(Day 1) Mix all ingredients for rye sourdough. Cover well and let ferment for 20-24 hours at room temperature. It should become frothy and bubbly.
(Day 2) In a large bowl, measure out the rye flour, salt and molasses/honey for the main dough. Place rye sourdough from day 1 on top and pour over warm water. Mix with your hands or a sturdy wet spatula for about 5 minutes. It's VERY sticky and more like a "paste" than a dough - you won't be able to knead.
When well mixed, add any mix-ins and incorporate evenly into the dough by mixing an additional 2 minutes or so.
My dough looked like this after everything is finished.
Grease a bread loaf pan with butter or oil and dust with flour. Another option is to line with parchment paper.
Put in the dough and gently press into the loaf pan. Even out the top with a scraper or your hands.
Dust top with flour (I used fine ground rye flour).
Let rise at room temperature (24C/75F) for 2 hours (it's okay if the temperature is not exactly that). It should rise up to the top of the loaf pan.
While dough is rising, preheat oven to 250C/480F. Put a steam pan at the bottom rack of the oven when preheating for throwing in some boiling water for steam later. Prepare a kettle of boiling water as well.
After the dough had risen, make a crisscross pattern on the top by gently pressing down with the edge of a pastry card or something similar. (about 5 mm or 1/4 inch or so deep).
Total baking time is 70 minutes....
Bake at 250C/480F for 10 minutes with steam. Then remove/release steam and turn temperature down to 200C/400F and bake for another 30 minutes. Remove the bread from its tin and put back in the oven for a final 30 minutes. Removing the bread from the pan lets the sides brown up into a nicer color.
Let cool completely before slicing (its still cooking when you pull it out of the oven!), preferably waiting until the next day to let the flavors develop.
