Rye Sourdough with Yoghurt

This is a very quick to make rye sourdough (made from rye meal) with 50/50 wheat and rye flour. I made bread with buttermilk and Kefir before but this is my first time yoghurt is used (a substantial amount, almost half of the "liquid" is yoghurt). Since I made this at a week night again I couldn't afford long proofing times; besides the sourdough - which needs to be started the day before - total time for preparation including baking is just under two hours. Most of the rising actually happens while it's baking.

Sourdough

• 100g (3 1/2oz) rye meal
• 100ml (3 1/2oz) water
• 15g (1/2oz)  rye sourdough starter

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir well. Cover and let rest at room temperature for 20 hours.

Main Dough

• Sourdough
• 250g (8 3/4oz) whole grain rye flour
• 250g (8 3/4oz) all purpose wheat flour
• 200g (7oz) plain yoghurt
• 275ml (9 3/8oz) luke warm water
• 25g (7/8oz) butter or lard
• 15g (1/2oz)  fresh yeast - or 2 tsp Active Dry Yeast, 1 tsp of sugar and 52ml (1 5/7oz) of water, mixed and let stand for about 10 minutes

Combine water, yeast and yoghurt and the sourdough and give it a good stir. Add all the flour and the salt, again stir well to get everything mixed in. Use the dough hook in a mixer and mix for 5 minutes on low speed. Then add the butter and mix again for 5 minutes on medium to high speed (I set my Kitchen Aid mixer to 3).

Place the dough on a well floured surface and cover with a linen cloth or towel. Let rest for 30 minutes, folding it 3 times during that time: Fold the outer edge into middle and press it down. Go around the dough  until it has a round shape again. Repeat 3 times. Then turn around (seam down) and cover again.

Preheat oven to 250°C (485°F).

Form the dough into round or elongated shape and brush the surface with water then roll in rye meal. Place parchement paper on a baking sheet and transfer bread on it so the seam is up.

Put the baking sheet into the oven on the middle rack. This time no water is sprayed in. Immediately reduce the temperature to 220°C (430°F) and bake the bread with falling temperature for 45 minutes.

Let cool on a cooling rack.

Based on recipe by Bernd Armbrust, published by GU in the book "Brot".