12 Traditional Polish Breads Recipes

POLISH SOURDOUGH RYE BREAD (CHLEB NA ZAKWAS ŻYTNI)

Steps:

• In a small bowl, mix together the 4 tablespoons rye flour and milk.
• Cover with plastic and set in a warm place to ripen for two days or until it smells pleasantly sour.
• In a large bowl, combine 4 cups rye flour and the all-purpose flour, salt, yeast, butter, water, and starter. Knead 7 minutes by machine or 10 minutes by hand.
• Place the dough in a clean, greased bowl, cover with plastic, and let it rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Punch down the dough, knead it for 1 minute and divide it in half.
• Heat the oven to 400 F.
• Shape each dough half into a round on two parchment-lined baking sheets. Cover each round with oiled plastic and let them rise 30 minutes or until almost doubled.
• Brush the risen rounds with egg white and sprinkle them with caraway seeds. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until instant-read thermometer registers 190 to 195 F and bread sounds hollow when tapped.
• Slide the bread round off the baking pans and cool them completely on a wire rack.
• Slice, serve, and enjoy! If you have leftover rye bread and it's starting to go stale, put it to use making rye croutons to enjoy on salads and soups.