Milk and Honey

Rye Bread

I have an heirloom cast-iron bread pan that is just perfect to make this bread. The bread itself is ideal, thinly sliced, to make delicious deli-style sandwiches at home. You will make it often, I'm sure. I have also made this bread as a sheepherder loaf with good results.

Preparation: 2 hours 30 minutes Life Experience Recipe
Makes 1 8x4x3-inch loaf (See notes below)
Ingredients:
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup rye flour
  • 2 teaspoons active yeast
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 tablespoon soft tub margarine
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 3 teaspoons caraway seedes, divided
  • 2 cups bread flour
  • 1 egg for egg wash
Procedure
  1. Set 1 teaspoon of the caraway seeds aside to sprinle on crust later.
  2. Mix all remaining ingredients, except egg, together and make your dough. Knead until elastic and non-sticky. Set aside, covered in a warm place, until doubled. (Use bread machine, if desired, to make dough.)
  3. Punch down dough and form into loaf shape. Place in 8x4-inch bread pan prepared with a light coating of cooking spray. Place in warm location to rise until nicely crowned.
  4. Beat egg. Brush loaf with egg mixture. Sprinkle with reserved caraway seeds.
  5. Bake in a preheated 375° F oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until a rich golden brown. Cool in bread pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto rack to finish cooling.
The recipe for this bread has evolved over time, adding a little of this, a little less of that to get the flavor I wanted. By the time the bread had risen as far it could, it nicely filled my heirloom cast iron pan (8x4x3-inch). I much later came across a reference to vital wheat gluten and how it added gluten to breads using low gluten flours such as rye flour. By adding 1 tablespoon of vital wheat gluten flour to the recipe (and maybe a tablespoon or two of water, as needed to make a slightly stiky dough) will result in an improved bread. The resulting dough has improved loft and the dough nicely crowns in a regular-sized, 9x5x3-inch pan, nearly doubling the size of the loaf. The final product, while retaining the flavor of the original, has a greatly improved texture and makes thick, deli-style sandwiches without the tendency to crumble.

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Latest revision done August 2014
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