Russian Borodinsky Dark Rye Bread

Step 1

You need a nice active starter culture full of yeast to make great bread. For that reason, we will mix 150g sourdough starter, 250g cold water, and 200g rye flour together.

Step 2

Let it rest overnight or for at least 12 hours at room temp.

Step 3

The following day, mix together the pre-ferment, 350g white bread flour, 50g rye flour, 100g wholemeal flour, 15g salt, 5g freshly ground caraway seeds, 12g whole coriander seeds, 60g molasses, 40g dark cocoa powder, and 280g room temperature water.

Step 4

The mix will be sticky. Do not add more flour. It's supposed to be a a wet dough.

Step 5

Work the dough for about 3 minutes with your hands or a wooden spoon.

Step 6

At this point, just oil your hands, stretch and fold the dough as much as possible and then just cover it up.

Step 7

Don't forget to draw a smiley face and put the time on it. Let it rest for one hour.

Step 8

After an hour, oil your hands and give the dough a few folds by lifting from the bottom and folding back onto itself. All the way around the parimeter of the bowl. Close the dough and let it prove for 3 hours in a slighty warm place. Around 26°C or 78°F.

Step 9

While the dough is doing its thing. Line some bread tins or moulds with parchment paper.

Step 10

First oil the tins then parchment paper and then a bit of oil again

Step 11

Sprinkle each tin with a bit of semolina, coriander seeds and ground caraway.

Step 12

When your dough has risen you don't smash all the air out like a hooligan. You just gently tap it down and with oiled hands divide the dough in two or make one big bread if your bread tins allow it.

Step 13

Dump the dough onto an oiled work surface and shape it into a round by tucking the sides underneath it with a dough or bench scraper. Cover and let it rest for 15 minutes.

Step 14

Next, you could shape your dough into a tight-ish oval shape to improve the shape. If you're not experience with shaping bread then simply tuck the bread underneath itself again with the dough scaper and put it into the tin.

Step 15

Gently even out the top with your hands and sprinkle with some more coriander and ground caraway seeds

Step 16

Next, we will let the dough rise again lightly covered with plastic wrap. Oil the wrap a bit to make sure it does not stick to the bread. Just in case. Let the Borodinky bread prove one more time till doubled in size about 1,5 hours. Turn your oven up to 220°C(428°F).

Step 17

When ready to bake, place a small metal bowl or tray with water in the bottom of the oven. This will create a bit of steam and the crust of the bread will be beautiful and crispy. It also allows for the bread to finish rising in the oven without the crust forming too quick.

Step 18

Bake at 220°C(428°F) for 20 minutes. Turn down the oven to 180°C(356°F) and bake a further 10 minutes. When the ten minutes are done carefully remove from the moulds and bake bottom side up for another 5 minutes. to make sure it's cooked measure the internal temperature with a kitchen thermometer. It should read above 90°C(194°F) Remove from the oven and let cool on wire racks or kitchen cloth.