SOURDOUGH RYE BREAD

1 cup sourdough starter
1 cup rye flour
½ cup bread flour
2/3 cup water

¼ cup water
½ tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 ½ tablespoon caraway seeds
1 cup rye flour
1 cup bread flour

½ teaspoon salt dissolved in ¼ cup water for brushing on loaves

The day before you bake, measure the sourdough starter into a large bowl. Feed the starter the 1 cup rye flour, ½ cup bread flour and the 2/3 cup water. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature overnight.

On baking day, stir down the expanded starter and mix in the ¼ cup water, salt, sugar, olive oil, caraway seeds and 1 cup each rye and bread flour. Add more or less flour as necessary to get a soft dough.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until satiny. Place in a well oiled bowl and turn once to oil the surface. Cover with a damp cloth and allow to rise in a warm spot until doubled in volume.

Punch down dough and shape into two loaves. Place loaves on a cornmeal-covered pizza peel. Cover with a damp cloth and allow to rise until doubled in bulk.

Preheat oven to 550°F, with a baking stone placed on the lowest rack.

Remove damp cloth from risen dough and brush tops and sides of the dough with the salt water.

Slash top of dough two or three times and slide the loaves off the pizza peel and onto the preheated baking stone.

Close the oven door and lower oven temperature to 350°F, and bake for 40 minutes, or until bread sounds hollow when thumped on the bottom.

Allow baked bread to cool completely on a wire rack prior to slicing.