bbd #03 – Rustic bread with hyperactive grape-rye-sourdough

Time flies! This month Ulrike from Küchenlatein is already hosting breadbakingday #03. Ulrike lives in Northern Germany were „rye breads“ are very popular. So she has chosen bread with rye sourdough as theme.

I have just little experience with rye. I do not like it so much, because 100 % rye breads are mostly compact. I prefer more airy breads. Natch, I accepted the challenge. Ok, I did not a 100 % rye bread, but a 100 % rye sourdough.

As I have a lot of grapes, I was looking for a recipe with grapes. I found two recipes on Angie’s site. One for the starter, the other for the bread.

Angie uses unwashed grapes for the starter. As ours are full of ants and other insects I washed them.

Grape Sourdough Starter

454 washed grapes, red or purple
185 g rye flour
80 g water

Stem grapes into a medium mixing bowl. Crush with hands and cover with a plastic wrap. Use a fork or wooden toothpick to gently poke some holes along the top and set aside for 3-4 days at room temperature. After 3-4 days there should be bubbles in the grape juice/must, indicating fermentation has begun.

In the morning of day 3, my juice/must was ready. A lot of bubbles in it.

Day 1:
Measure 120 grams of strained grape juice and pour in a glass jar.

Stir in 90 grams of rye flour to make a thick, porridge like mixture. Set aside for 24 hours at room temperature.

My starter was hyperactive, as you can see here, therefore I stirred it already the first day.

Day 2:
In the morning of day 2, my starter chilled down but smelled very sour, so I added 55 g rye flour and 55 g water. Normally you should do this only on day 3.
Again the starter began to rise very fast. I decided to put it in the fridge and stirred it 3 times a day. In the evening I added in 40 g rye flour and 40 water.

Day 3:
In the morning I took the mixture out of the fridge and let it stand 2 hours, then I started with the bread.

The original grape sourdough starter recipe you find here.

***

Rustic bread
makes 2

330 g grape rye sourdough starter
220 g lukewarm water
400 g flour
140 g rye flour
10 g salt

optional: 50 g crushed and roasted walnuts

Place the dough ingredients, except the salt, in the bowl of a mixer. Mix on the low speed (position 1,5 Bosch MUM 8) for about 4 minutes or until a coarse ball forms. Add in salt and continue kneading on medium speed (position 2 Bosch MUM 8) for 6 more minutes until the dough is slightly sticky but soft.

Shape into a ball, divide in half. Add in one half 50 g crushed and roasted walnuts.

Place dough in greased bowls, and turn once. Cover, and allow them to ferment at room temperature until doubled (approx. 3 hours). During this time I did 2 stretch & fold.

Shape each half into a baguette and place them on a baguette pan (if you have one). You may form the loaves into boule, or any other style that pleases you.
Lightly sprinkle the dough tops with rye flour. Cover each with a plastic wrap and allow them to proof at room temperature until nearly doubled, 1-2 hours.

I did 1 1/2 hours, I think this was a little bit too long. The breads don’t have a nice oven spring.

Preheat oven to 230 C. With a very sharp knife, make 3 or 4 diagonal cuts across top of each loaf. Place the breads on the middle rack and immediately sprinkle oven with water.

Bake 25 minutes until done. Allow your loaf to cool completely on a rack, about 2 hours, before slicing.

Original recipe you find here.

The result not convinced me 100 %. It’s less airy then Angie’s. But it tastes good, particularly the one with walnuts.

For sure I will give it a second try.