The Hirshon Russian Black Rye Bread – черный хлеб

Citizens! It will probably not surprise any of you that your revolutionary and always respected Leader – the almighty TFD! – has deep Eastern European roots, including Mother Russia. As such, there are many recipes of this genre here on the blog – but few touch the heartstrings of the Highest more than this one. Genetics are strong indeed when it comes to remaking and enjoying the different foods of your ancestors!

No staple is so important to a Russian table as bread. Especially black rye bread. In Russia bread has its own laws, regulations and even price controls.

The famous Russian tradition of welcoming guests is called “Bread and Salt” (“Khleb-Sol”) – if this doesn’t emphasize the importance of this bread to Russians, I don’t know what will! From times immemorial the Slavs believed that people who shared bread became friends forever. Thus the old tradition of welcoming dear friends, newlyweds, and new settlers by serving bread and salt. Bread means a full table, whereas salt is an ancient and nearly forgotten symbol of protection and guarding the home from fire.

Bread is not only the basis of Russian table, but also a symbol of people’s wellbeing. This is why there are a number of customs related to bread. It should be remembered, that the national Russian bread is black and sour rye bread with leavening. Being much cheaper and more nutritious than white wheat bread, it has played a dominant role in life of the people.

In times of trouble, Russian black bread has literally meant the difference between starvation and life itself. During the Nazi siege of Leningrad, residents ate black bread with hardly little else for almost three and a half years – and survived. In times of plenty and celebration, Russian black bread is a symbol of wealth and health.

Black bread is called black, as rye flour gives it a characteristic dark color. Black and brown bread (made from a mixture of flour), which contain rye flour in its composition, is absorbed by the body several times slower than white – making it a good choice for diabetics.

In addition to fewer calories, it also brings other benefits. It contains: fiber, trace elements, macronutrients, amino acids and mineral salts. Also the proteins of rye bread are richer than lysine. Of course, rye bread contains less calories than wheat, but it also helps to eliminate carcinogens and harmful metabolic products from the body.

My version of the classic incorporates several ground spices (all traditional to this cuisine) and uses some truly authentic Russian ingredients. Like sour pickle juice (if you have access to any, you could also use the fermented Russian beverage Kvass for a similar flavor profile) and genuine Russian sourdough starter. Other specialty ingredients such as rye flour, first clear flour, rye bread improver and black cocoa can be purchased from the provided links.

First Clear flour is a unique type of flour specific for use in making rye bread. As noted on King Arthur Flour’s website:

First clear flour is what remains after milling patent flour, giving it a darker color and higher mineral content. Traditionally, Jewish bakeries used first clear flour to bake their rye breads – the protein in first clear balances the lack of gluten in rye flour to give rye breads loftier rise and better chew.

Combine first clear flour with flours that typically produce denser loaves (like whole wheat, rye, or spelt). It’ll improve the rise and final texture of your baked goods.

Since I am Russian Jewish by descent, I MUST use the ancestral recipe here! The directions for making the sourdough rye starter is from the unmatched Stanley Ginsberg – it is truly spectacular, though I made one tiny change by specifying the Russian yeast starter.

Citizens, unleash your inner Russian and try this rye bread straight from the source – you will thank me as it will be one of the best recipes for rye you’ll ever try! 🙂 Remember that if you’re making this for the first time, you’ll need to make the sourdough starter a week in advance.

After that, you can make it anytime you want as long as you keep feeding the starter. Try it smeared with your best butter, add some caviar and enjoy a traditional Russian zakuski (appetizer) – or try it with pork fat (or smoked pork), with some onion slices or just on your favorite sandwich!

