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Rugbrod mix with my own sourdough starter

Saltfish's picture
Saltfish

Rugbrod mix with my own sourdough starter

Bought this Danish Rugbrod mix online - 

I would like to use this with my home sourdough rye starter, which is established and produces good results.

Can anyone give me advice on how they would go about it? Most Rugbrod recipes online start from scratch, not with a premixed flour mix - I don't read Danish so here are the instructions translated by Google translate app:

And the ingredients - I noticed that there is already dried sourdough but I assume this is not active and for flavour only, as their recipe involves yeast

So how would I alter the recipe to use my own sourdough starter? Also, I'd quite like to add dark beer, and maybe flaxseeds - which don't seem to be in this mix...any Danish breadheads here?

semolina_man's picture
semolina_man

If yes, then make the recipe with no changes.  So far you want to use your own starter, beer and flaxseed.  It seems to me like multiple opportunities for results other than intended.

Do you have any objection to following the instructions as written, then making variations based on your experience? 

Saltfish's picture
Saltfish

No, I have made it before but without sourdough; I used a similar premix from Ikea that is no longer available. That one contained dried yeast and I added 'live' bottle conditioned beer to help the rise and flavour. 

My main objection to following the recipe is that I'm in love with my sourdough starter! 

As I understand it, Rugbrod is fairly forgiving because it's not a shaped bread; it's proofed and cooked in a tin and beer is optional, but if used can just be counted as part of the total liquid /water measurement.. I would add only a small quantity of seeds and soak them overnbight, but I'm not sure about if and  how long to pre-soak (hydrate) the rye mix, or the quantity of sourdough starter to add...

semolina_man's picture
semolina_man

There you have it.  Try the starter and seeds and see how it works.  Please post a photo of the baked loaf and crumb.  Your previous experience can be the guide. 

Saltfish's picture
Saltfish

so I did it using half the bread mix, just in case it was a disaster- 500g

As this wasn't quite enough to fill my baking tin, I added about 20g strong white bread flour and 40 g wholemeal flour- a pinch more salt to make up for the extra flour (salt already in rugbrod packet) and about 80g of my rye sourdough starter - then 500ml liquid; water and half a bottle of this fine bavarian dunkel, which is refusing to stand up straight on this website:

I soaked about 50g pumpkin seeds, 30g oats, 30g flax seeds and 30g hulled hemp seeds in an equal quantity of water overnight.

The dough was mixed late in the evening in a food mixer and left to rise overnight, for about 9 hours, in a cool room. Then in the morning, with the soaked seeds and oats mixed in, it was transferred to the baking tin and left to rise for another hour and a half. It was quite wet.

Before baking I sprayed with water and sprinkled with more oats.

Baked at 230c for 15 minutes then 180c for an hour and a half. Here it is after an hour,  I decided it needed more time as the base was still moist, so I put it back in for longer - you can see it had risen a little above the tin.

 

Apologies but I don't know why freshloaf is rotating my images!!

Anyway, I'm quite satisfied with the result - the bread's still a little too gummy in the middle after 3 days, but perfect when toasted, - this could be overhydration or a result of the oats added in with the seed soaker.

Had a good smorrebrod today with it: smoked duck breast with jostaberry jelly and beetroot sauerkraut, on thin sliced fennel, and fried puree of mashed potatoes, cream and caraway seeds

Update; the texture and flavour have really improved after 4 days; it's filling but not heavy, with a nice balance of sourness, fruitiness and nuttiness from the seeds. It takes mild edam style cheese, cold meats and jam really well or is lovely just toasted with lots of butter. Not so good though for dipping in olive oil or with stronger cheeses, I would prefer a white or white/wholemeal mix..

I'm going to try this again but adding wholemeal spelt and canadian strong white; it's actually quite an easy process, with no shaping or stretch and fold, and as I'm quite busy with kids I find it difficult to find the time for some of the complex shaped sourdoughs bakes. I think this might become my go-to bake!

 

 

Saltfish's picture
Saltfish

For my next attempt I used 490ml  beer and water, 500g rugbrod mix, 50g rye starter, 50g wholemeal spelt, 40g canadian strong white, 100g soaker: pumpkin, flax, sunflower,  hulled hemp and oats. 10 hr ferment at room temp overnight, then 1.5 hr rise in tin in a warmer  room. Baked 230c 15 mins then 1 hr 180c

The crumb on this one is better - less gummy-  but I actually prefer the flavour of my first one; I'm not sure the spelt complements the rye as well as normal wholemeal or perhaps there's a slight bitterness because I toasted the seeds before soaking.