Lithuanian scalded dough country rye bread

I love the specific taste of Lithuanian bread which is dark, made with rye flour and very rustic. Sweetish - and with a hint of caraway. This bread is made with scalded dough, as a result of which it's moist and  lasts longer. A real treat !!!

Ingredients:

Day 1

500 ml wholemeal rye flour

1 tbsp caraway seeds

500 ml boiling water

250 ml sourdough starter

• Tip the flour and caraway seeds into a large bowl and mix with boiling water. Stir vigorously for a few minutes to avoid lumps.

• Cover the dough with clingfilm and leave to cool for 1-2 hours.

• When the dough is cold, mix it with sourdough starter. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon and make sure it's evenly mixed. Cover with clingfilm and leave in a warm place for 12 hours. It should double in size.

Day 2

250 ml wholemeal rye flour

250 ml all-purpose wheat flour

3 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp honey

2 tsp salt

1 tbsp powdered rye malt

• Transfer the dough from day 1 and the rest of ingredients into a bowl of a stand mixer and knead the bread dough for 5 minutes using a hook attachment.The dough will be sticky but quite firm to the touch.

• Then tip the dough onto a floured wooden board and knead it by hand for a minute.

• Shape the dough into a circle or  cylinder (depending on the shape of the proofing basket that you want to use) and transfer it into a well floured proofing basket. 

• Leave to proof for about 3 hours until it doubles in size.

• When the dough has risen dust its top with some flour, place a baking stone in the oven and heat it for 45 minutes at 250 C. 

• Put some ice cubes on a tray placed at the bottom of the oven to create humidity and steam  for the bread.

• Transfer the dough onto a bread shovel bottom side up, flip it onto a hot baking stone and bake at 250 C for 15 minutes.

• After 10 minutes, open the door of the oven to release the steam and lower the temperature to 200C. 

• Bake for a further 30 minutes or longer if you want a darker crust. Remove the bread from the oven using the bread shovel and place it on a cooling rack. 

• The bread can be sliced after a few hours, otherwise it will be very sticky and difficult to slice. 

• Enjoy :)