Rye Bread The Real Stuff Recipes

RYE BREAD STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F with racks in upper and lower thirds.
• Toast bread chunks in two 4-sided sheet pans in oven until lightly browned, about 15 minutes, then transfer to a large bowl. Leave oven on.
• Meanwhile, cook caraway seeds in 6 tablespoons butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add celery, apples, onion, garlic, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and sauté until vegetables are softened and starting to brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Add stock, scraping up any brown bits. Add mixture to bread cubes, tossing to coat.
• Transfer to a 3-quart baking dish and dot with remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Bake, uncovered, in upper third of oven until stuffing is crisp on top, about 45 minutes.
• What to drink:
• Josmeyer Les Folastries Gewürztraminer '05

RYE BREAD - THE REAL STUFF

Steps:

• This is the way to make a real rye bread (as opposed to a bread containing rye flour).
• I have deliberately not given any measures.
• Firstly, I don't know, secondly, you can't make a proper bread if you simply measure up things and mix them together.
• Instead you need to produce a dough that feels right- don't worry, it's easy.
• First make a sour dough starter.
• Simply mix some flour- one or two cups- with water to make a thick, but rather runny paste.
• Put salt on top to stop it moulding, put a lid on and place it in a nice, warm place, eg on a radiator.
• Note: This procedure won't succeed if there are no natural yeasts and acid bacteria in the flour or the air.
• I have never had a problem, but who knows how things are where you live.
• After a few days it will be foaming and have a sour smell; I personally find the smell rather foul, but that's the way it should be, as long as it is sour and not turning any strange colour or getting mouldy.
• When the starter is ready, mix it with some lukewarm water.
• If you made your starter with one cup of flour, use~1 pint of water now.
• Add some salt.
• At this point you can add some 'roughage' too, like soaked, whole rye kernels or whatever.
• As the last step begin adding rye flour while mixing until the dough is firm enough to hand-knead.
• Tip it out on a floured table and continue adding flour and kneading until you feel the dough is 'right': when it doesn't stick too much to everything.
• Put it in a baking tin and leave it to rise; this can take quite a long time, maybe 8 hours.
• If you let it rise too long, it can turn very sour, but I usually leave for 4- 8 hours.
• Finally bake it at perhaps 125- 150 degrees Centigrade- haven't got a clue what it is in Fahrenheit, but it's not very warm.
• It should bake for at least 2 hours and the door should not be fully closed.
• It is a good idea to spray the bread with water from time to time to ensure that the crust doesn't separate from the rest of the bread.
• This bread will often be very sticky inside when it is fresh.
• The best things to do about it (in my opinion) is to allow the bread to settle- dry out a bit, basically- for a day or two.
• Some people add some wheat flour to the recipe, but that's cheating if you ask me.
• One thing that gives this bread a very nice taste is malt.
• Another thing: horses are crazy about rye bread!

RYE BREAD STUFFING

Steps:

• Toss bread cubes in a large bowl.
• In a skillet, cook and crumble sausage just until cooked thru.
• Remove to paper towels to drain.
• To same skillet, add onion, apples, celery, garlic and butter.
• Saute until apples and vegetables are tender.
• Add both the onion mixture and sausage to bread.
• Add nuts (if desired), seasonings and enough broth to moisten.
• Cover and refrigerate til ready to bake.
• Stuff turkey just before baking.
• Bake any additional stuffing separately in a greased 2 quart casserole dish.
• Or bake all stuffing separately in a greased 13x9x2 baking dish.
• To bake stuffing separately, place in greased dish, cover and bake at 325 degrees for one hour; uncover and bake for 10 minutes longer.