OUR BOCHENKOWO SOURDOUGH LOAF

Black Swan Bread

End of July Bread

September Bread with Plums and Hazelnuts

Rye Sourdough Boule with Sprouted Wheat
Sinful Loaf.

These names conjure up another world. I imagine some rustic, Eastern European village somewhere, all thatched cottages with wooden beams; a few chickens and dogs scratch around in the mud; golden, flat fields of wheat stretch to a distant mountain range; the smell of freshly baked bread wafts from house to house. Everyone is speaking Polish:
"BOCHENKOWO Moj chleb: jest robiony recznie na kazdym etapie, koniecznie z pelnoziarnistej maki i na domowym zakwasie.  (BREAD AT HOME To bake the real bread I use: my hands, some sourdough and whole grain flour)."I am not quite sure where or when I first came across the Bochenkowo sourdough bread blog, but I do know I have been reading Anna's recipes for some months now, intrigued by the entirely different traditions and flavours that she packs into her loaves. 
It took me quite a while to realise that she is blogging from Maspeth, New York.

Here is a loaf that has evolved out of several different recipes from her blog.

430g rye sourdough starter (equal water and flour)
240g dark beer (or water)
350g stoneground rye flour
250g wheat flour (white)
20g salt
130g soft prunes
70g soft dried apricots

Mix the starter, beer, flours and salt together.  Knead for 15 mins until pliable and stretchy.  Leave to ferment for 3 hours before putting the dough into the fridge overnight.  
Remove the dough from the fridge and leave it to warm for a couple of hours; knead it briefly before adding the dried fruit and kneading it in until evenly spread.  Sprinkle some flour over the dough before shaping it into a boule: leave to rise for 3 hours.
An hour before baking, place a baking stone / sheet in the oven and heat to 220 degrees.  When the dough is ready, place a tray of ice cubes in the oven for steam; slash the dough to your own design; transfer it onto the baking stone / tray, and bake for 45 - 50 minutes.