Delicious German Rye Bread

wildschwein's Note:

This recipe for rye bread makes a medium-sized, heavy loaf. It is great served with butter, mustard, and cold meats. It's also delicious when toasted in the morning, and spread with lashings of butter and honey. Mmmm!

• Total Time: 3 hrs 50 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 3 hrs 30 mins

Ingredients:

Yield: 1 loaf

• 3 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup rye flour
• ½ cup rolled rye meal
• 2 tablespoons dried compressed yeast
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons molasses or 2 tablespoons treacle
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 ¾ cups warm water or 1 ¾ cups beer
• 2 teaspoons caraway seeds (optional)

Directions:

1. Place wholewheat flour, rye flour, rolled rye, salt and caraway seeds (if used) in a bowl. Make a well in center.
2. Add the remaining ingredients to the well.
3. Mix all ingredients initially with a wooden spoon, until roughly mixed.
4. If mixture seems too dry, add a little more water/beer.
5. Kneed the mixture for 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic, adding a little more flour from time to time if the mixture is too sticky.
6. Form dough into a ball, and cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap or a damp teatowel.
7. Leave to prove for 2 hours.
8. After 2 hours, preheat oven to 200°C.
9. Take the cover off the mixing bowl. Punch the dough down in the center.
10. Lightly oil a baking tray or loaf tin and dust with flour.
11. Shape dough into desired form (e.g. freeform oblong shape, or in square loaf tin, etc).
12. Leave alone until nearly doubled in size.
13. Place in hot oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on how crusty you like it.
14. The loaf should be cooked when it gives a hollow sound when tapped.
15. Allow to cool before serving - it is usually better the day after baking.
16. Enjoy!

Reviews

[Karen Elizabeth]

Made this yesterday, and today my lunch is a ryebread sandwich with creamy cheese, butter and marmite, mmm, it's so good! I used my bread machine to knead the dough, and then took it out, formed my loaf, let it rise again and baked it. I've never made ryebread before and didn't know what to expect, well, its excellent!!!! I'll definitely be making this again. Made for PAC Spring 2008, thanks zoetrope!

[Dreamer in Ontario]

This bread is delicious. Definitely a keeper. I had to make the bread twice because the first time I baked it at 200 F instead of 200 C. It was good then too even though I had to bake it longer.