German Country Style Sourdough Rye Bread With Caraway Seeds - cooking recipe

Ingredients

Overnight Sourdough Sponge
50 g strong white bread flour
1/2 teaspoon fast-rising active dry yeast
3 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon milk
Bread
250 ml tepid water
2 tablespoons caraway seeds
225 g rye flour
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons sugar
225 g strong white bread flour
1 1/4 teaspoons fast-rising active dry yeast

Preparation

To make the sourdough Sponge.
Mix all the ingredients together to make a smooth paste, cover with a tea towel and leave to ferment overnight at room temperature, for between 8 to 12 hours.
To make the bread.
When you are ready to make the bread, pour the water into the bucket, followed by all of the sourdough sponge and then add the caraway seeds.
The add in this order: rye flour, salt, sugar and then the white bread flour.
Finally sprinkle the dried yeast over the top and fit the bucket into the bread machine/maker.
Set to the rapid wholemeal setting, for a medium sized loaf (750g) with the crust setting of your choice.
Once the bread has cooked - take it carefully out of the bucket and leave to cool on a wire cooling rack. Remove the paddle if it is still in the bread before slicing.
Serve with soups, hams, cold meats, cheese and pickles or make sandwiches of your choice.