Borodinsky Russian Rye Sourdough Bread
The Borodinsky Russian Rye Bread is authentic to Russian cuisine made with very simple ingredients commonly found in Russia. This bread is scented with molasses, coriander and malt extract. It is a clean-tasting, high-fiber bread filled with nutrients. It's a great healthy alternative to the usual. This 100% rye flour dense bread goes well with soups and would taste great as a base for a cream cheese and sour cream spread mixed with fresh dill and capers topped with smoked salmon. This recipe was adapted from shipton-mill.com.
Servings: 16 total slices
Ingredients
Rye Sourdough Starter Ingredients
- ⅓ cup + 1 tbsp dark rye flour (45 grams)
- ⅓ cup + 1½ tbsp lukewarm water (90 ml)
First Starter Feed Ingredients (48 hours after Beginning Starter)
- ¼ cup dark rye flour (30 grams)
- ¼ cup lukewarm water (60 ml)
Second Starter Feed Ingredients (24 hours after First Feed)
- 2¾ cup + 1 tbsp dark rye flour (340 grams)
- 2½ (slightly less) cups lukewarm water (570 ml)
Borodinsky Ingredients (Day following Second Feed)
- 4 cups sourdough starter from above (800 grams) room temperature
- 5 cups + 2 tbsp dark rye flour (680 grams)
- 1¼ cups lukewarm water (290 ml) plus more, if needed
- 2 tsp salt (15 grams)
- ¼ cup molasses (60 grams)
- 1 tbsp malt syrup or extract (30 grams)
- 1 tsp ground coriander plus more for sprinkling on prepared dough
Instructions
Rye Sourdough Starter Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and water to make a smooth paste. Cover with plastic wrap and leave on the counter (in a warm place) to ferment for 2 days. It should start to bubble and develop a sweet apple-y smell.
First Starter Feed Instructions (48 hours after Beginning Starter)
- On day 3 about 48 hours later, uncover the starter. You should smell the active fermenting which will be a little sour. Stir in the first feed ingredients. Cover with the plastic wrap and leave overnight on the counter to continue fermenting.
Second Starter Feed Instructions (24 hours after First Feed)
- On day 4 about 24 hours after the first feed, uncover the starter. Stir in the ingredients for the second feed using a whisk, if needed. Mix the ingredients well to make a thick, smooth batter. Cover with plastic wrap and leave it on the counter to ferment again for another 24 hours. This is now your sourdough starter.
Borodinsky Instructions (Day following Second Feed)
- In a large bowl, stir in all the wet ingredients. Then, add the dry ingredients mixing well for a few minutes. The dough will be soft and sticky, unlike conventional wheat dough. This heavy grain dough will not be kneaded.
- Using a spoon, scoop out equal amounts of dough into two 1.5 quart loaf pans sprayed with cooking spray. If you use your hands, be sure to wet them first to prevent sticking.
- Cover the pans loosely with plastic wrap sprayed with cooking spray making sure to leave a little extra space at the top. Place the pans in a warm area, over the oven, for example with the microwave undermount light on. If using 1.5 quart pans, the dough will not rise to the top of the pans, but it should puff up and rise most of the way. This can take 2-6 hours (in a warm space, mine took 4 hours).
- Near the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 425˚F / 220˚C. Uncover the loaves and sprinkle each with a little ground coriander,
- Place the pans in the oven for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 350˚F / 180˚C and bake for another 40-55 minutes. To ensure a fully baked loaf, use a thermometer and bake until the internal temperature reaches 205˚F- 210˚F / 96˚C- 99˚C. You can also tap on the unmolded loaves and if they sound hollow, they are ready.
- Remove the warm, baked loaves of bread from their pans to cool on wire racks. When cooled completely, wrap the loaves tightly and leave for 1 day before slicing and enjoying.
Notes
*The bread keeps well for up to a week during which time the flavor deepens and mellows.
*If you only want to make 1 loaf, just cut all of the ingredient quantities in half.
*There will be a small amount of starter leftover, you may refrigerate it and continue to feed it, use it in another recipe, or gift it to a friend. *This bread is best served as a side to soups or stews. Use it as a sandwich bread for a Reuben with dressing, corned beef, Swiss cheese, and sauerkraut. Use a slice as a base for a cream cheese and sour cream spread with fresh dill and capers topped with cold smoked salmon.
*There will be a small amount of starter leftover, you may refrigerate it and continue to feed it, use it in another recipe, or gift it to a friend. *This bread is best served as a side to soups or stews. Use it as a sandwich bread for a Reuben with dressing, corned beef, Swiss cheese, and sauerkraut. Use a slice as a base for a cream cheese and sour cream spread with fresh dill and capers topped with cold smoked salmon.