First loaf of the New Year. (Picture heavy -- dial-up warning)

[Denninmi]

Caraway Rye I just baked. My resolution to bake all of my own bread this year is off to a good start -- 10 minutes into 2011, and this came out of the oven:

[grasswire]

1. I was just thinking that at the store today.

Orowheat bread = $4.38 per loaf when not on sale. That's gone way up.

Your loaves look beautiful. I'll bet the aroma was heaven.

[csziggy]

2. That is some beautiful rye bread!

Do you mind sharing the recipe?

[Denninmi]

6. Um, I'm not really a recipe kind of guy.

I basically just start dumping stuff in a bowl. So, this will be approximate, but should work -- makes one standard sized loaf.

1 cup of milk (could use buttermilk if you want, I do this a lot)
2 tablespoons of honey (to feed the yeast)
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon of salt (I always use sea salt)
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil or melted butter
1 egg
1 package dry yeast

OK -- warm the milk to about 105 degrees, add all of the above to it, and then mix it really well to break up the egg. Set it aside in a warm place for about 10 minutes to proof the yeast -- when it's foamy, you're good to go.

1 cup of rye flour
3 to 3 1/2 cups of unbleached white bread flour or all purpose flour
2 tablespoons wheat gluten IF you didn't use bread flour (optional, but makes a firmer loaf with better rise -- this compensates for the low gluten content of the rye flour)
1 tablespoon of caraway seeds.

Mix all of the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Start with about 3 cups of white flour -- you may need more, but it varies due to weather, flour source, etc. Knead well for about 5 minutes until you have a nice consistency to the dough. If it's too wet, add more flour. If too dry, add just a little water, about a tablespoon at a time, until it feels right to you. It will be somewhat sticky even when you've got enough flour in it, because rye flour makes a naturally sticky dough. You should be able to handle it easily with only a little minimal amount of dough sticking to your hands.

Put the dough aside in a warm place to rise -- probably about 1 to 2 hours. When doubled, punch it down, form your loaf, put into a greased loaf pan or other pan of your choice. Let it have its second rise, then bake. I started out at 400 for 10 minutes, then turned the oven down to 350 for another roughly 25 to 30 minutes.

When it came out of the oven, I brushed the top with melted butter, but this is optional.

[csziggy]

9. That's the way I bake! I just need a starting point

Hubby says for me a recipe is not a formula, it is a starting point. I'll have to adjust your recipe for use with my KitchenAid - my hands and shoulders just can't handle much kneading so I let the machine do most of the work. I know some people, like Alton Brown, insist all the ingredients should be weighed so the amounts are exactly the same each time, but with bread I find that the amount shift each time I make it so why not just be flexible to start with.

You don't have a problem adding the salt to the initial mixture for proofing the yeast? Some discussions I have read have suggested that could kill the yeast.

I've been making a bread based on Floyd's Honey Whole Wheat Bread (http://www.thefreshloaf.com/recipes/wholewheathoneybread). If you compare the two recipes, you can see I have made a lot of adjustments. The main thing I kept from Floyd's recipe was the presoaking. I think it really makes a huge difference in the moistness of the whole grain bread:

Anne's Sandwich Bread

1-1/2 C whole wheat flour
1/2 C other whole grain (I've used rye, spelt, barley, millet, buckwheat)
2 Tablespoons gluten
1-1/2 C hot water (I use the hottest tap water but we have well water, if you are on city water, you may have problems with chlorine)

Mix well, cover and let soak for at least one hour - I usually put the bowl in oven with the light on to keep the mixture warm.

1/4 C olive oil
1/3 C honey
1-1/2 C all purpose flour (I was using bread flour but it has become harder to find here)
1-1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons yeast (I buy active dry yeast in a bottle)

Mix well, adding additional flour until you get a slightly sticky dough. Since I mix & knead in the KitchenAid, I work it until most of the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and tends to "string" where it sticks. Then I drizzle a little more olive oil down the side while the machine is on the lowest setting so the bowl and the dough are oiled. Cover and return to the oven with the light on to rise, about 1 to 1-1/2 hours.

Turn out on a lightly floured surface and gently shape, put into a 12x4" loaf pan. Slash the top with a sharp tipped knife - one slash down the middle. Put into the oven with the light on to rise, about 1 to 1-1/4 hours.

Without removing from the oven***, turn the heat to 350 F. Bake for 20 minutes, loosely tent with aluminum foil, bake another 20 minutes. Remove from oven, turn out immediately on a wire rack and let cool for at least one hour before slicing.

Makes one 12" long loaf. If using a 9" pan, pinch off 1/4 - 1/3 of the dough, shape the larger portion into a loaf and the smaller into rolls.

***NOTE: I found leaving the bread in the oven while it gets to temperature gives a nice 'oven spring' plus I was having problems wit the dough falling if removed from the nice warm oven and left in the much cooler house while the oven preheated. It probably serves the same purpose as starting at the higher temperature in your recipe.

I'll let you know how I do with your rye recipe - thank you!

[Lucinda]

3. Excellent job!

I'm verrah impressed! :)

[Tesha]

4. Very very pretty loaf.... I can almost smell it.

What an excellent resolution too.
We hardly ever have to buy bread these days, and when we do we feel we're missing half the experience.

I've never tried making Caraway Rye - do you have any ips?

[Denninmi]

7. It's easy.

Nothing different at all from doing a wheat bread, except remember that rye dough is ALWAYS somewhat sticky -- due to the type of carbs in rye flour. I think the first few times I tried to make rye bread, I added more wheat flour trying to get it not to be sticky, and it was too much flour and was tough and dense.

It shouldn't cling to your hands big-time, but it will be more sticky than a wheat bread dough. I often rub some vegetable oil on my hands when I do the final knead, it helps.

[Callalily]

5. Caraway rye is the only

bread in our house growing up. Yours looks fantastic!

[Phentex]

8. Looks good!

How was it?

:hi:

[Denninmi]

13. Turned out great. Thanks.

Everyone seemed to enjoy it. Even the dog.

[hippywife]

10. Gorgeous!

And just look at the lovely melted butter on the top. Mmmmm! :9

Wishing you a new year filled with many loaves as lovely as this. :hi:

[housewolf]

11. Wonderful way to start the new year!

That's one gorgeous loaf of bread!

I hope it tastes as good as it looks. There's nothing quite like homemade bread fresh from your oven. What a wonderful way to bring in the new year!

[yellerpup]

12. Beautiful, nurturing...

one mother of a loaf! Good health and best wishes for a happy new year! :hi:

[MilesColtrane]

14. That loaf deserves a soundtrack of its own.

[csziggy]

15. Just made my own loaf from your recipe - incredibly good bread!

I made mine without caraway seeds since I didn't have any (because I don't really like them). Otherwise I used the same ingredients, mixed it a little differently to accommodate my mixer. And it turned out great!

[Denninmi]

16. Excellent. I swear I can even smell it!

It's great. Nice job.

[csziggy]

17. Thanks! And thank you for the recipe - it is staying in my recipe box

As DU Denninmi Rye Bread. :hi: