Light Rye Bread

A light and moist bread, a good change from pumpernickel. This recipe is from my old stand by cookbook by Fannie Farmer. The recipe called for milk but I had buttermilk that I needed to use and it came out wonderful so you can use either one, I think you will have a better rye taste with milk, This is a very sticky dough to work with, keep your hands floured and be patient. I mixed this by hand but I'm sure you can use your large mixer.

• Ready In: 3 hrs 40 mins
• Yields: 2 loaves

Ingredients

• 1  cup water, to boil
• 1⁄2 cup warm water
• 1  cup milk or 1  cup buttermilk
• 2  tablespoons shortening
• 2  tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1  tablespoon salt
• 2 (1/4ounce) packages dry active yeast
• 3  cups  rye flour (I used king arthurs)
• 3 -3 1⁄2 cups white flour
•  additonal flour, for dusting hands and for kneading
•  beaten egg
• 1⁄2 cup butter, to rub over finished loaves

Directions

1. I like to measure out all my ingredients prior to starting Bring 1 cup water to a boil, mix it with the milk, shortening, sugar, and salt in a large bowl, and let it cool to lukewarm.
2. Measure 1/2 cup warm water in a seperate bowl, stir in yeast, and let it stand for 5 minutes to dissolve, you should have bubbles forming in yeast.
3. Add the dissolved yeast and the rye flour to the first mixture and combine thoroughly.
4. Add enough of the white flour so that you can handle the dough.
5. Turn out onto a lightly floured board or a kneading slip mat.
6. Knead for a minute or two, rubbing additional flour onto your hands not the dcugh so it will not end up being a dough bread.
7. Let dough rest for 10 minutes.
8. Resume kneading for 10 minutes, adding the remaining or additonal flour as necessary.
9. Put the dough in a greased bowl, I lightly oil mine, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm draft free place until almost double in bulk, 1 1/2- 2 hours.
10. I let all my doughs rise on my running dryer.
11. Punch dough down, cut dough in half, and shape into two loaves.
12. You can do a freeform loaf or I patted dough into a square the length of the loaf pan and rolled it tightly and pinched the ends.
13. Place in greased loaf pans, you can use vegetable spray, cover with plastic wrap or if you have plastic bags with ties they work wonderfully.
14. Let is rise until doubled in bulk, it should be a shorter rise time.
15. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and brush your loaves with beaten egg, it will give the bread a shine.
16. Bake for 40-50 minutes.
17. Mine baked for 40 minutes.
18. To tell bread is done, you can remove the bread from one pan tap on bottom of bread, when bread is done it will sound hollow or use a thermometer inserted into bottom of bread, bread is done at an internal temperature of 190-200 degrees.
19. Remove bread from pans and rub with butter.
20. Then place loaves on their sides on a cooling rack and let cool.