Rye Bread

Start the night before. Place the 80g bread dough, water and rye flour into a mixing bowl, stir well until a thick paste is achieved then cover with a shower cap, leave at room temperature overnight.

The next day the thick starter paste will have doubled in size and be covered in waxy bubbles.

Place the water for the dough in the base of the bowl of a table top mixer fixed with a dough hook. Add the flour, salt, treacle and the risen starter. Mix on a low speed for 7-8 minutes until the dough is well combined. Transfer to a greased bowl, cover with a shower cap and leave to rise. There is little yeast in this bread and therefore the dough may take as long as 1 and a half hours to rise but I pop it into the oven with just the light on to add a little heat.

When the dough has risen turn out onto a board well dusted with rye flour.
If you want to make rye bread regularly – now is the time to remove about 80g of the dough, pop it into a sealed container and keep in the fridge. This will be your starter for your next loaf.

Important – do not knead or knock back but gently roll the dough in the flour, retaining valuable air –  then transfer to the prepared tin. Pop the shower cap over then leave to prove for 50 minutes.

When ready to bake preheat the oven to 220 degrees c (fan) – dust over the top of the loaf with a little rye flour then bake for 40 minutes. Turn out of the tin as soon as it is cool enough to handle, place on a cooling tray and make sure it is cool before slicing. This bread is dark, moist, slightly sour and delicious.