With 13 ingredients this American-German style bread is not the kind I make everyday, but it is an absolute savory delight! With the caraway seeds and rye lending to an amazing flavor that makes it perfect for Ruebens, toast, and other sandwiches, I do love this bread wholeheartedly! It is a sturdy loaf with tons of flavor but a soft texture and extra delicious crust!
Note: I have tweaked this recipe quite a bit, and in in the future I might play around with substituting buttermilk or yogurt for the milk, and perhaps adding some vinegar or sourdough for a little tang, but this base recipe is very solid!
The recipe is here in imperial and metric measurements, and pictures of the process are below:
Ingredients:
2 cups bread flour (290 g)
1 1/4 cup dark (wholegrain) rye flour (138 g)
3/4 cup whole wheat flour (114 g)
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. cornmeal (60 g)
2 Tbsp. cocoa powder (13 g)
2 tsp. table salt (10-11 g)
2 1/2 tsp. caraway seeds (6 g)
1 Tbsp. dark brown sugar (11 g)
1 1/2 cup milk (374 g)
2 1/4 tsp. instant or active dry yeast (7-8 g)
1/4 cup molasses (86 g)
2 Tbsp. instant coffee (8 g)
2 Tbsp. soft butter
More butter for brushing (optional)
Directions:
Whisk the three flours, cornmeal, cocoa powder, salt, and caraway seeds together in a large bowl. Set aside.
Gently warm the milk to about 80-95°F and mix in the yeast and brown sugar. Let rest for 5 minutes or so if using active dry yeast until it puffs up. If using instant yeast skip the resting and proceed to step 3.
Mix the molasses and instant coffee into the yeast mixture until well combined.
Add the wet ingredients into the dry and mix by hand until all the flour is hydrated, this may take a few minutes.
Then take onto a clean surface and knead for about 6 minutes by hand (or use a stand mixer). The dough will be sticky and that's okay. It will be firm and become more stretchy as you knead.
After kneading, add in the soft butter and mix and knead it in until combined, this will take a minute or two.
After the butter is combined, knead for another 8 minutes. It won't be completely smooth after kneading but as long as it's sturdy and stretchy that is good.
Shape the dough into a ball. Place in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place (I use my oven with the light on) for about 1 hour, or until doubled.
Then shape into a loaf or ball and place on a parchment lined or greased pan or inside a loaf pan. Lightly grease the surface with butter.
Cover and let rise until doubled and when you poke the dough with a finger it slowly springs back but does not bounce back completely. For me this takes 45 minutes to 1 hour.
While the dough rises preheat the oven to 375°F.
When ready, slice the dough so it can expand while baking, and bake for 35-45 minutes, or until it's well browned and registers 200°F internally. Mine needed 45 minutes.
Remove from the oven and onto a wire rack to cool for at least 2 hours before cutting into.
Makes one large loaf. Can be stored at room temperature up to 4 days, or can be frozen up to 1 month.
The ingredients I used.
Before mixing the flours, salt, cornmeal, cocoa, and caraway together.
After mixing together.
In another bowl mix together the yeast, warm milk, and brown sugar.
Then mix in the coffee and molasses.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry.
After mixing into a firm dough. Next we will knead it!
After the first kneading session, about 6 minutes.
Then we will add the butter, mix it in, and knead another ~8 minutes.
After kneading. Time for it to rise!
Before rising.
After rising. It definitely doubled!
Take it out onto a clean surface.
And then shape it into a tight ball and grease the surface with butter.
And place on a prepared pan. Next we'll cover it and rise one last time.
After rising.
After scoring and before baking.
After baking!
The bottom is quite dark but not burnt!
Let cool on a wire rack.
Once cooled slice into it and enjoy!!!