The last rye bread I made was dense and flat. It was great for hummus and spreads, but it didn't have the springy texture that I love in slicing bread. So I took a recipe for Eastern European rye bread and modified it to ensure I'd get the proper rise, thus texture I was looking for. It was super easy and really enjoyable.
Rye Bread Recipe
2 Tbs active dry yeast
2 3/4 cup of warm water
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon of salt
1/4 cup of softened butter
3 cups of rye flour
2 tablespoons of finely ground caraway seeds (use a coffee grinder)
1 1/2 tablespoons of caraway seeds
5 cups of unbleached all-purpose flour
8 tsp vital wheat gluten
Take a large bowl and coat the sides with butter. Combine water, yeast and sugar. Let stand for about 5 mins. Add salt, butter and stir in the 3 cups of rye flour, the ground caraway seeds and the whole caraway seeds. Then add the regular flour 1/2 cup at a time. Knead for 15 mins in mixer.
First Rise: Form the dough into a ball and coat with a light layer of olive oil. Then place the dough back into the mixing bowl and oiled plastic wrap. Let rise for until twice the volume (about 1.5 hours).
Second Rise: Deflate and turn it over and form into a ball and let it rise again for 1 hour or until it doubles in volume.
Shaping and Final Rise :
I shaped mine into two large boules.
Cover with a lightly oiled plastic wrap and allow to rest till dough doubles in volume. (30 mins)
Glaze
1 large egg white
1 teaspoon of cold water
Caraway Seeds (optional)
Coarse Sea Salt (optional)
Mix the eggwhite and water and using a pastry brush, coat the top sides of the dough. Sprinkle with caraway seeds or salt. Then take a sharp knife and make 4-5 slashes across the top.
Baking The Bread
Heat oven to 425. Place a shallow pan on the bottom shelf of your oven.
1) Open and place the baking sheet with the bread dough into the oven and close the door.
2) Quickly pour the water into the pan and close the oven door to trap the steam.
Bake at 425F for 30 mins, then reduce the temp to 375F and bake for 10-15mins longer or until the internal temp is 200F. Allow to cool for 20 mins before enjoying. For long term storage, allow to cool a few hours ,then seal in a ziplock bag and freeze.
