Polish Rye Bread - BC20 Style

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It's the week before Christmas. In pre-Covid times, we would have been enjoying our usual pre-Christmas trip to Eastern Europe. The beauty of the Christmas markets, wonderful food, the chance of crisp snow and toasty-warm apartments. 

But, this year, we're ice-bound at home. There's a need to be cheered up, so I'm making Polish rye bread - BC20 style, of course. 

INGREDIENTS for one loaf

225 gms rye flour

225 gms strong white flour

140 gms tepid water

140 gms tepid milk

5 gms honey

8 gms crushed sea salt

10 gms caraway seeds

7 gms instant active yeast

¼ teaspoon of Vitamin C powder (optional - but it does help the rise) 

METHOD

Mix all the ingredients together and then knead until you have a fairly robust dough. 

Place the dough into a lightly-oiled bowl, cover and place somewhere warm (about 22C - 25C) for about three hours, or until it has doubled in size. 

Lightly flour a work surface and turn out the dough onto it. 

Knock it back and then shape it into a boule or oval loaf. 

There are two mixes here...one for the boule and one for the oval

Place it onto a baking sheet, and dust the loaf with wholemeal flour. 

Cover and return to the warm place. 

Leave it to proof for between one and one and a half hours until it has doubled in size. 

Tip: Watch the dough, not the clock. 

Preheat the oven to 220⁰C. 

Slash the dough twice longways and bake for about 30 - 35 minutes until the loaf is golden brown and hollow when tapped underneath. 

Cool on a wire rack 

Happy baking...