Hi everyone,
I'm French-Canadian, wishing to live in Poland someday :) I would like to know what are the kind of "typical" bread you have. I am an experienced bread-maker and I'm looking for authentic recipes. I think what I found online was mostly derived from German or French recipes. Polish recipes are more difficult to find. I'm looking for an old kind rustic bread, with rye flour and/or grains inside. Dziękuję!
@annemarieg
The typical bread is a sourdough rye bread with about 35 to 50% wheat, though 100 rye breads are common, too. Type in "polish sourdough rye bread recipe" into google images, pick a picture that looks appealing to you, and you should have the recipe.
Sourdough takes some getting used to, and rye even more so. Best start with a wheat sourdough recipe, and then gradually increase the percentage of rye flour every time you make it until you get the taste and texture you want. Also, cooler first fermentation temps for long periods give a better loaf, like RT 2 hours, then overnight or even 24 hours in the fridge. The hardest thing compared to wheat breads is forming loaves that don't spread. It's much easier to bake in a form or pan, or to make buns instead until you get the hang of working with rye dough. It's also hard to resist the temptation to add to much flour. Rye doughs are rather sticky, and are supposed to be that way.
As an example, a good Jewish Deli rye bread is pretty much identical. Not the "fluffy" kind you get in the bread aisle at the supermarket, but the firmer, stiffer kind you get at a good Jewish bakery.
Then you could start experimenting. A couple of tips; add a tablespoon of honey per loaf for a crisper, more golden crust and a moister crumb that keeps much longer. A half cup of mashed potatoes per loaf gives a nice chewy loaf. And add a spoon of malt powder per loaf for a richer and sweeter grain taste. You could add caraway seeds, sunflower seeds, or, my favorite, chopped walnuts.
