Mortar crusts

Ingredients for 1 servings:

• 500 g wheat flour type 405, or similar
• 500 g rye flour type 997, or similar
• 700 ml water, lukewarm
• 2 packs of dry yeast, 7 g each or 1 cube of fresh yeast
• 1 pack of sourdough (e.g. 75 g Seitenbacher or similar)
• 4 tsp, heaped sea salt flakes or equivalently less table salt
• some flour for processing

Instructions

Working time approx. 10 minutes; Rest time approx. 2 hours; Cooking/baking time approx. 40 minutes; Total time approx. 2 hours 50 minutes

Farmhouse bread for beginners, sourdough

Mix all ingredients together, seasoning as needed, as sea salt is less strong than table salt. After mixing all ingredients, knead the dough for at least 5 minutes with a hand mixer or food processor until smooth. Let it rest for 45 to 60 minutes. Then, briefly knead the dough again by hand with wet hands on a floured work surface, then shape it into a pan. A springform pan lined with baking paper is also suitable for this. Sprinkle the surface with flour. Let the dough rise in the pan for another 45 to 60 minutes (if you have time, take it and give the dough 90 minutes to rise). When wide cracks have formed and the dough has almost doubled in size, it should be ready to bake. The baking time can vary depending on the appliance and method. Bake in a hot oven at 220°C (top/bottom heat), for about 40 minutes, steaming the dough for the first 15 minutes – i.e. baking with a bowl of water. Remove the bread after 15 minutes. Alternatively, steam it for 15 minutes and then transfer it to the oven (some ovens also offer a moist convection oven). Once the crust is dark brown, the bread should be baked through. If you’re using a deep baking pan, check the doneness with a skewer.