Lithuanian Baltic Rye Bread Sourdough Recipes

EASY LITHUANIAN DARK RYE BREAD (RUGINE DUONA)

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Add milk to a heavy-bottomed saucepan and set over medium heat. Cook until milk begins to steam and bubbles form around edges, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula. Check with a thermometer often; milk should reach a scalding temperature of 180 F.
• Remove from heat and cool scalded milk to 110 F. (This is done to denature proteins in the milk that can inhibit gluten formation and keep dough from rising.)
• In a large bowl or stand mixer, add butter, sugar, and salt. Pour over scalded milk and stir until cool.
• In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in lukewarm water. Add yeast mixture and 3 cups of rye flour to milk mixture. Beat thoroughly, then beat in remaining rye flour and caraway seeds , if using.
• Cover and put dough in a warm place (70 to 75 F) and let dough rise until doubled. This can take quite a long time because you are using only rye flour; plan for a few hours and know that it can take as long as 12 hours.
• Add whole-wheat flour and knead until smooth. It helps to wet your hands as this is a dense and sticky dough. It won't develop the springy consistency you get with wheat doughs, so don't keep adding flour hoping to achieve that texture.
• Preheat oven to 450 F. Line 2 bread pans with parchment paper.
• Divide dough in half and shape into 2 round or oblong loaves and place into pans. Cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise until doubled (1 to 4 hours). Brush tops of loaves with beaten egg white.
• Bake both loaves for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 F and bake an additional 35 to 45 minutes longer or until an instant-read thermometer registers 190 F when placed into center of loaves.
• Turn loaves out of pans onto a wire rack to cool completely.

LITHUANIAN BLACK RYE SOURDOUGH BREAD

Steps:

• See the Photo Gallery for images of the different steps.
• Day 1 Morning: Levain and Scald
• Mix the levain ingredients in a container with space for tripling, cover, and let ferment 8-12 hours. Aim for the long end of that range if your kitchen is cold e.g. low 60s.
• Toast your sprouted rye flour in a pan on the stove for a few minutes, stirring regularly, until it reaches about 176°F. Avoid overtoasting the flour as that could introduce bitterness to the flavor. Transfer it to a bowl and add the water that's been heated to 170°F. Cover and let the scald sit 8-12 hours while the levain is maturing. I stored the scald in a Thermos but this isn't necessary.
• Day 1 Evening: Opara
• In a bowl with room for tripling, mix together the levain, scald, and 150g rye flour. Cover and let sit overnight (8-12 hours).
• Day 2 Morning: Final Dough
• Combine the warm water (105°F), honey, sugar, and salt. Stir thoroughly until dissolved. In a bowl, mix together the this liquid, the opara, and flours. A stand mixer, danish dough whisk, or spatula work well.
• Prepare a sheet of parchment paper or a well-floured peel.
• Using damp hands, shape the rye dough into a tube that is about 10" x 4". Lay it on the parchment and further smooth the surface with damp fingers.
• Cover and let the dough proof for 2-3 hours until it has expanded and has a more bumpy looking surface and a few small holes from air popping through. I used an inverted bowl as a cover to avoid plastic wrap or a cloth sticking to the dough.
• Baking (Day 2 Late Morning)
• Preheat your oven and baking stone or steel (inverted baking sheet is okay too) to 350°F for at least 20 minutes.
• Prepare the glaze in a pan on the stove by whisking the corn or potato starch into the water (cold) and setting it to simmer until it has thickened. Set it aside to apply partway through the bake.
• With wet fingertips, smooth the surface of the dough and then load it into the oven.
• Immediately turn up the oven temperature to 445°F.
• Bake at:
• 445°F for 15 minutes
• 390°F for 25 minutes
• Remove the bread from the oven, apply the glaze to the surface of the bread with a pastry brush, then return the bread to the oven and continue baking at:
• 390°F for 5-10 minutes
• When the bread is finished baking, the internal temperature should be about 208°F. This is higher than The Rye Baker's 198°F but I believe it works for the moisture content.
• Let the bread rest for 24 hours before slicing. Store in a bag, bread box, or under an inverted bowl.