Makes: | 1 large loaf (about 12 slices) |
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Level: | Absolute beginner |
Created Over: | 2 days |
Kind of Bake: | Ambient overnight – 10-minute style – mixed in the evening and baked in the morning |
Gut Factor: | Rye is a great source of fibre. |
Diversity Score: | 16 |
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Suggested Botanical Blend: | Botanical Blend No. 13 – Rye Blend |
Prebiotic: | Many signs of IBS, e.g. flatulence, abdominal pain, cramps and stomach rumbling have been show to be milder with lower-FODMAP rye bread |
This loaf-style rye molasses cake is a great way to use up leftover sourdough starter. Our Botanical Blend No. 13 gives the cake a good depth of flavour from the coriander, fennel and chocolate. If you don't have a home mill, you can just use a blend of rye flour and einkorn flour: simply remove 2 tablespoons of the flour and add 2 tablespoons cocoa powder and 1 tablespoon ground coriander or freshly ground toasted coriander seeds. You could use 1 teaspoon ground cardamom in place of the coriander if you prefer the flavour.
If you are using commercially milled rye flour, remember different brands of flour may need different levels of hydration. I would recommend adding the water in small quantities and letting the dough rest between additions before assessing whether more water is needed.
We used a white starter, but any starter will work well. The important thing is that the starter is no more than a week old. If a hooch has formed on top of your starter, give it a good stir before you add it to the dough mixture.
One of the best things about our rye molasses cake is that it is both sweet and savoury at the same time. We ate big slices with bowls of homemade tomato soup, but it would be equally delicious topped with a strong-flavoured cheese like a good mature Cheddar, spread with cultured butter, or toasted and covered with chopped bananas and chocolate spread.
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Wooden spoon
- 900g (2lb) loaf tin, measuring 25 x 13 x 8.5xm
Tin Size
- 900g (2lb) loaf tin, measuring 25 x 13 x 8.5cm OR 9 x 5 x 3 inches (USA)
Tin Advice
Scrunch up a buttered sheet of greaseproof paper and line your tin before adding your dough
Suggested Starter
- white starter
Status of Starter
bubbly, lively first-build starter
Hydration
31%
DDT
26°C (79°F)
For The Dough
- a little butter, for greasing
- 500g Botanical Blend No. 13
- 3 free-range eggs
- 100g olive oil
- 50g blackstrap molasses
- finely grated zest of 1 orange
- 100g coconut sugar
- 200g bubbly, lively white sourdough starter
- 10g fine sea salt
- 160–170g buttermilk at 24°C (77°F), or you can use water
Baking Time
40-45 minutes (plus an extra 10 minutes with the oven switched off and door open)
Oven Position
middle shelf
Preheat Oven To
180°C/160°C fan/350°F/gas mark 4
Bake At
180°C/160°C fan/350°F/gas mark 4
Baking Tips - During/After Baking
- Everyone's oven is slightly different. Use the timings given here as a guide and always check your loaf towards the end of the baking time to see how much longer it needs.
Tutorials
Step | Timings |
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Mix dough | Day 1, 8pm |
Transfer to the tin | Day 1, 8.30pm |
Bake | Day 2, 8am |
Guidance, tips & techniques
This is an untested and unedited recipe. However, it is based on a tried-and-tested recipe, so if you are willing to test this recipe and give me feedback I would be very grateful.
Please fill in a feedback form here. This form is detailed, so you might like to print it off first so you can view it beforehand.
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Line your loaf tin with baking parchment and grease the parchment with a little butter.
To make the cake, mix together all the ingredients except the buttermilk (or water) in a large bowl. Add 100g of the buttermilk and stir, then leave the mixture to rest for 10 minutes before adding a further 30g buttermilk and repeating this mixing and resting process. Add the remaining buttermilk in 10g and 20g portions, resting between additions until the dough is the right consistency to drop slowly from a spoon – you might need to adjust the amount of buttermilk you use to achieve this.
Pour the cake mixture into the tin and cover the tin with a shower cap. Leave to prove overnight on the kitchen counter.
In the morning, the dough should have risen to be almost level with the top of the tin. Place a shallow baking tin in the bottom of the oven and preheat to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. As you put your cake in the oven, throw a cupful of water into the tin at the bottom to create steam. Close the oven door as quickly as possible to trap the steam in the oven. Bake the cake for 20 minutes, then place a piece of foil over the top to prevent it from burning. Bake for a further 20 minutes, then test by inserting a skewer into the centre of the cake. If the skewer comes out clean, the cake is ready. If it's still a bit sticky, give it a further 5 minutes in the oven. Everyone's oven is slightly different, so it's important to check. If, after 45 minutes, the cake still seems a little under-baked, you can turn off the oven and leave the cake inside with the door open for another 10 minutes to finish cooking in the residual heat.
Remove the baked cake from the oven and rest in the tin for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
This cake keeps for about 3 days wrapped in a clean tea towel and stored in a cake tin.
How to Store
Wrap in a clean tea towel and store in a cake tin for up to three days.