Ingredients
For the starter
100g strong white bread flour
100g organic dark rye flour
½ x 7g sachet or 1 heaped tsp instant dried yeast
For the main dough
400g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
½ x 7g sachet or 1 heaped tsp instant dried yeast
Method
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To make your starter, put all ingredients in a bowl and add 250ml cold water. Mix together thoroughly with a spoon until you have a spongy mixture, then cover with plastic wrap and leave to ferment at room temperature at least overnight, but up to 24 hours if you have time.
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To make bread dough, pour the ingredients into a clean bowl and add 1 Tbsp fine salt, 200ml cold water and your starter. Bring all the ingredients together to a dough, adding a splash more water if too stiff, then pour onto a lightly-floured surface and knead for 10 minutes or until smooth, elastic and springy (this will take 5-7 minutes in a mixer with a dough hook.) Put the dough in a clean, lightly-oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and leave until doubled in size (1 hour at room temperature, 3 hours in the fridge).
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Pour the dough onto a floured surface and gently shape into a round – you don't want to knock too much air out of the dough. Dust a piece of baking paper heavily with flour and sit the dough on top. Cover with a tea towel and leave to prove for 1 hour until doubled in size.
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Heat oven to 200 degrees C fan-forced (220 degrees C conventional). Put a sturdy flat oven tray on the middle shelf of the oven and a smaller tray with sides underneath. Dust the dough with flour and slash with a knife (see pics, below). Slide the bread onto the hot tray on top and throw a few ice cubes (or pour some cold water) onto the tray below – this creates a burst of steam, which helps the bread form a nice crust. Bake for 25 minutes or until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. Leave the bread to cool completely.