Ingredients

• 1000 g of high-quality
• Unbleached, plain white flour (Wallaby Flour in Australia)
• 600 g of Euro Flour or a substitute and 900 g of rye flour
• 1750 g of water
• 5 g of malt powder
• 500 g of stiff starter
• 50 g of salt
• 750 g of extra water

Preparation and Cooking

• Roughly mix all the flours and water for about 2min just to moist and initiate the develop of the gluten. Then, cover it to prevent air circulation and rest it for 2-3 hours.
• Then add the malt and stiff starter and mix it until it reaches a marble-like smooth and shiny form. Then add salt and extra water but gradually (in 4-5 stages). Note that after giving the first water, the second water should be added immediately after the dough has completely absorbed the water. This process is repeated until the extra water is completely used up, and apply a window and elasticity test and move into a container and left to rest for 1 hour.
• After the above process, fold the dough 2-3 times in the container and rest it again for 2 hours.
• The dough is portioned and given a round shape on a suitable flat surface and left to rest for 2 hours.
• Then, the portioned dough is shaped and stored in wicker baskets or in a container (while avoiding sticking), ideally in a controlled environment (at 34^oC and a humidity of 80%) or in a tightly closed container for about 1-2 hours until developed, and kept in the fridge until the next day.
• Finally, the dough in the fridge is taken out and placed on a piece of baking paper and its top is cut from one end to the other with a razor at an angle, and placed in the oven. It is required to have high humidity during cooking that can be done by throughing 4-5 pieces of ice onto te oven floor or placing water inside a shallow container.
• The desirable temperature for baking is about 230^oC for 30min without any active fire and when the door is closed. When cooked the sourdough bread is expected to have a reasonable thickness of crust and a colour closer to brown than yellow. The baked bread is left to rest for 4-5 hours before eating.

Hints and Comments

• The rye mixed bread will be a relatively difficult dough to work with due to the structure of the rye and the additional amount of water. The dough will have a muddy texture compared to breads prepared with wheat flour. However, if mixed well, gluten development will occur, and and it will become easier to shape.