polish sourdough rye bread

Ingredients

• Servings: 3
• 2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 cups water
• 4 cups rye flour
• 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 8 cups bread flour
• 1 tablespoon caraway seed

Recipe

• the night before making the bread, in a medium sized mixing bowl, dissolve one packet of yeast and the sugar in 2 cups of water. let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. stir in the rye flour until the mixture is smooth. cover and let stand overnight.
• the next day, dissolve the remaining package of yeast in the buttermilk. add the rye flour mixture, the baking soda, the salt, 4 cups of the bread flour and stir to combine. add the remaining 4 cups of bread flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition (you may not need to add all of the flour). when the dough has become a smooth and coherent mass, turn it out a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and supple, about 8 minutes. sprinkle the caraway seeds on the dough and knead them in until they are evenly distributed throughout the dough.
• lightly oil a large mixing bowl. place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with the oil. cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour or until the volume has doubled.
• preheat oven to 350 degrees f (175 degrees c).
• turn the dough a lightly floured surface and divide into three pieces. form each piece into a loaf and place in 3 lightly greased 9x5 inch bread pans. cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 1 hour.
• bake at 350 degrees f (175 degrees c) for about 35 minutes or until the bottom of the loaves sound hollow when tapped.