True New York Sour Rye Bread, Part 1 Of 2 (Starter)



Recipe By :Secrets of a Jewish Baker, George Greenstein

Serving Size : 1 Preparation Time :0:00

Categories : Fatfree Hand Made

International Breads Sourdough Breads





Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

-------- ------------ --------------------------------

See Directions for Starter Info



Starter (Prepare 48 hours in advance)



Caraway seeds can be ground in a coffee or spice grinder or with a

mortar and pestle. In the bakery we crush the seeds with a rolling

pin. The crushed seeds disappear in the ferment and add a distinctive

flavor to the sour. The minced onion helps to hasten the fermentation

and adds flavor.



1/2 cup rye flour

1/8 teaspoon active dry yeast (see Note*)

1 cup warm water

1 tablespoon crushed caraway seeds (optional)

1 teaspoon minced onion



Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix until smooth. The

mixture should have a thin, soupy consistency. Cover and allow to

stand in a warm spot until bubbly and fermented. It can be left up to

24 hours.



*Note: Save the rest of the packet for the first dough.



Rye Sour, Developing and Fortifying In making sour use approximately

3/4 to 1 cup flour to each 1/2 cup water. (Notice that Stage One calls

for a higher ratio. This is done to adjust for the initial consistency

of the starter.) The object is to make a thick consistency as close as

possible to that of a soft dough. It is not necessary to thicken to

the point that the mixing becomes burdensome. If the mixture is too

soupy, add more flour 1/4 cup at a time. Mix until smooth.



Stage One (Prepare 24 hours in advance)

1/2 cup water

1 1/4 cups rye flour

All of the Starter, above

1/4 cup rye flour for sprinkling



In a large bowl or container, combine the water, 1 1/4 cups of the

flour, and the Starter; stir until smooth. The dough should pull

slightly and may start to come away from sides of the bowl. Wipe down

the sides of the bowl with wet hands or a bowl scraper. Sprinkle 1/4

cup flour over the entire surface of the sour. Let stand, covered with

a cloth or clear plastic wrap, until doubled in size and the floured

top appears cracked with fissures spread widely apart. This may take 4

to 8 hours. Avoid letting the sour collapse.



Stage Two If a double recipe is desired, this can be increased to 1

cup warm water and 2 cups rye flour.

1/2 cup warm water

1 cup rye flour



To the Stage One sour add the water and 3/4 cup of the flour; mix

until smooth. Wipe down the sides of the bowl. Sprinkle the remaining

1/4 cup flour over the entire surface of the sour. Allow to rise in a

warm area 4 to 8 hours. Proceed with Stage Three.





As the sour begins to rise, you can refrigerate it at any stage for

later use or overnight for mixing the following day. Refrigeration

retards the rate of growth of the sour, which continues to rise

slowly. Whenever time permits, I prefer to make two stages the day

before, refrigerating the second stage overnight and preparing the

third stage the morning of baking. If the dough is to be mixed first

thing in the morning, the third stage is prepared the evening before,

so it can rise slowly all night and be ready in the morning.



Stage Three

1/2 cup water (see Note*)

1 cup rye flour, or more



To the Stage Two sour add the water and the 1 cup flour. Mix until

smooth. Additional flour can be added to attain a dough-like

consistency. The sour, when fully risen in Stage Three, is ready for

use in the dough. When the third stage is mixed, set aside 1/4 to 1/2

cup and refrigerate in a covered container with a light film of cold

water floated over the top. I have kept sour under refrigeration for

months at a time.



*Note: Use warm water if the sour has been refrigerated.



It is best to stir down the starter every 3 to 4 days if unused.

Periodically (every 10 to 12 days) dispose of half and refresh it by

mixing in equal amounts of flour and water. If there is some

discoloration on the top, it can safely be skimmed off and the sour

used as normal. When going away for long periods of time, I freeze a

small amount of sour. When preparing a new starter from scratch, I add

the frozen sour to preserve my original culture. To ensure the proper

strength of the sour, in each stage you can only double the amount of

starter you begin with. For example, if beginning with 1/4 cup

starter, you can add up to 1/2 cup water plus flour to thicken. If

Stage One contains 1 cup sour, Stage Two can be prepared with up to 2

cups water plus flour. If a large amount of sour is required, extra

stages can be added.



