This recipe first appeared in the September 1975 issue of The Australian Women’s Weekly, in a decade when sourdough bread was not commonplace, showing The Weekly was well and truly ahead of its time. You will need to start the recipe 3 days ahead; however the end result is well worth the effort. And once you’ve got your sourdough starter it will keep in good condition for 2 weeks.
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Ingredients
Sourdough starter
Method
Sourdough rye bread
1.Make sourdough starter 3 days ahead.
2.To make the bread on the third day, stir yeast with 1 teaspoon of the sugar and 1 teaspoon of the plain flour in a small bowl. Add ½ cup of the water, stand in a warm place for 15 minutes or until mixture starts to bubble
3.Sift remaining flours and sugar with salt into a large bowl; return hulls in sifter to flour. Stir in caraway seeds. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients. Combine yeast mixture, remaining lukewarm water, oil and ¼ cup of the sourdough starter. Add to dry ingredients; mix to form a dough. You may need an extra ¼-½ cup lukewarm water, if the mixture is too dry; this is because flour varies in its moisture content.
4.Turn the dough onto a floured surface; knead for 8 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Place in a large oiled bowl. Cover; stand in a warm place for 30 minutes or until doubled in size. Punch dough down with your fist. Turn onto a floured surface.
5.Divide dough in half. Shape each portion on a well-floured surface into a 7cm x 30cm (2¾-inch x 12-inch) oval-shaped loaf. Gently lift each onto a lightly oiled oven tray. (You may need to place them diagonally on the trays to fit.) Cover trays with clean tea towels; stand in a warm place 15 minutes or until dough has risen.
6.Meanwhile, preheat oven to 250°C/480°F.
7.Dust a little extra flour over the top of each loaf. Using a small, sharp knife, cut seven shallow slashes, about 3.5cm (1½-inches) apart, across the top.
8.Bake bread 30 minutes or until hollow sounding when tapped on the base. Transfer to wire racks to cool.
Sourdough starter
9.Combine yeast, sugar and the water in a large bowl. Cover; stand 10 minutes or until bubbling. Add sifted flour; stir to combine. Cover; stand, unrefrigerated, for 2 days before using. After 2 days the starter should have a pleasant mild sour smell and have small bubbles on the surface – a sign that it’s active.
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