*An updated, lighter version of this bread is part of my comprehensive course, Wholegrain Rye Sourdough Bread: Mastering The Basics. * Rye has been used to make bread for thousands of years. It’s not only super tasty, it’s also lower … Read More
Borodinsky sourdough rye. It’s been a year since I made one of these and I don’t want to go back to ‘normal’ sourdough rye now, despite the fact that this bread needs me more during the fermentation.
.
It’s flavour, which gets better from days 2 and 3, is deep, fragrant and rich – from the molasses I added, plus the malt grain and caraway seed mix that I toasted and included. It’s soft and cakey – from the scald (flour mixed with boiling water) that makes up a large part of it.
.
I prep the starter and the scald the evening before and then mix them together in the morning. Half way through the day I add the remaining flour and molasses. A couple of hours later it’s ready to shape and then it’s baked before tea.
.
Thanks to @theryebaker for the formula. It’s a beautiful homage to this wonderful grain.
One of the reasons I moved my life to Italy in my hands: easily-accessible, local, organic food. Back in the UK, it took a lot of work for me to find UK grown and milled rye flour. Here, near Florence, there’s a fully organic farm, championing ancient grains and regenerative agriculture, literally a few miles from my house. That mans I can make sourdough, 85% wholegrain, rye bread that is hyper-local. It’s what I believe food should be and I feel such deep joy at being part of its creation in my kitchen.
