Bread... likely the start of many.

I love bread.  I'm going to be making it a lot, and it's a good excuse to weed out the crummy (no pun intended) recipes (of which there are many!).  Until I started this, I had still not found the perfect bread recipe, and I'm still working on it.  I figured I'd toss this bread recipe up here.  It's a really nice bread, Husband quite enjoyed it, but it's not really my style.  I've never been a huge fan of the darker european ryes (a bit too mollasses-y for me), but if you like that sort of thing, this one comes out soft, well-flavoured and looking great.  It's not as dry as some of the dark ryes you get at the store.

2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast

1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)

Dissolve yeast in warm water (warm water from the tap is fine, a bitt cooler than a hot bath)

In a mixer, beat together:

1 1/2 cups lukewarm milk

2 tablespoons white sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup molasses

2 tablespoons melted butter

the yeast mixture

1 cup rye flour

continue mixing and adding additional flour gradually

2 1/4 cups rye flour (in addition to the first one)

2 1/2 cups bread flour

Turn out on a floured surface. Knead 5 to 10 minutes, adding flour as needed. If the dough sticks to your hands or the board add more flour.


Cover dough and let rise 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until double.

Punch down dough and divide to form two loaves. Let loaves rise on a greased baking sheet, or a pan lined with a silpat until double, about 1 1/2 hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Bake for 30 to 35 minutes