Rye Bread

I made rye bread for the first time two weeks ago this year. I bought some rye flour a while ago and never used it, and finally I decided it was time. And the Professor fell in love. We usually have a 12 grain loaf in the kitchen for him to munch on, but he's decided I should bake rye bread at least once a week.

The recipe I used here is different than the one from that first batch. It has a LOT more molasses in it for one thing; it also has twice as much rye flour and uses bread flour instead of all-purpose. I think the molasses is the reason it's so heavy and dense - I was expecting the bread flour to make it lighter, if anything. The Professor loves it, though, so I guess that's what really counts.

I did everything with a bowl and a wooden spoon, but a mixer would be a big help - this dough gets thick. And I just realized I forgot to put in carraway seeds like I planned. Ah, well. Guess I'll have to make a few more loaves, eh?














Rye Bread

Ingredients

• 4 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
• 1/2 cup warm water
  
• 1 1/2 cups lukewarm milk
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 1/4 cups rye flour
• At least 3 cups bread flour

Directions

1. Dissolve yeast in warm water small bowl for five minutes or until foamy.
2. In a large bowl combine milk, sugar, and salt. Add molasses, butter, yeast mixture, and 1 cup of rye flour and mix thoroughly.
3. Mix in the remaining rye flour. Add white flour by stirring until the dough is stiff enough to knead.
4. Knead 5 to 10 minutes, adding flour if it's needed. If the dough sticks to your hands, the counter or whatever you're kneading on add more flour (I just do it in my bowl so there's less flour to clean up).
5. Cover dough and let rise 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until double (It was extremely warm and humid today, so it was right at an hour for me).
6. Punch down the dough and form loaves in your favorite shape. Let the loaves rise on a greased baking sheet until they double (about 1 hour).
7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until it sounds hollow when you tap it on the bottom.