Wholemeal bread with rye and barley on a sourdough basis

Ingredients for 1 servings:

• 45 g rye starter, whole grain
• 85 g wholemeal rye flour
• 85 g water, warm, approx. 50 °C
• 215 g sourdough (basic sourdough)
• 50 g wholemeal rye flour
• 50 g rye flour
• 4 g salt
• 100 g water, warm, approx. 40 °C
• 150 g grits (barley grits)
• 200 g water, boiling
• 7 g salt
• 1 tsp beetroot
• 1 brew piece
• 40 g water, hot
• 380 g sourdough (full sourdough)
• 140 g wholemeal rye flour
• ½ tsp bread spice mix, if desired
• 1 tsp vinegar essence, if you like the bread a little more sour
• Flour for working

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Rest time approx. 1 day 6 hours; Cooking/baking time approx. 45 minutes; Total time approx. 1 day 7 hours 5 minutes

from the brick

Place the starter, flour, and water in a container with a lid large enough to double its volume. Just put the lid on and set everything aside for 8-12 hours at at least 25°C. The sourdough starter is ready when clear bubbles can be seen and the volume has visibly increased. It goes much faster at 30-35°C. Place the finished sourdough starter in a larger container and stir in 100 ml of warm water. Add the flour and salt, put the lid on, and set everything aside at room temperature for at least 10-16 hours, until the volume increase and bubbles have repeated themselves. At the same time, mix the barley meal with the salt, the beetroot, and the boiling water, cover the container tightly with cling film, and let the sourdough starter stand in a warm place for 8-10 hours. On the day you’re ready to bake, use the dough hook on your stand mixer to mix the sourdough with 40g of hot water, stir in the sourdough starter, then add 140g of wholemeal rye flour and, if desired, the spices. Mix everything together on low speed for at least 5 minutes, then knead again on medium speed for at least 5 minutes. Dust the dough well with flour and place it in a well-floured proving basket. It will be really soft and sticky, but it’ll do. Cover and let it rise in a warm place for 3-6 hours; it should visibly increase in size. Preheat the oven with the baking stone for half an hour to 250°C (top/bottom heat). Place the bread on the middle rack and immediately add a cup of boiling water to steam it. After 5 minutes, reduce the temperature to 220°C and release the steam. Bake for 40 minutes, opening the oven door slightly for the last 5 minutes to get a firm crust. It is better to cut the bread after it has cooled for a few hours, otherwise it will be very sticky.