If there’s anything Lithuanians love more than beer and basketball, it’s our bread. Unlike good beer and good basketball, this dense, sour, dark rye loaf is quite difficult to find in the States, and undeniably, black bread is the food we miss most when we leave. It is the staple of staples: it accompanies cold cuts and soups, it’s rubbed with fresh garlic and fried (ohmygod), or topped with fresh farmer’s cheese and honey for a light breakfast (again, ohmygod).
I’ve attempted to recreate it before, without much success. There’s more to it than just using a buttload of dark rye flour and hoping for the best… Much more. And honestly, I’m not “there” yet–a true Lithuanian loaf requires a sourdough starter. (Gourmantine’s method is what I’m trying next.) But, for a batch of two loaves that you can make in half a day, this is pretty close, and it’s delicious anyhow.
So, how did we get here? Deb from Smitten Kitchen flying in with her black bread superhero cape. I’d had many a disappointment when attempting to make black bread before, and was hesitant to try anything else, but Deb is what one might eloquently call a BAMF, so naturally, her stamp of approval was the nudge I needed to give this another go. I’m so glad I did.
