Finnish rye sourdough bread
Description
Homemade baked goods for tea. Baking a delicious and aromatic Finnish sourdough bread is very simple. Either rye or wheat starter will work. The step-by-step recipe explains the details. Fragrant, tasty and wholesome bread will delight you and your loved ones. Serve cooled or slightly warm.
Instructions
- 1
Step 1
Prepare the ingredients.
- 2
Step 2
It is best to start preparing the sponge starter 10–12 hours before you begin kneading the dough (for example, the evening before). To make the sponge starter, pour 375 ml of water into a bowl, add the sourdough starter, and stir in 250 grams of flour.
- 3
Step 3
Cover the sponge with plastic wrap and place it in a warm spot to ferment.
- 4
Step 4
Sponge after 10–12 hours.
- 5
Step 5
Pour 30 ml of water into the dough mixing bowl and dissolve the salt in it.
- 6
Step 6
Transfer all of the sponge, add the flour in portions, and knead the dough.
- 7
Step 7
It is very convenient to knead the dough with a plastic dough scraper. If you knead by hand, moisten your hands with water from time to time, because the dough is sticky. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and leave it in a warm place to rise for 2 hours.
- 8
Step 8
To shape the bread, dust the work surface with flour. Turn out the dough and try not to work in too much flour.
- 9
Step 9
Flatten the dough into a disc, and gather the ends of the dough into a knot.
- 10
Step 10
For proofing the bread, line a bowl with a towel that you dust generously with flour, rubbing it into the fabric. Place the shaped loaf seam side up, fold the corners of the towel over the dough, and let proof for 2 hours.
- 11
Step 11
After 2 hours, carefully turn the bread over onto a baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.
- 12
Step 12
Bake the bread for 10 minutes at maximum temperature 250 °C (top and bottom heat, no convection), then reduce the temperature to 180 °C and bake for another 40–45 minutes. Transfer the finished bread to a wire rack. Cool to room temperature.
- 13
Step 13
The rye sourdough bread turned out very tasty, with a crispy crust, a fine crumb, and a light, pleasant tang.
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Step 14
Once the bread had fully cooled and rested, it became especially good—you want to eat it just as it is, without anything, it’s that delicious on its own.