I am new to bread baking. My first loaf made in a Breadman Machine made terrific caraway rye bread but lacked the "sour rye" taste as my husband calls it. Most of the taste came from the caraway seeds, with just a "hint" of rye taste. I used an all natural-stone ground rye flour and fresh yeast but no sourdough starter as it was not mentioned in my receipe. How do the bread stores get that taste. Thanks, Barbara barbe10@hotmail.com

-- Anonymous, June 08, 2001

Answers

I use a starter for that really sour taste. You'll have to adjust your recipe a bit but I don't think it will be too hard - a little less water or perhaps a bit more flour.

to make the starter (takes 3-4 days): mix 1 cup dark rye flour with 1 cup room temp buttermilk and 1 tsp yeast.this is a soupy mix.

for each following day: stir down the starter, then replenish with 2/3 cup dark rye flour and 1/2 cup buttermilk. the starter should look like thick pancake batter - adjust flour as needed. I like to add 3 TBSP caraway seeds to the starter on the second day and also 3 TBSP of rye berries.

you can leave the starter out at room temp for these 3-4 days but if you really want a super sour flavor, refridgerate each day. the cool temp will make the acid level higher. your starter should be bubbly each day and make sure to stir well each time you add flour.

after your starter is ripe, you can keep it indefinately (optional) in the refrigerator but you must refresh it once a week - take out half of the starter and replace it with 2/3 cup rye flour and 1/2 cup buttermilk or water. OR if you use some of the starter, replace the same amount. i.e. if you use one cup of the starter, then replace with 1 cup rye flour & enough liquid to keep the same consistency. the starter will have a gassy - vinegary - sour strong aroma but it will not be unpleasant. if the starter goes bad - off odor, bad color or goes flat then toss it out - you can always make more!

When making your bread, use 1 cup of the starter and only 1 tsp of yeast. Adjust the rest of your flour and liquid as needed. the dough should be a bit sticky. it's a lot of work initially but the results are worth it. this gets eaten so fast, I never have to think about my "refreshing" schedule : )

-- Anonymous, June 09, 2001