DARK CARAWAY RYE IN HORSERADISH LEAVES

Somewhere in the depths of the Podlasie region, there was once a baker who made dark rye bread wrapped in horseradish leaves. This sounds like a fairytale, but when I read about this baker I decided I had to make a similar bread, with the addition of caraway seeds – also common around these parts and much loved in neighbouring Lithuania. It was the best bread I had ever made. I don’t know if it was down to the horseradish leaves, but they certainly made it look interesting, the sort of bread you imagine woodland fairies might feast on. {Makes 1 large round shape loaf}

300 g (10½ oz/2½ cups) rye flour

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons wheatgerm

1 tablespoon caraway seeds

1 tablespoon sourdough starter

150 ml (5 fl oz/²/₃ cup) tepid water

1 tablespoon rapeseed oil

2–3 horseradish leaves (including 1 large one), optional

Combine the flour, salt, wheatgerm and caraway seeds in a large bowl.

Mix the starter with the tepid water, ideally shaking it in a jar, until it is completely dissolved. Add this to the dry ingredients in the bowl and continue mixing in one direction, until you get a dough the consistency of peanut butter.

Add the oil and knead the dough with floury hands on a floured surface, bending the edges in and pressing down with your body weight, for about 7–8 minutes, until you have a smooth ball of dough.

Place the dough ball on the largest horseradish leaf and wrap with the remaining, smaller leaves. Leave the dough to rise in a warm place, near a radiator, for 9–10 hours.

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/gas 4). Place the loaf, still wrapped in the leaves, on a baking tray and bake in the oven for 1 hour, or until it sounds hollow when the tapped. This rye bread will keep for about 5 days.

{Time: 1 hour 15 minutes, plus rising time}