Rye Bread From Bolzano Recipes

RYE BREAD FROM BOLZANO

Steps:

• Combine the rye flour, all-purpose flour and yeast in a large bowl. In another bowl, beat together the butter, egg, yogurt, salt, sugar, caraway seeds and fennel seeds.
• Using a wooden spoon, beat 1 cup of warm (110°) water into the four and yeast mixture in the bowl, then beat in the butter-egg-caraway seed mixture. Stir for 30 seconds, adding a little warm water if the dough is dry or a little all-purpose flour if it is very sticky (NOTE: rye doughs are always stickier and harder to work than wheat doughs, so be patient and don't add too much flour simply to prevent sticking, or the bread will too be dense).
• Turn the shaggy dough out onto the counter; knead 8 to 10 minutes, sprinkling with a whisper of all-purpose flour if the dough sticks to your hands or the counter. The dough should be smooth, supple and elastic when you are done kneading.
• Shape into a ball. Place in a lightly floured bowl and turn to coat lightly with the flour on all sides; cover with plastic wrap and set aside to rise at room temperature for 1 hour or until doubled in volume.
• Preheat the oven with a baking stone in it to 425°.
• Sprinkle the counter with the stone-ground whole wheat flour. Turn the dough out onto the counter over the flour. Cut into 2 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a 10-inch-long x 3-inch-wide loaf. Place on a cornmeal-dusted tray about 4 inches apart, cover with a towel and let rest 30 minutes.
• Uncover the loaves. Transfer to a cornmeal-dusted baking peel and slash the top of each loaf diagonally 3 times with a sharp knife or blade.
• Dust the top with a light sprinkling of flour (the goal is to make the flour form a coating on the dough, not to be incorporated in the dough).
• Transfer directly to the baking stone; bake 30 minutes or until golden-brown and the bottom sounds hollow when thumped, misting 3 times with water during the first 10 minutes of baking (be sure to close the oven immediately upon misting the loaves).
• Remove to a rack (to keep crust crips) and cool to room temperature.

HOMEMADE RYE BREAD

Steps:

• Combine the yeast, sugar, melted butter, egg, and milk in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. Beat on low speed for 1 minute. Add the salt, rye flour, all-purpose flour, and caraway seeds. Beat at low speed until all of the flour is incorporated, about 1 minute. Then, beat at medium speed until the mixture forms a ball, leaves the sides of the bowl and climbs up the dough hook. Remove the dough from the bowl. Using your hands, form the dough into a smooth ball. Lightly oil a bowl. Place the dough in the bowl and turn it to oil all sides. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm, draft-free place until it doubles in size, about 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease a 5 1/2 by 9-inch baking pan.
• Remove the dough from the bowl and invert onto a lightly floured surface. Gently knead the dough several times. Tuck and roll so that any seams disappear into the dough and place in the prepared baking pan. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm, draft-free place until it doubles in size, about 1 hour. Use a pastry brush to brush the egg lightly over the top of the dough. Bake until lightly brown, about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack.