Rye Bread
Comment: Rye flour, ground from rye grain, contains less gluten than wheat flour.
Ry flour must either be mixed with wheat flour, all-purpose flour or bread flour, flours that raise easily and are not too dense. There are light, medium and dark rye flours; medium-color rye flour is the most popular.
Servings: 4 [10-inch x 6-inch / 25-cm x 15-cm each] oval bread loaves
  • 3 to 3 1/2 cups] all-purpose flour
  • 2 1/2 cups [625 mL] rye flour
  • 1/3 cup [75 g] sugar
  • 2 packs fast-rinsing yeast
  • 2 1/2 teaspons [12.5 mL] salt
  • 1 tablespoon [15 mL] grated orange rind
  • 2 teaspoons [10 mL] fennel seeds
  • 1 cup [250 mL] beer or malt liqueur
  • 1/2 cup [125 mL] water
  • 1/4 cup [60 mL] molasses
  • 2 tablespoons [30 g] butter or margarine
Molasses Icing
  • 2 tablespoons [30 mL] molasses
  • 2 tablespoons [30 mL] water
  • Into a bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups [210 g] all-purpose flour, rye flour, sugar, undissolved yeast, salt, grated orange rind and fennel seeds.
  • Heat together beer or malt liqueur, water, molasses and butter or margarine until really hot [120 to 130°F - 49 to 54.4°C].
  • Pour hot mixture over dry ingredients.
  • Beat with an electric mixer for 2 minutes at medium speed, scraping sides of bowl from time to time.
  • Mix in just enough more all-purpose flour to get a light dough.
  • Knead dough onto a floured surface until light and elastic, for approximately 8 to 10 minutes.
  • Cover dough; leave to rise for 10 minutes.
  • Divide dough into 4 equal parts; shape each part into a 10-inch [25-cm] long x 6-inch [15-cm] wide oval.
  • Starting at long side, tightly roll each oval part as you would a rolled cake; seal ends.
  • Seal folds then transfer breads, folds underneath, onto greased baking sheets.
  • Cover breads; leave to rise into a warm environments away from drafts until doubled in bulk, for approximately 90 minutes.
  • Preheat oven to 375°F [190°C].
  • Using a sharp knife, cut 3 slits, diagonally onto each bread.
  • Well mix together icing ingredients, molasses and water.
  • Using a pastry brush, coat breads with 1/3rd of molasses mixture.
  • Bake bread into preheated oven for 15 minutes; brush breads with another 1/3 of molasses mixture.
  • Bake bread for 10 minutes more, until done.
  • Remove from oven, then brush breads with remaining molasses mixture.
  • Transfer breads onto wire racks; leave to cool completely.