San Francisco Sourdough Rye Bread Recipe

2 cups warm water (about 110 degrees F)

1 cup Mister Baker's San Francisco sourdough starter batter at room
temperature

7 to 7-1/2 cups all-purpose flour, unsifted

2 cups rye flour, unsifted

2 Tablespoons light molasses

2 teaspoons plain or iodized salt

1 Tablespoon caraway seeds

1 teaspoon baking soda

Hot water as required (see step #4)

1. In a large glass or ceramic bowl, combine water, starter batter and 4
cups of the flour. Cover with clear plastic wrap and let stand in a warm
place (85 degrees F) for 8 to 12 hours.



2. Stir in the rye flour, molasses, salt, caraway seeds, baking soda, and
enough remaining flour (about 1-1/2 cups) to form a very stiff dough. Knead
until smooth. Cover and let rise in a warm place until the mixture is
doubled in size, about (2 to 2 1/2 hours).



3. Punch down and divide in half. Knead gently until smooth. Shape each half
into loaf or round, Cover loaves lightly; let rise again in a warm place
until puffy and almost doubled in size, about (1 to 1-1/2 hours).



4. Carefully place a small pan on the shelf, below the oven baking rack, and
fill it with hot water.



5. Place your sourdough rye bread loaves on the baking rack, close the oven
door and bake in a preheated (400 degree F) oven for 10 minutes. Then brush
your sourdough bread loaves with the baste mixture. Close the oven door and
continue baking for 20 to 25 minutes more until the loaves are golden brown
and sound hollow when tapped.



6. As we mentioned above, nothing can compare to the taste of a warm, fresh
baked loaves of sourdough bread right from your own oven. Your kitchen
filled with the wonderful aromas of fresh baked bread. That's one of the
delicious sides of baking...!!!



7. Remove the loaves from the oven and place on a cooling rack until cooled
down to room temperature. Now for the hardest part of all in this baking
recipe. Allow your loaf to cool completely (about 2 hours) before cutting
into it. A loaf of sourdough bread is not fully flavored until it is fully
cool. Also, bread is much easier to slice when cool.