Crust and Crumb Yeasted Rye

With the new year upon us, I thought I'd kick things off with this tasty Rye bread recipe.  It's a little bit more involved than some recipes that I've posted (since you have to make a sponge), but it doesn't require a starter.  Feel free to add in Caraway seeds if you like.

Yeasted Rye
from Crust and Crumb by Peter Reinhart

Sponge:
1 c. (4.5 oz) unbleached bread flour
1 c. (4.5 oz) coarse rye flour
1 tsp. (0.11 oz) instant yeast
1 c. cool water

Dough:
Rye sponge (from above, use all)
2 c. (9 oz) unbleached bread flour
1 Tbsp. (0.5 oz) brown sugar
1 1/4 tsp. (0.33 oz) salt
1/2 tsp. (0.06 oz) yeast
1 tsp. cocoa powder
1/4 c. (2 oz) buttermilk

Combine the sponge ingredients to form a thick paste.  Cover the sponge with plastic wrap and allow it to sit at room temperature for 4 hours.  The sponge will rise and fall within this time.  Next, mix the sponge with the other dough ingredients.  Knead by hand for about 10 minutes.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 60-90 minutes.  Shape the dough into a loaf and place in a greased loaf pan.  Cover again and let rise for 60-90 minutes.  When nearly doubled in bulk, place in an oven preheated to 350 °F.  Bake 45-50 minutes.  Remove bread from the pan and cool on a cooling rack for 90 minutes before slicing.

Sweet Rye Rolls

Flourboy and I sometimes disagree about what rye bread should taste like.  This is the recipe that he grew up with, modified into rolls.  It is a sweeter bread than what I am used to, and it doesn't have any caraway seeds in it.  But, it does pack a nice whole-grain punch.  We both agreed that these were quite tasty with leftover turkey for a light lunch.

Sweet Rye Rolls

3 1/2 c. white bread flour

2 c. rye flour

2 Tbsp. butter

2 c. water

1/2 c. packed brown sugar

1 tsp. salt

4 1/2 tsp. yeast

Melt the butter in a microwavable dish.  Add the water, salt, and sugar.  Stir until mostly dissolved.  Mix in the rye flour and let stand for 5 minutes.  Separately, combine the yeast and 2 cups of the white flour.  Add this to the rye dough.  Finally, stir in the last portion of flour gradually, until a nice consistency dough has formed.  Turn out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth.  Cover and let rise for one hour.  

To shape, divide the dough into smaller batches (about 4).  Roll each batch into a thick rope, and cut off 2 1/2 oz. portions of dough.  Let the divided dough rise for about 1 hour, then cut lengthwise slits in the tops.  Bake on a greased cookie sheet at 375 °F for 20 to 25 minutes.

Split Top Rye Bread

 

Every once in a while (more often than I'd like to admit), I wake up in the wee hours of the morning, frazzled about some aspect of my graduate work.  Although I'd rather get a good nights sleep, I enjoy the opportunity to bake a loaf of bread before work.  It's always fun to send out the early morning e-mail to my colleagues: "Fresh Bread... still warm... help yourself!"

In my opinion, really good Rye Bread is best done with a prefermentation of some sort.  This is what evokes some of the richer flavors of rye.  But, since I don't do anything with notable grace, eloquence, or speed at 4 am, this was an easy alternative.

Rye Bread

2 Tbsp canola oil
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp molasses
1 2/3 c. water
1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 c. rye flour
1/2 Tbsp yeast
2 Tbsp nonfat dry milk
1/2 Tbsp salt
3 c white bread flour
1 Tbsp caraway seeds (optional)

Mix oil, honey, molasses, water, lemon juice, rye flour, and yeast in a mixer bowl.  Let sit 10 minutes before mixing in the dry milk, salt, and two cups of the bread flour.  Gradually mix in the last cup of flour, until the dough is a good consistency: not too sticky or too dry.  Knead the dough for several minutes until it is fairly smooth and elastic.  Let rise in a warm place, covered, for about one hour.  Knead the dough down slightly, shape into a loaf, and place in a loaf pan.  Let rise again, about one hour.  Cut a slit in the top of the loaf and sprinkle bran flakes over the top.  Bake at 400 °F for 10 minutes, then reduce to 375 °F and cook another 25 minutes.  Turn off the oven, and leave the loaf inside for a final 10 minutes.  Place the loaf on a wire rack to cool completely.