Yesterday, I got out the white bread starter to “exercise and feed” it as I do from time to time. I scooped out about a cupful from the container and then added fresh flour and some water. Instead of discarding the cupful that was removed, I decided to make some bread with it. To use up the starter, I just threw together some dough without really paying attention to strict measurements. Now I wish that I had. The bread turned out really good.
Here’s what I “think” I did. It should be pretty close.
Lite “Sourdough” Rye Bread
Ingredients:
For the sponge:
1 cup starter
1 cup bread flour
water
For the dough:
3 cups bread flour
1 cup rye flour
1 cup soy milk
¼ cup oil
¼ to 1/2 cup molasses
1 Tbs caraway seed
1 Tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp salt
Preparation:
Build an active sponge with 1 cup white bread starter and 1 cup bread flour. Add enough water to make a very wet dough with the consistency of a very thick batter.
Allow to rise until the volume has increased to around 3 cups ……. more or less.
In a large bowl mix together the sponge, milk, molasses and oil.
In a separate bowl, combine and mix the two flours, caraway seed, cocoa powder and salt.
Add the flour to the sponge and mix into a dough.
Knead on a floured surface for 10 minutes. Dust with flour as necessary if the dough is sticky and difficult to work. Take care to not add so much flour as to make the dough too dry. A dough that is a little on the wet and sticky side will rise better than one that is too dry.
Lightly coat the surface of the dough with oil.
Cover in a lightly oiled bowl and let rise until doubled in volume. I use plastic wrap to cover the bowl.
Punch down, knead a little and form into two loaves.
Place the loaves in 8 inch pans, cover and let rise until doubled in size. I use plastic wrap with cooking spray applied to the bread side to cover the pans.
Bake for 40 minutes in an oven preheated to 350 degrees.
Remove from pans and cool on a rack.
Rye bread with caraway seed.
I had a slice plain with morning coffee and then another toasted with breakfast. Breakfast consisted of the toasted rye with home made peach preserves, venison sausage and garlic seasoned potato slices, both fried in canola oil. There was home made pecante sauce for the potatoes and a banana with cottage cheese sprinkled with flax seed meal. Of course there was another cup of coffee.
A person could grow fat in his old age eating this way; but it sure is good.
Breakfast.