Basic Homemade Rye Bread
Makes one loaf
By: Joe Valencic
Makes one loaf
By: Joe Valencic
1-1/4 t Instant Yeast
1 T sugar (I use brown sugar)
3 T melted butter
1 Egg
1 C warm milk (about 110 degrees F) (8 oz.)
1 1/2 t salt
1 C rye flour (4.6 oz.)
2 1/2 cups bleached all-purpose or bread flour (12-1/2 oz.)
1 T caraway seeds (or more if you like more seeds)
1 t vegetable oil (to coat bowl and loaf pan)
1 large egg, beaten for egg wash
Combine the yeast, sugar, melted butter, egg, and milk in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a mixing whisk. Beat on low speed for 1 minute, then change to dough hook. Combine the salt, rye flour, all-purpose flour, and caraway seeds in a separate bowl and blend well, then add to liquid 1 cup at a time. Beat at low speed until all of the flour is incorporated, about 1 minute. Then, beat at medium speed until the mixture forms a ball, leaves the sides of the bowl and climbs up the dough hook. Remove the dough from the bowl. Using your hands, form the dough into a smooth ball. Lightly oil a bowl. Place the dough in the bowl and turn it to oil all sides. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm, draft-free place until it doubles in size, about 1 hour.
(This can also be done the old fashioned way by hand, using the traditional methods of blending and kneading for 5-8 minutes until smooth and elastic)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease a 5 1/2 by 9-inch bread pan.
Remove the dough from the bowl and invert onto a lightly floured surface. Deflate dough by pressing your knuckles into the dough. Then gently knead the dough while shaping into a roll as long as your bread pan so that any seams disappear into the dough. Place the shaped roll in the baking pan with the seam side down. You can also make this bread as a free-form loaf like Italian bread. Simply roll up the dough, pinch the seams tightly and place seam side down on a cornmeal dusted cookie sheet or parchment paper. Can be cooked on any cooking stone as well. Cover with plastic wrap or a plastic bag with the handles tucked under the pan, and set aside in a warm, draft-free place until it doubles in size, about 1 hour. Use a pastry brush to brush the egg lightly over the top of the dough, then put three slashes in the dough at a 45 degree angle about ¼” deep. Bake until lightly brown, about 45 minutes. Immediately remove bread from pan and place on a cooling rack. The loaf should have a hollow sound when tapped on the bottom. If not hollow sounding, put it back in the pan and bake for another 5 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches at least 200 degrees F. Allow to cool for a couple hours before slicing.
The loaf above is a free-form loaf.
