Estonians love their rye bread and no meal is complete without it. Peenleib is an old Estonian favourite with a unique and delicious taste. It takes a few days to make peenleib from scratch but once you have created the inital starter, you keep a little bit aside to use in future loaves.
Ingredients;
4 cups bread flour
2 cups dark rye flour
1 cup cake flour
1 1/2 Tbsp active dry yeast
2 1/2 cups warm water
1 1/2 Tbsp caraway seeds
2 Tbsp melted butter
1/2 cup honey
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
Method:
1. Three days prior to baking the bread, prepare the starter (preferably in the morning). In a large bowl, combine 1/2 tbsp (8g) dry yeast, 1 cup warm water, 1/2 tsp sugar and 1 cup bread flour. Mix until thoroughly incorporated and cover with plastic wrap. Let starter stand at room temperature for two and a half days.
2. After roughly 60 hours have passed, add to the starter the rye flour and 1 cup (240 ml) warm water. Mix thoroughly, cover, and let rest overnight at room temperature.
3.In the morning, dissolve the remainder of the yeast in 1/2 cup (120 ml) warm water. Stir down the dough and add the yeast mixture, plus the salt, caraway seeds, melted sweet butter, honey, cake flour, and the remainder of the sugar. Mix well.
4. Add 3 cups of the bread flour, one cup at a time, to make a stiff but workable dough. When the dough stops sticking to the bowl, knead for 10 minutes. Once finished kneading, shape dough into a ball.
5. Put in a bowl and cover the bowl with a towel. Let rest until it has doubled in size, 60–70 minutes.
6. Punch down dough and divide dough into 3 pieces. Shape into a rough ball and place on a baking sheet or shape to fit bread pans. Cover and let rise again until doubled in size, for one hour.
7. Prepare an egg wash by beating together one egg and water and preheat oven to 190 degrees C. Brush the egg wash over the loaves.
8. Bake the loaves for 30 minutes, or until they turn a light brown colour. Remove from the oven and let cool, covering with towels to prevent the crust from hardening
