LINGONGROVA BREAD
TOTAL TIME: 2H
Lingongrova bread gets its name from the Lingonberries, those tiny ruby-red jewels found in the wilds of the north, are nature's delightful secret. These petite berries pack a punch when it comes to flavor and health benefits. Similar in appearance and taste to their more famous cousin, the cranberry.
1. BOIL THE RYE BERRIES & CRANBERRIES
Pour the rye berries and cranberries, in a saucepan and cover with water and bring to a boil. Boil them for 25 min, then remove them from the heat and drain the remainding water.
2.MIX THE INGREDIENTS
Begin by heating up 550ml of water to lukewarm and dissolve the yeast in the water. The water needs to be lukewarm to activate the yeast. Next, incorporate the boiled rye berries and cranberries and blend in the flour with the liquid. Add 26g of oil and the brown sugar to create a dough. If the dough is very sticky, add a little flour.
3. KNEAD THE DOUGH
If using a bench mixer, knead the dough for 10 minutes. If opting for hand kneading, work the dough for 15 minutes. When working with a sticky dough, you can put some water on your hands to prevent the dough from sticking to your hands. You can also use a dough scraper to knead the dough, as this makes handling a sticky dough easier. Doughs high in rye tends to be stickier then doughs made of wheat. Letting the dough be sticky means keeping a high hydration in the dough wich will give a nice moist bread. That stays fresh for longer.
To make sure that the dough has attained the desired consistency and that the gluten strands have been appropriately developed, perform a gluten test. Take a small portion of the dough, if made in to a ball about 2 cm in diameter'ä and gently stretch it. The dough should show elasticity, and be able to be stretched thin. It should withstand poking and pulling without breaking. If the dough breaks straight away, it means it needs some further development. Return the dough to the mixer and allow it to run for an additional minute to enhance gluten formation. Shape the dough into a round ball, place it back in the bowl, and cover it with a clean tea towel. Allow it to rest for 60 minutes.
4. DIVDE DOUGH IN TWO
Pour a small amount of flour onto the kitchen bench and place the dough on it. Divide the dough into two parts to create two loaves. Achieve this by rolling each half of the dough to a ball, then gently place both your hands on the dough and roll it out to a "sausage". Place the loaves next to eachother on an oven tray lined with parchment paper.
5. LET THE LOAVES REST & RISE
Cover them with a tea towel and let them rise for 60 minutes, or until they have nearly doubled in size. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 230°C.
6. BAKE THE BREAD
Bake the loaves in the middle of the oven for 4 minutes, then put the temperature down to 180c and bake for another 40 minutes.
The loaves should reach an internal temperature of 98°C when they are fully baked. In case you lack a thermometer to check the bread's inner temperature, a simple alternative is to gently tap the bottom of the loaves. If they make a hollow sound, it indicates they are ready. Once the loaves have completed baking, allow them to cool on a designated cooling rack before proceeding to cut them. Now, savour the delight of your freshly baked bread!