Farmer's Bread or Bauernbrot

I found this recipe in a book I just recently bought Authentic German Home Style Recipes by Gini Youngkrantz.  It sounded like an interesting recipe particularly since it used a rye sourdough starter (which I happened to have!!).

Just in case, you don't have a rye sourdough starter, here are my directions on how to create one:
How to create a rye sourdough starter?

Ingredients:

3 1/3 cups rye flour
1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 package active dry yeast ( 2 1/2 tsp yeast)
2 1/3 cups warm water
1 1/2 T caraway seeds
1 T ground coriander seeds
1 cup sourdough starter

The night before baking, mix the flours together in large bowl and make a well.  Place the starter in the middle.

Mix the flours and starter together.  This will be very dry and resemble a crumbly mess!

Cover the bowl and keep in a warm place over night.

The next morning place the yeast in a small bowl and add 1/3 cup of warm water.  Let sit for a few minutes to activate the yeast.  Add this to the starter and mix well.  Again, this will be very crumbly.

Add the remaining 2 cups of warm water - now we are getting somewhere!!  Add the two spices and mix well.

Turn the dough out on a floured countertop and knead into a smooth dough (add additional flour if too sticky).  Place the dough into a floured bowl, cover and let it rise in a warm place for 1 hour (since my house is always so cold, I usually let it rise in my oven with the oven light on).

After an hour, it should have doubled in size.

Knead the dough again and form into a round loaf.  Place the loaf on a floured cookie sheet, cover, let it rise again until doubled in size (about an hour).

Brush the top of the loaf with water and prick the entire top with a fork.  Bake in a preheated oven at 350 for 75 minutes.  Place an oven proof pan filled with water in the bottom of the oven to provide moisture as the loaf bakes.  This makes 1 loaf.

Verdict:

It is a real HEAVY bread.  I can tell right now that my husband won't like it.  I did not get any oven rise.  The crumb (inside of the bread) is very intense (for lack of a better word) - not light and "fluffy".  I seriously doubt if I will make this again.   Though it does make your kitchen smell really good!  Wish it tasted as good, though.  Oh well, you win some and some you don't.  Tomorrow is another adventure!