Rye bread with grated apples

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 400 ml dough (sourdough)*
• 1 liter of mineral water, carbonated
• 1 kg flour (roughly ground wholegrain rye)
• 4 apples, approx. 450 g
• 2 tbsp beet syrup
• 3 tsp salt
• 500 g flour (whole grain rye, finely ground)

Instructions

Working time approx. 40 minutes; Rest time approx. 1 hour; Total time approx. 1 hour 40 minutes

“Double Back”

Preparation of the pre-dough: Stir 1 liter of carbonated mineral water, 1 kg of rye meal, 2 tbsp of beetroot syrup and grated apples, with or without skin, into 400 ml of sourdough, mix together and leave covered at room temperature overnight or 12 hours! Preparation of the main dough: Knead 500 g of finely ground wholegrain rye and approx. 3 tsp of salt into the pre-dough on a low speed for a good 12-15 minutes until everything is well mixed. Pour into 2 x 30 cm loaf tins lined with baking paper, keep warm again before baking and allow to rest until the dough has visibly risen. Cut a 0.5 cm slit into the surface of the risen dough with a knife and brush with water again. Cover with aluminum foil, matte side up. Pierce a small hole in the foil or use a fork to allow steam to escape during baking (a tip from Friesin that worked well). Then bake for about 120-150 minutes at 160°C fan oven without preheating. Remove the foil 10 minutes before the end of the baking time and continue baking. Pour about 500 ml of water into the drip tray under the baking rack. Remove the bread from the oven, baking pan, and baking paper. Immediately brush the crust with olive oil (gives it a nice shine and keeps the crust softer!). (A tip from a Frisian woman that worked well.) Return the bread to the still-hot oven, place aluminum foil lightly over the bread, and bake for another 40-55 minutes at the same temperature. Allow the bread to cool completely before slicing. Test for doneness with a knitting needle or wooden skewer. *Take 1-2 tablespoons of the sourdough starter and mix it with wholegrain rye flour in a screw-top jar. Mix dry for the next sourdough starter. (Grated apples, with their slight acidity, promote the fermentation process and give the bread an interesting flavor.)