Harbin Da Lieba

Ingredients

• 300 g strong white bread flour
• 200 g dark rye flour
• 7 g instant yeast
• 12 g fine salt
• 20 g caster sugar
• 350 ml warm water
• 1 tbsp sunflower oil
• 100 g walnuts, roughly chopped
• 60 g raisins (optional)
• 1 tsp caraway seeds (optional)
• 2 tbsp rye flour, for dusting

Before you cook

• Whisk both flours with the yeast, salt and sugar in a large bowl.
• Pour in the warm water and the oil and stir to a shaggy dough.
• Knead for 12 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic and no longer sticks to your hands.
• Cover the bowl and leave it somewhere warm for 90 minutes, until doubled in size.
• Line a bowl with a floured cloth, or flour a banneton.

Steps

1. Toast the walnuts in a dry pan over medium heat for 4 minutes, until they smell nutty.
2. Tip the risen dough onto a lightly floured surface and press it out flat.
3. Scatter the walnuts, raisins and caraway over the dough.
4. Fold the dough over on itself four or five times to work them through evenly.
5. Shape the dough into a tight round by tucking the edges underneath and dragging it across the work surface.
6. Set the loaf seam-side down in the floured cloth or banneton.
7. Cover it and leave it for 60 to 75 minutes, until a poked finger leaves a dent that fills back slowly.
8. Heat the oven to 230C with a heavy baking tray and an empty roasting tin inside it.
9. Turn the loaf out onto a sheet of baking paper and dust the top with rye flour.
10. Slash a deep cross across the top with a very sharp blade.
11. Slide the loaf onto the hot tray and pour a cup of boiling water into the roasting tin.
12. Bake for 15 minutes with the steam.
13. Drop the oven to 200C, take the water tin out, and bake for another 35 to 40 minutes.
14. Check that the crust is dark brown and the base sounds hollow when you rap it.
15. Cool the loaf completely on a rack for at least 2 hours before cutting.
16. Slice it thickly and eat it with butter and hot tea, or with sausage and pickles.