Rye - Part Deaux

rye, originally uploaded by Kim De.

Fall cravings are in my mouth, and rye bread is what I need. With September comes the promise of crisp cool weather - and beginning in August I start to pretend it is here. Well here we are, almost half way through the humid month, and already on my 2nd rye.

This weekend was busy, with the beginning of the upcoming week even busier. That statement set up my excuse for not making the same rye as last week. It was amazing, it was rich in flavor, it was...a bit time consuming. So, to satisfy our taste buds and my schedule, I made Narsai's Light Rye Bread from The Bread Bible.

Now, I rarely meet a bread I dont like, and this loaf is no exception. But like wines and cheeses, there are subtle differences in quality between every bread recipe. While soft with a subtle taste, it is missing the "kick" and "tang" from the sourdough, and the caraway seeds blended in instead taping you on tongue and saying "here I am!"

Much of the flavor from this loaf comes from the molasses, while the softness comes from the gluten, used to break down the flour. I dont mean to sound as though I am complaining - I am not. I would imagine this will be pulled out again for busy weeks. But for most weeks, when rye is what I crave and I want flavor to dance on my tongue, Marylin's recipe it is!

Narsai's Light Rye Bread (Adapted from The Bread Bible)

NOTE: This recipe is written for a bread machine. I did not use one, instead letting the bread rise until doubled, deflating it, then shaping for a proofing rise before baking at 350 until the internal temperature was 185 (approx 30 minutes)

1 cup water
3 T molasses
2 T vegetable oil
2 cups bread flour
3/4 cup medium rye flour
5 t gluten
1 T caraway seeds
1 t grated orange zest
1 t salt
2 t bread machine yeast

Place the ingredients in the bread machine according to manufacture's instructions. Set crust for light, program for basic bread cycle and press start.

After the baking cycle ends, remove the bread immediately from the machine to the cooling rack. Cool to room temperature before slicing.