Battle on – The Generalissimo

The Hirshon Russian Black Rye Bread – черный хлеб

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Ingredients

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• Rye Starter:
• 2.5 ounces (70 grams) whole grain rye flour, preferably organic
• 2.5 ounces (70 ml) warm water (105°F or 41°C)
• 1 package Russian sourdough starter
• Days 2 to 7: Refresh the Rye Sourdough Starter
• 2.5 ounces (70 grams) whole grain rye flour, preferably organic
• 2.5 ounces (70 ml) warm water (105°F or 41°C)
• 2.5 ounces (70 grams) Sour Starter from the preceding day
• Days 8 and Beyond: Maintain the Rye Sourdough Starter
• 2.5 ounces (70 grams) medium or whole-grain rye flour, preferably organic
• 2.5 ounces (70 ml) warm water (105°F or 41°C)
• .25 ounces (7 grams) rye sourdough starter
• ***
• 1 1/8 cups lukewarm water
• 2 tablespoons sour pickle juice
• 1 cup pumpernickel or rye flour, plus more for dusting
• 1 cup (8 ounces) of ripe rye starter
• 2 tablespoons King Arthur Rye Bread Improver
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons molasses
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons black cocoa
• 1 teaspoon espresso powder or instant coffee powder
• 1 tablespoon fennel seeds, ground
• 1 tablespoon nigella seeds, ground
• 1 tablespoon dehydrated onion flakes, ground
• 1 tablespoon caraway seeds, ground
• 1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
• 2 1/2 cups King Arthur First , divided
• ***
• For the glaze:
• 1 tsp. cornstarch
• 1/2 cup COLD water (*icy* cold, Russian cold!)

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Instructions

1. Day 1: Make the rye sourdough starter
2. Start with equal amounts of organic rye flour and water by weight. Dump them in a nonreactive (glass, porcelain, stainless-steel, plastic) container with the Russian sourdough starter, mix by hand into a stiff paste, cover, and let stand at room temperature (68 to 72°For 20 to 22°C) for 24 hours.
3. Days 2 to 7: Refresh the rye sourdough starter
4. The next day, discard all but 70 grams of the culture and mix the remainder with the refresh ingredients, cover, and let stand. Repeat each day, discarding all but 70 grams of the preceding day’s culture.
5. The most important point to remember at the early stages is to feed the sourdough starter, or culture, daily. Even when it shows no apparent fermentation, the yeast is busy multiplying and consuming nutrients at a very high rate. By the second or third day, it will swell, show bubbles, and give off a clean sour smell.
6. Over the next few days the activity will become more and more vigorous and the smell more intense. Occasionally the yeast normally present in whole grains fail to establish itself in a new culture; if, after 3 or 4 days, the culture darkens, develops a mold, or smells bad, dump the whole batch and start over.
7. After a week, the culture, or sourdough starter, will be ready to use or to be stored refrigerated in an airtight container for a couple days. [Editor’s Note: If storing the sourdough starter for more than a couple days, you’ll need to maintain it, which we explain how to do just below.]
8. Days 8 and Beyond: Maintain the rye sourdough starter
9. In a perfect world—or working bakery—sourdough starters are refreshed daily. That said, daily feedings demand both a degree of dedication and abundant flour supplies that are impractical for all but the most committed home bakers. The author suggests refreshing your starter every 36 hours or so.
10. Mix the rye flour, water, and rye sourdough starter by hand until incorporated. Cover and ferment at room temperature (68 to 72°F or 20 to 22°C) overnight or for 10 to 12 hours. The sponge will be very bubbly, have a clean sour smell, and will have tripled in volume. Store refrigerated in an airtight container and it will last indefinitely.
11. Place all of the ingredients in a large bowl, reserving 1 cup (4 ¼ ounces, 121g) of the bread flour. Mix to make a thick batter-like dough. Don’t worry how wet the dough seems at this point; it’ll become more dough-like when you add the remaining 1 cup of bread flour.
12. Mix in the remaining cup of flour and knead for 7 minutes, or until the dough becomes soft and elastic, but may still be somewhat sticky to the touch. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise until doubled, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
13. After the first rise, shape the dough into an oblong loaf. Place in a greased 9″ x 5″ or 10″ x 5″ bread pan, cover with greased plastic, and let rise until almost doubled, about 60 to 90 minutes.
14. While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 375°F. When the dough has almost doubled, brush or spray the top with water, dust with pumpernickel or rye flour, and score (slash) the top.
15. Bake the bread for about 30 minutes, until it sounds hollow when you thump the bottom.
16. Meanwhile, combine the cornstarch and the ice water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture just starts to boil; continue to cook, stirring constantly, for another minute.
17. As soon as the bread is at the 30 minute mark, brush the cornstarch mixture over the top of the loaves. Return the bread to the oven and bake for another two or three minutes, until the glaze is set or the inside measures 205°F on a digital thermometer. Remove from the pans and cool on wire racks.
18. Store bread well wrapped at room temperature for several days. Freeze for longer storage.

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