Rye Bread

Getting It Right



I gave in to temptation last weekend. I've been avoiding this particular failure of will or skill for a couple of years now, but it was time I admitted defeat. Or at least that it was time to make a strategic retreat and regroup. I'm talking about rye bread, or more specifically "sandwich rye."

A bit over a year ago I wrote something about making sourdough rye bread (Eating Artlessly). The bread was good enough, but it was coarse, chewy, and had a tough crust -- more suitable for eating dipped in beef stew or with slab of cheese than a proper sandwich. I played with a couple of recipes using the starter I'd made, but failed to produce a lighter loaf that would work for a Rueben or a ham sandwich.

I tried a couple of other recipes that didn't require the starter but they either lacked flavor or resulted in a dense loaf. I wanted a bread with a distinct rye flavor and perceptibly sour. The ideal texture would be firm, but not dense. I found a bread machine recipe and modified it.

The original recipe called for 3 cups bread flour to 1 cup rye flour. Rye flour has a greater capacity to absorb water than wheat flour and it contains less gluten. These characteristics conspire to produce dense heavy loaves. The addition of bread flour counteracts that tendency to some degree. Another technique is adding wheat gluten. I decided to increase the rye to 33 percent and to include wheat gluten. I also knew that a moist dough produces a lighter loaf.

I decided to add citric acid (aka sour salt), which is a common sourdough additive to make up for the lack of natural sourness. I had some that I'd never used because I'd never needed it (my sourdough culture is lusciously sour -- pure luck, that, nothing to do with my skills). Lastly I'd discovered when making Italian sausage that caraway seed is a flavor that I strongly associate with rye bread.

Sandwich Rye

1 c rye flour
2 1/4 c bread flour
1 tsp instant yeast
1 1/2 tbsp gluten
1/4 tsp citric acid (sour salt)
2 tbsp caraway seeds
1 1/2 tbsp molasses
1 tbsp butter -- melted
1/2 tsp table salt
1 c + 2 tbsp water
Egg Wash:
1 ea egg
1 tbsp water

In the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, mix together the yeast, gluten, citric acid, caraway seeds, rye flour, and 2 1/8 cups of bread flour. Add salt and mix in. (Note, the salt is added after mixing the original ingredients to minimize it's direct contact with the yeast, which it can kill).

In a measuring cup, mix together water, molasses, and butter using a small whisk. With the motor running at low speed, pour liquid into dry ingredients. Once moistened, switch to the dough hook and finish blending. The dough should be moist and sticky, add just enough additional flour, a tablespoon at a time, to have dough clear the sides of the bowl. Increase speed to medium and knead for eight minutes. Note, dough will clear sides but stick to bottom, scrape it up with a rubber spatula every couple of minutes.

Scoop dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead lightly a few times then form into a ball. Place the dough in a bowl sprayed with cooking oil, spritz top with oil, and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk – about 1 1/2 hours.

Gently deflate dough, scoop onto a lightly floured surface, fold a few times, and allow to relax for about five minutes. Shape dough into loaf and place on a piece of parchment on your peel or on a baking sheet. Lightly spritz tops with oil and cover with plastic. Allow to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. In the meantime, heat oven to 400F and place rack in center position.

Whisk together egg and 1 tablespoon of water in a small bowl. Brush loaf with egg wash and bake for 15 minutes. Rotate rack front to back and continue baking 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown. The interior should read 190F on an instant read thermometer.

The bread makes a great ham sandwich. For Father's Day I made buns for the bratwurst using this recipe -- a perfect flavor match for the brats with a dollop of mustard and some onions and peppers. Unfortunately, I let the buns rise too far before baking (I got side-tracked) and they looked far from perfect, so no photo.

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