Russian Black Bread (Old Fashioned Russian Rye Bread)

8 cups of freshly ground whole rye flour
3 cups of warm water
1/2 cup of sourdough culture (Starter Recipe included at bottom of page, of course make starter first!)

Mix seven cups of flour with water and sourdough culture. Cover and let set stand in a warm place overnight, between 12 and 18 hours. Add remaining flour and mix well. Place in greased pans. Let it rise for approximately a half hour. Bake at 350
degrees F, one hour or more. Save cup of dough as culture for next baking.

Makes 2 two pound loaves.

STARTER

3 pkg. dry yeast
1/2 cup. warm water (105-115)
1 cup warm water
2/3 cup sugar
3 Tbl potato flakes

Dissolve the yeast in the 1/2 c. warm water. Then feed it 1 c. warm water, sugar and potato flakes. Let mixture sit out all day, then refrigerate for 2-5 days. Take it
out and feed again with water, sugar and potato flakes. and let sit out all day or overnight. You use 1 c. of this starter per recipe. It needs to be fed and 1 c. poured
out a few times before using it in the recipe. It is too "yeasty" at first.

Put intitial atarter in quart jar with holes pundhed in the lid. (I use alum. foil with punched holes) It needs to breath. When starter is ready to use, take out and feed
with,
3/4 cup sugar
3 Tbl instant potato flakes
1 cup warm water

Mix well. Let stand out of refrigerator all day (8-10 hours). This does not rise - only makes bubbles. Take out 1 cup (I usually use 1 1/4 cup) and return starter to
refrigerator.