SC - Rye Bread

[Decker, Terry D.]

I needed to bake some rye (at the wife's request) and I wanted to
experiment, so I killed two birds with one stone last night.  I made a
batard (long, wide loaf) of rye with a single rise.  The bread was fairly
dense (to be expected with a single rise and rye flour), but tasty.  Were I
to make this again, I would probably let the bread rise 3 to 4 hours or
until tripled in size and use 2 teaspoons of yeast.

By doing a single rise loaf, I double checked what I remember about single
rise breads.  It is very possible that the bread Platina was describing used
a long, slow single rise.

As an aside, rye flour contains gluten, but not as much a wheat flour.  Pure
rye flour does not rise very well, so most rye bread is a 1:1 misture of
wheat and rye flours.

Bear


Rye Bread  (makes a single 2 pound loaf)

2 cups of warm water (105 - 110 degrees F)
1 teaspoon of sugar
1 teaspoon of dry active yeast
2 cups stone ground rye flour
2 to 3 cups unbleached white flour
1 teaspoon of salt


Dissolve the sugar in the warm water.
Dissolve the yeast in the water and allow it to proof until foamy (about 10
minutes).
Add salt.
Add 2 cups of rye flour and two cups of white flour, 1 cup at a time,
alternating types and stirring it to blend the flour into the mixture.
A soft,slightly sticky ball of dough will form.
Place the dough ball on a floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes.  If
the dough is sticky, sprinkle it with flour from the remaining cup of flour
(you may or may not use all of this flour).  The dough should be soft and
have an even color and texture.
Shape the loaf and put it on a greased baking sheet.
Let rise until at least doubled (about 2 hours).
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Bake for about 45 minutes.
Cool on a wire rack.

Brushing the surface with a little melted butter or oil will improve the
color of the loaf and help keep the crust soft.
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