Ukrainian Black Bread from Laurel's
I've had the Laurel's Kitchen Bread Book for a while, but never actually tried any of the recipes until this one. The only major change I made was to incorporate a sourdough starter and leave out the yeast.
The result? A flavor explosion! Nothing subtle about this one. But then, I suppose a bread based on whole rye, buckwheat, coffee and molasses isn't going to need much coaxing in terms of flavor!
The texture I think I need to work on. No pictures in the book for reference, but my version would make a very effective club if I were required to defend myself against, say, a pack of wolves - and that doesn't seem right. I'm pretty sure it was under-proofed, over-steamed and over-baked.
Even so, the flavor wins out. Here I sit happily hacking off pieces and gnawing away. I'm looking forward to seeing how this one ages, and definitely looking forward to baking it again!
-Marcus
The crust is nearly ¼ inch thick and hard as a rock! Tough to even get a knife into it.
Mmmm, with cream cheese and lox or liverwurst and Clausen pickles.
I'm sure your bread tastes good, but at what temperature did you bake it? Did you use falling temperatures? The crack in the interior looks as if you had too much flour on your work surface when you shaped the loaves.
Karin
I baked at 475F for 20 min then 375F for 30 min as in the recipe, but for some reason I was worried that it would be underbaked so I left in longer. I think that was a mistake.
I actually shaped it with wet hands and no flour, but I was pressed for time and skimped on the rise a bit. Next time I'll try to be more faithful to the recipe, and not start tinkering until after that.
-Marcus
and the crust will soften
They are very nicely shaped - especially for fending off a pack of wolves
Larry