Sometimes the process goes awry. Perhaps there is insufficient sour

left to start the next batch, or the sour might have been forgotten

and was left standing to get old or dry. There is a remedy. The bakers

call it an einfrisch, meaning to refresh. A small amount of sour is

thinned down with water to a soupy consistency. Swishing 1/4 cup water

around in what remains clinging to the sides of the empty bowl can

yield enough to restart the sour. Let this einfrisch stand, covered,

at room temperature or in a warm spot until bubbly. If desperate, add

a pinch of yeast. When ready, add enough flour to make a first stage,

allow to rise, and proceed with two more stages.





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NOTES : This lengthy post will tell you everything you ever needed to

know about making the PERFECT New York Sour Rye Bread (tastes just

like we used to buy in Brooklyn, bring home warm and slather with

butter). It is from "Secrets of a Jewish Baker" by George Greenstein.

If you add charnushka (black caraway) seeds, it becomes Russian Rye.



We make the sour at our leisure and refrigerate it at any stage in its

development. The first time sour is made, it is begun with a starter.

After that, enough is always left behind to begin the next batch.





* Exported from MasterCook *



True New York Sour Rye Bread, Part 2 Of 2 (Bread)



Recipe By :Secrets of a Jewish Baker, George Greenstein

Serving Size : 1 Preparation Time :0:00

Categories : Fatfree Hand Made

International Breads Sourdough Breads





Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

-------- ------------ --------------------------------

See Directions for Bread recipes



Sour Rye Bread



This is real Jewish rye bread, written by a Jewish baker, made for the

most demanding audience in the world, the New York consumer. This

bread transcends its ethnic boundaries due to its universal appeal. To

my knowledge an authentic version of this recipe has never been

published. Bakers, like chefs, are reluctant to part with their

recipes and invariably try to hold something back. Few breads offer

such a distinct flavor coupled with a unique crust. The secret of

great rye bread is the sour, or ferment, that gives the bread its

outstanding qualities. Sour is the product of the controlled

fermentation of rye sour and water. Once it is begun, the baker always

saves a small amount of sour each time he or she bakes. This becomes

the starter to begin the next batch.



Sour Rye Bread is made up of water, flour, yeast, and salt. There is

no sugar or fat added to this pure bread. Rye bread is ideal for deli

sandwiches and as an accompaniment to meat dishes. It is excellent

with cheese. A favorite of mine is cream cheese and olives on rye

toast. A real Jewish treat (high in cholesterol) used to be a roast

beef sandwich on rye with Bermuda onion and chicken fat (shmaltz). My

grandmother would take afternoon tea with toasted rye that had the

crust rubbed with garlic while still warm. She lived well into her

nineties and I always attributed it to the tea and garlic, but now I

firmly believe that it was the rye bread.



1 cup warm water

1 package active dry yeast

3 cups Rye Sour

1/2 cup altus (optional, see *Note)

4 to 5 cups common flour (see *Note)

3 teaspoons salt

Rye flour, for dusting work top

Oil, for greasing bowl

1/2 tablespoon caraway seeds, or more to taste (optional)

Cornstarch solution (see *Note) or water, for brushing leaves



In a large bowl dissolve the yeast in the warm water and add the sour.

Add the altus, if desired. Without stirring add 3 cups of the flour

and salt. Gently stir the dry ingredients with your fingertips to

incorporate, then stir with a wooden spoon, adding more flour as

necessary until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl.



Turn out the dough onto a floured work surface and knead. If the dough

is moist and sticky, add more flour 1/4 cup at a time. Knead until the

dough feels soft and silky (5 to 8 minutes). Rye dough will be softer

than usual and tend to feel sticky. Transfer the dough to an oiled

bowl and turn several times to coat. Cover and allow to rest for 15 to

20 minutes. Punch down, sprinkle with the caraway seeds (if desired).



Shaping Shape the balls into 2 free-standing pan loaves. Place on a

rye flour- or commeal-dusted baking sheet. In the bakery we proof the

leaves and bake them on the oven hearth using a wooden peel. Cover and

allow to rise until doubled in size. Brush with the cornstarch

solution, then cut 3 horizontal slashes on the top of each loaf.



Baking Bake with steam in a preheated 375 degree F oven until tapping

the bottom with your fingertips produces a hollow sound (35 to 45

minutes). The top and sides should feel hard to the touch. Brush again

with the cornstarch solution, then let cool on a wire rack. Yield

Makes 2 loaves.



