Бородинский Хлеб — Borodinsky Bread (Russian Dark Rye with Coriander)

If Russian black bread is the everyday loaf, Borodinsky is the famous one. Slightly sweetened with molasses, deeply aromatic with coriander seeds on the crust, baked in a pullman pan for a tight square slice. There is a dubious 19th-century origin legend about it being baked for the widow of a general killed at the Battle of Borodino in 1812 — probably apocryphal, but the name stuck. The bread itself is genuinely ancient, made the same way in Russian bakeries now as it was two centuries ago.

Borodinsky is the bread of the Russian breakfast table during Lent. Toasted, drizzled with a little sunflower oil and salt, eaten with a glass of tea. One slice carries you through morning services.

NUTRITION (per slice, 1/16 of a loaf)

- Protein: ~4g
- Calories: ~140
- Fat: <1g
- Fiber: ~4g
- Iron, B vitamins, manganese

INGREDIENTS (makes one pullman loaf, 10x22cm / 4x9in pan)

For the scald (night before):
- 60g red rye malt extract (or substitute: 30g diastatic malt powder + 30g regular molasses)
- 10g ground coriander (or 2 tsp whole, freshly ground)
- 200g boiling water

For the rye starter refresh (same evening):
- 30g mature rye sourdough starter
- 100g dark rye flour
- 100g water

For the dough (next morning):
- All of the cooled scald
- All of the refreshed rye starter
- 350g dark rye flour
- 2 tbsp molasses
- 12g salt
- 150g warm water
- Whole coriander seeds, for topping

METHOD

Evening before:
1. Make the scald: combine the rye malt, ground coriander, and boiling water in a bowl. Stir until smooth. Cover and let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate overnight. This scald — or "zavarka" — is what gives Borodinsky its signature dark color and malty depth.

2. In a separate jar, refresh the starter: 30g starter + 100g rye flour + 100g water. Cover and leave at room temperature overnight.

Next morning:
3. Combine the cooled scald, refreshed starter, flour, molasses, salt, and warm water in a large bowl. Mix with a sturdy spoon until no dry flour remains. The dough will be wet, sticky, and thick — this is correct.

4. Cover and ferment at warm room temperature (25-27°C) for 2.5-3 hours.

5. Wet your hands and a spatula. Scrape the dough into a well-greased pullman loaf pan. Smooth the top. Wet the surface lightly and sprinkle generously with whole coriander seeds — press them gently in.

6. Cover with a damp cloth. Proof at warm temperature for 60-90 minutes. The top should show rising cracks.

7. Preheat oven to 230°C (450°F) with a pan on the bottom for steam. 30-minute minimum preheat.

8. Pour a cup of boiling water into the steam pan. Slide the loaf in. Immediately reduce to 200°C (400°F).

9. Bake 60-70 minutes. Internal temperature 100°C. The top crust should be deeply dark and aromatic.

10. Turn out onto a rack. Wrap in a cloth and rest 24 hours before cutting. This is non-negotiable for rye bread.

NOTES ON THE MALT

Red rye malt extract (krasny solod) is the ingredient that makes Borodinsky taste like Borodinsky. It is dark, sweet, deeply roasted, and sold in Russian and Eastern European grocery stores, or online.

If you cannot find it, substitute: use 2 tablespoons of unsulfured blackstrap molasses plus 1 tablespoon of dry malt extract or barley malt syrup. Not identical, but close enough for a very respectable loaf.

Avoid using "dark" or "pumpernickel" bread flavorings from baking supply stores; they are usually caramel coloring with no actual malt.

USES

Traditional breakfast pairings:
- With butter (feast days) or sunflower oil (fasting days) and salt
- Toasted, with a thin layer of tahini and a drizzle of honey
- With a slice of fresh apple and a thin cheese (feast days)
- Under pickled herring and dill (fish days)
- Cubed as croutons in shchi

As zakuska:
- The base for open-faced sandwiches — smear of mustard, sliced pickled cucumber, a sprig of dill
- With pâté (non-fasting, for Pascha)
- With smoked fish (fish days)

XEROPHAGY

Oil-free, dairy-free, egg-free. The molasses is plant-based. Borodinsky is permitted on every fasting day including xerophagy.