I finally got around to using that rye starter. Actually, I’ve used it 4 times so far. The first time, I used it on a recipe from a favorite book of mine. The results were a little disappointing. So I tried again. Having gotten a feel for the recipe, I made some minor alterations. The results were much better. I then made the recipe 2 more times to make sure the results would be consistent. As a result, I enjoyed 3 nice loaves of rye.
Chleba is a simple Czech rye bread. It’s been good eating with stew, or as a sandwich bread, or in the morning with cream cheese. My recipe for it after the link.
First, the starter has to be refreshed. Take a 1/4 cup of your current starter and mix in 1/2 cup of water. Then add 1/2 cup of rye flour. Mix thoroughly, then cover it and set aside. It needs to at least double before it can be used, usually about 4-6 hours. If a stronger flavor is desired then allow the starter a full 12 hours to develop. Either way, don’t proceed with the recipe until the starter is ready.
Hold onto the rye starter that is left over- you’ll use it in the recipe.
The remainder of the ingredients:
- 2 1/2 cups of white flour
- 3/4 cup of water (this will vary depending on the amount of remaining starter)
- 1/4 cup of rye flour (again, this will vary depending on the amount of remaining starter)
- Remaining starter (about 1/2 cup)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt
- 3/4 cup of refreshed starter
When you’re ready to start putting the dough together, take the refreshed starter and stir it to deflate and stimulate the yeast. Then set it aside until you’re ready to add it to the dough. So you can make further rye recipes, take about 1/4 cup of the starter and refresh as described above. Let this work for about an hour prior to putting in the fridge for safe keeping.
Put the white flour, rye flour, water, remaining starter, and salt into the mixing bowl. The total amount of water to add is 1 1/4 cup. Depending on the amount of remaining starter, adjust the amount of water. Similarly, the total amount of rye flour to add is 3/4 cups. Adjust the amount of flour based on the amount of remaining starter. For amounts of starter less than 1 cup, just assume equal amounts water and flour. So for 1/2 cup of remaining starter assume there is 1/2 cup of water and 1/2 cup of flour in it (in reality, the amount is less for each but the difference is negligible for the recipe).
Use the mixer to combine the ingredients. Don’t worry about creating a dough yet, just get everything combined then let everything set. After 10 minutes (longer is OK- just don’t go overboard) add the refreshed starter. Start up the mixer on a lower speed until the starter is well incorporated into the dough. Then set the mixer speed to a medium speed for kneading. I set mine to 4 on a KitchenAid. Knead the dough until it repeatedly stretches and wraps around the bowl then collapses around the hook. The dough should be glistening and quite sticky.
Put the dough in a tall, lightly oiled container to rise. It will take about 3 hours. Prior to proceeding, make sure the dough has at least doubled in volume.
Lightly dust the counter and a parchment lined cooking sheet with rye flour. Dump the dough onto the counter and shape it by pushing it into a rough rectangle, then bill-fold it. Then, push it into a second rectangle and fold it lengthwise in half. Move it to the cooking sheet and cover with plastic wrap and allow to proof until it is puffy like a pillow. Probably about an hour.
Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. If you have one, place a cast iron skillet in the bottom of the oven. Once the oven is preheated, place about 6 ice cubes in the skillet just before putting the dough into the oven. Make sure to score the top of the loaf with a sharp knife before placing it in the oven. Cook for about 30 minutes. The crust will turn a dark, reddish brown.
Let it set for about 30 minutes, covered with a dish towel, before serving.