For a 1lb rye sourdough:

Step 1
From the rye sourdough leaven you made in part 1 (which you should now store in the fridge) put just 25g in another airtight container and mix it thoroughly with 75g wholemeal rye flour and 150g warmish water. Put the lid on and leave for 12-24 hours, by which time there should be a lot of bubbling activity. This is your Production Sourdough.

Nearly there.

Step 2
To make the bread, in a bowl, mix 220g of Production Sourdough (above) with 165g rye flour (light or wholemeal), just over 2g salt and 100g warmish water.
(You’ll have a bit of Production Sourdough left over. Just mix it into the leaven you are now storing in the fridge. It will help maintain it and renew it.)

Here’s what I do (I’m right-handed):
Have a 500g (1lb) loaf tin greased and ready. You’ll also need a plastic scraper and some water to hand.
I mix all the ingredients with my left hand only. This is a very sloppy, sticky dough and you won’t be kneading it, but make sure everything is very well mixed. With the plastic scraper, scrape off as much as you possibly can from your left hand and form the dough into a neatish gob in the bowl. Now splash a bit of water onto your hands, scoop up the dough with the scraper onto your left hand and with your clean, wet right hand, smooth the dough into a fat sausage shape, working very lightly. Plop the wet sausage into the tin. It should half-fill it.
Carefully put the tin into a plastic bag, blow up the bag and tie it shut. The aim is to create a good environment for fermentation without the dough sticking to the inside of the bag. Leave it somewhere warm, if possible, to rise. This will take from 2-8 hours depending on the strength of your leaven and the temperature of the surroundings. It will double in size, filling the tin. That’s when it’s ready to bake.
Preheat the oven to very hot. 230C. Put in the loaf (having removed the plastic bag first, obvs) and bake for 15 minutes. Then turn the own down to 210C and bake for another 30 mins. There’s a lot of water in the dough so it’s important not to undercook it, even if the top looks a bit dark. An underdone loaf will be gluey.
De-tin and let it cool completely. Keep it in a plastic bag for a day before eating. It improves the flavour.

You can double the quantities for a 2lb loaf (use 5g salt) which will need 15 mins at 230C and another 45 at 210C. You’ll also have to make twice the amount of Production Sourdough, of course.

Next, an easy, no-knead wheat sourdough, using rye leaven.