Recipes to Rival: Rye Bread

Growing up I did not like rye bread. At least that is what I told myself. It was brown and looked like a big lump of...well you know what. So I refused to eat it. Then one day when I was older and less weird, I tried a slice at Outback and loved it. I'm not sure exactly what I really liked about it...perhaps the slight sweetness. But I liked it and have enjoyed eating it since then.

It wasn't really a bread I ever thought about making at home. White, wheat, oatmeal. Those were breads that seemed to be home made types. But this was a pretty simple bread to make at home. Other than the rye flour, it wasn't all that different from the other breads.

I added the optional brown sugar to make sure it was suitably sweet for my tastes. I didn't add the optional raisins or walnuts. That seemed a little too much for me.  I shaped the bread into a standard rectangular loaf.

While still not a terribly pretty bread to look at, taste wise it was delicious. Just a hint of sweetness was perfect for me. The only thing I didn't really like was the caraway seed. There seemed to be too much of them and I was constantly getting little liquorice-y bursts. Not bad in small batches but it was pretty constant. Next time I would cut the amount called for in half. I served my rye bread plain with just a little butter. The dense bread didn't really need any more than that. Of course, it would be very tasty served alongside a nice steak if you so chose!

Old World Rye
A World of Breads by Dolores Casella, 1966

2 cups rye flour
1/4 cup cocoa
2 T yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water
1/2 cup molasses
2 tsp salt
2 T caraway seed
2 T butter
2 1/2 cups white flour or whole wheat flour

Combine the rye flour and cocoa. do not sift. Dissolve the yeast in 1/2 cup warm water.

Mix molasses, 1 cup warm water, salt, and caraway seed in large mixing bowl.
Add the rye/cocoa mix, the proofed yeast, the butter and 1 cup white flour or whole wheat flour.

Beat until the dough is smooth.

Spread the remaining flour on a breadboard and kneed it into the dough. Add more flour if necessary to make a firm dough that is smooth and elastic. Place in buttered bowl and cover. Allow to rise until double (about 2 hours).

Punch dough down, shape into a round loaf and place on a buttered cookie sheet that has been sprinkled with cornmeal. Let rise about 50 minutes.

Bake at 375 for 35 to 40 minutes.

Notes:

You can add 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1 cup each of raisins and walnuts.