Sourdough German Souls Bread Schwäbische Seelen Recipes

SOURDOUGH GERMAN SOULS BREAD (SCHWäBISCHE SEELEN)

Steps:

• For the spelt and all purpose levains, mix the ingredients, let ferment, and use the levain young (ripe but not peaked or deflating). For the rye levain, mix the ingredients and ferment the levain for 8-10 hours at 84°F. The extra 10g levain can be used however you choose.
• In a large bowl, thoroughly mix together the flours, water (minus any being reserved for bassinage), levain, and salt.
• Cover and let sit for about 20 minutes, then stretch and fold until smooth. Do this again at the 40-minute mark.
• About 1 hour after the initial mixing, add the reserved water (this technique is called bassinage). Dimple the dough and stretch and fold it around the dough gently for about 5 minutes until the water is completely incorporated.
• Continue intermittent stretching and folding for 3 more hours. If you're making the variation with cheese, fold it in about 1 hour into this period (2 hours after the initial mixing).
• Let the dough rise for a final hour (until about five hours since the initial dough mixing).
• De-gas the dough and refrigerate it overnight.
• When you want to bake, preheat your oven to 450°F for 20-30 minutes with a baking stone, baking steel, or upside-down baking sheet inside.
• Dump out your dough onto wet parchment paper that you've measured to fit your baking surface.
• Wet your hands and the top of the dough. Then using the side of your hand, divide the dough in four long pieces or "souls." Do not try to lift them from the wet parchment paper.
• Sprinkle with caraway seeds and coarse salt, and then spray water all over the top of the souls.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes at 450°F.
• Let cool for a bit and enjoy.

SOURDOUGH CRACKERS WITH RYE FLOUR AND BLACK SESAME SEEDS

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 450°F.
• Combine the ingredients in a bowl, minus the toppings, and mix together. Knead the dough for a few minutes until it's smooth. If you want the seeds to be well-trapped in the dough, add them during this initial mixing rather than later.
• Roll out the dough to be less than 1/4-inch thick. Do this on a sheet of parchment paper or a silicone mat that fits a half-sheet pan. To get a uniform rectangle, trim the edges and place the pieces inside the dough and re-roll.
• Brush or spritz with additional oil. Sprinkle on the seeds and additional salt, and roll again a few times to press in the toppings.
• Using a pizza cutter or bench knife, cut grooves into the dough, creating a grid with the cracker size of your choice. I made a 9x6 grid for 54 crackers.
• Dock the dough with a fork to prevent big bubbles during baking.
• Bake for 12-15 minutes, turning the tray once about 8 minutes in. Remove when the dough at the outer edges begins to brown.
• Let cool for a few minutes and then separate the crackers on the cut lines.