards is worth it. The bread can also be baked in a stoneware pot with a lid. To do this, place the pot in the cold oven, bake the bread with the lid on for 20 minutes, and then for another 10-15 minutes uncovered.