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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. |