Traditional Latvian Sourdough Rye Bread

Abstract

Sourdough rye bread has always been one the main foods in Latvian families. Nowadays, it is a symbolic component of Latvian national identity of folklore, traditions, culture and well-being. Sourdough rye bread is included in the Latvian Cultural Canon in the Folk Traditions’ section and it was named as the most Latvian word in 2020. Latvian sourdough rye bread is a naturally fermented bread from rye flour, with scalded rye flour and sourdough being used in the production process. Sourdough is made from rye flour using spontaneous microbiota. This type of bread is shaped into an elongated loaf, weighing one or more kilograms and baked in a hearth oven. Crust of bread is dark, smooth and glossy. Crumb is dark, with larger or smaller pores, and it has pleasant aroma of baked bread and caraway seeds, with a sweet-and-sour sourdough rye bread taste. The present chapter describes the historical, traditional and culture aspects of bread baking technology from past till nowadays.