*Notes:

Altus -- is European in origin, and little known outside of the bakery

establishment. New- comers to the bakery think of it as a method of

using up stale bread. However, as with many old-fashioned techniques,

bakers find that it enhances the desirable qualities of certain

breads. Its use seems to have begun in the making of pumpernickel

doughs, and the best of these breads often contain altus. Altus is a

mash made by slicing and trimming the crusts from leftover sour rye

bread, soaking the trimmed bread in water for several hours or

overnight under refrigeration, squeezing it dry, and adding small

amounts to the bread dough. Altus intensifies the distinctive flavor

of pumpernickel and rye bread and helps them retain moisture. When

using altus, allow for a little extra flour in the recipe. The mash

keeps well, covered, in the refrigerator.



Common flour -- called first clear or clear flour, must be obtained

from a bakery. You can substitute 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour plus

3/4 cup cake flour, but the bread won't taste as good. 2 cups Rye Sour

can be used instead of 3 cups for a milder taste.



Cornstarch solution is used before slashing the top of the bread and

placing it in the oven. Bring 1 cup water to boil, dissolve 2

tablespoons cornstarch in 1/4 cup cold water; then whisk into the

boiling water until it thickens. This solution may be kept for several

days. For a high shine, brush a second time as soon as the bread

emerges from the oven.



Variations

Onion Rye -- Omit the caraway seeds. Knead Onion Filling and Topping

into the dough immediately after mixing. The tops of the shaped loaves

should be rolled in additional onion topping before the final rise.



Marble Rye -- 1/2 recipe Sour Rye Bread, unbaked +1/2 recipe

Pumpernickel Bread, unbaked

Cut each dough in half. Flatten out with your hands or a small rolling

pin. Place one pumpernickel half on top of a rye half. Shape jelly

roll fashion into a short loaf. For further variety, shape the second

loaf with the pumpernickel on the bottom. This will yield 2

combination breads, 1 rye with pumpernickel swirled inside and the

other a brown bread with the rye inside.



Cocktail Rye -- This can be served plain or with either or both of the

fillings and toppings below.



Fillings: Caraway seeds, Onion Filling and Topping

Knead one of the fillings into the dough after mixing. Roll the dough

into thin baguette shapes about 1 inch in diameter and 12 inches long.

Roll the tops in fillings before the final rise.



Toppings: Caraway seeds with Kosher salt, Onion Filling and Topping or

Kosher salt In the bakery we use pretzel salt; coarser than Kosher

salt, it does not dissolve into the crust when baked. If pretzel salt

cannot be found through your usual sources, try a bagel shop.



Sour Rye Bread (Food Processor, Steel Blade)

Instead of 1 cup warm water use:

1/4 cup warm water

3/4 cup ice water

In the work bowl sprinkle the yeast over the warm water; stir to

dissolve. Add the sour and mix until absorbed. Add the altus, if

desired. Add the ice water, then mix in 1 cup of the flour and the

salt. Next, mix in 3 cups of the flour, 1 cup at a time. Pulse until

the dough tries to form up on top of the blade. More flour can be

added 1/4 cup at a time if the dough is too soft. Keep in mind that

this dough will be softer than usual. Process for 2 to 3 minutes. If

necessary divide the dough in half and process each half separately,

then knead together. Do not overmix or the dough will get too hot.

Shape the dough into 2 balls, cover, and let rest for 10 minutes.

Proceed as in Shaping and Baking, above. Yield: Makes 2 loaves.



Sour Rye Bread (Dough-Mixing Machine, flat Beater)

1 1/2 cups warm water

1 package active dry yeast

4 1/2 cups Rye Sour

3/4 cup altus (optional)

6 to 7 1/2 cups common flour (see *Note)

1 1/2 tablespoons salt

Rye flour, for dusting work top

Oil, for greasing bowl

2 teaspoons caraway seeds, or more (optional)

Cornstarch solution or water, for brushing loaves



In the mixing bowl sprinkle the yeast over the warm water to soften;

stir to dissolve. Add the Rye Sour, altus (if desired), flour, salt,

and caraway seeds (if desired). Pulse with the on/ off switch until

all is absorbed so that the flour is not thrown out of the bowl. Run

at the first speed until the dough comes away from the sides of the

bowl. More flour can be added 1/4 cup at a time if the dough is too

soft.



Remove and scrape down the beater and insert the dough hook. Run at

the first speed until the dough forms up on the hook and comes away

from the sides of the bowl (5 to 8 minutes). Turn out the dough and

shape into 3 balls. Cover and let the dough rest for 15 minutes.

Proceed as in Shaping and Baking, above. Yield: Makes 3 loaves.



*Note: You can substitute 5 cups all-purpose flour plus 1 cup cake

flour but the bread won't taste as good. 3 cups Rye Sour can be used

instead of4 1/2 cups, for a milder flavor. "