Darnitsky sourdough bread
Description
Perfect with tea and coffee. Fancy baking a classic of Russian breadmaking? Make Darnitsky bread at home. It’s very easy, especially if you follow the step‑by‑step recipe. Serve warm or cooled—ideal with tea.
Instructions
- 1
Step 1
Prepare the ingredients, including the sponge prepared in advance.
- 2
Step 2
To make the sponge, 10–12 hours before you start mixing the main dough, take 140 ml warm water, 140 g rye flour, and 25 g sourdough starter.
- 3
Step 3
Dissolve the starter in warm water.
- 4
Step 4
Add rye flour.
- 5
Step 5
Mix the sponge, cover with plastic wrap, and set in a warm place to ferment for 10–12 hours.
- 6
Step 6
After 10–12 hours the sponge had increased in volume and was covered with numerous bubbles.
- 7
Step 7
Pour warm water into a mixing bowl, dissolve the salt and molasses.
- 8
Step 8
Place the sponge and mix.\n
- 9
Step 9
Add rye and wheat flour and knead the dough.
- 10
Step 10
Mix the dough. Knead by hand or using a mixer.
- 11
Step 11
Gather the dough into a ball and cover the bowl with a lid. Place in a warm place to rise for 3 hours.
- 12
Step 12
During fermentation, do one fold after 1–1.5 hours.
- 13
Step 13
During fermentation the dough should increase in size roughly twofold.
- 14
Step 14
To shape the bread, dust the tabletop work surface with flour, lay out the dough and carefully form the loaf, then pinch the ends closed.
- 15
Step 15
Transfer the shaped bread “seam side up” into a basket or bowl lined with a napkin or towel, and flour it generously inside. Proof for 1 hour.
- 16
Step 16
Transfer the loaf to a baking sheet seam side down, preheat the oven to 250°C, and bake for 10 minutes at 250°C. Then lower the temperature to 180°C and bake for another 45 minutes.
- 17
Step 17
Cool the baked bread on a cooling rack.
- 18
Step 18
After the bread has cooled completely, you can serve it at the table.
- 19
Step 19
Darnitsky bread turned out fragrant and flavorful. With a crunchy crust, a fine-crumbed crumb, and that characteristic pleasant tang in the taste.