Whole rye sourdough bread recipe

Bread baking  is not very complicated, but at the beginning may cause some problems. The basis is sourdough. Of course you can bake bread with yeast (faster), although it is worth try a sourdough bread: a healthier, tastier, longer stays fresh.

At the beginning you need sourdough:

Pour handful (can be more) of rye flour into perfectly clean jar (I use to rinse jar with hot water before). Add lukewarm good quality water  (can be boiled), mix well using wooden spoon (consistency of cream). After 12 hours, stir again. After next 12 hours, add handful of rye flour, water and mix. Repeat for several days.

For example:

•  7.00 a.m. – add some whole rye flour, water and stir

•  7.00 p.m. – stir
• 7.00 a.m. next day – add some whole rye flour, water and mix
• 7.00 p.m. – stir etc.

Repeat these steps for the next days to receive a sourdough starter in the appropriate quantity.

After several days sourdough should have apple cider vinegar smell, but not necessarily. If it isn’t stinky, should be OK. The optimum temperature for wild yeast production is 77-86 degrees F. I use paper towel to cover jars with sourdough (protects against dust). You can keep your sourdough starter in the refrigerator up to 7 days without “feeding”.

My sourdough will be 5 years in a couple months:-) Obviously, I treat my starter well 🙂

Whole dark rye flour

You need handful (or more) of flour

Ready to use sourdough starter

Sourdough starter

When Your starter is ready You can bake sourdough bread. For years I use a recipe for bread I found on the polish forum for vegetarian and vegan families.

You need:

• about 1.5 cups of starter (because mine is mature and strong, I use about 1 cup)

• add a cup of flour, a little warm water, stir (consistency of mud) and leave for several hours to rise (you can leave for night).

Note: Always leave some starter for the next bread baking (add flour, water, stir and put to the refrigerator)

1 cup of rye flour

1 cup of sourdough starter

Mix starter and flour

Add some water

Stir

Leave for a couple hours in warm place (it should rise)

After couple hours add:

• 3 cups flour
• lukewarm water (You need mud consistency)

• approximately 2 flat teaspoons of salt (I use 1 teaspoon)
• olive oil

• whatever You like: black cumin, pumpkin or sunflower seeds, raisins, honey, caraway seeds etc.

Ingredients

Bread starter, honey, salt, olive oil

I added some water

and sunflower seeds

Yummy

Put bread into a mold and set aside to rise

White sourdough wheat bread and whole rye sourdough bread

White bread

Rye bread

Rye bread

White bread

Set aside to rise. Bake at 392 F for one hour (in the meantime spray water over your bread). I also spray bread with water before baking (It should help prevent crust breaking). White wheat always rises like crazy, bread with wholemeal flour is heavier, so it is generally smaller.

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Homemade bread

I was born in Poland, where for many people, bread is the basic. When I was a little girl, I loved to eat bread with fresh butter. I still remember the smell of bread from the corner shop. Now, whenever I want, I bake my own sourdough bread.

Homemade sourdough whole grains bread

Homemade sourdough whole grains bread

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Vegan cornbread

I do not remember where I got the recipe for cornbread – probably found on the Internet.

2 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

3 tb. nonaluminium baking powder

1/2 tsp. sea salt (I used less)

1 1/3 cups soy milk (rice milk or other nondairy milk of choice)

1 1/3 cups filtered water

1/2 cup pure maple syrup (I used agave nectar)

1/2 cup olive oil

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Using a little olive oil, lightly oil a 9×13 – inch pan (I used 9×9) and set aside.

In a large bowl , sift together yellow cornmeal, whole wheat pastry flour, nonaluminium baking powder, and sea salt. I a medium bowl, add soy milk, water, maple syrup, olive oil, and vanilla extract, and stir well.

2. Add soy milk mixture to dry ingredients, and stir until just combined. Pour mixture into the prepared pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out  clean.

Allow to cool slightly before cutting into squares.

Bon appetite

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