Deli Style Rye Recipes

Steps:

• MIXING AND STORING THE DOUGH: Mix the yeast, salt and caraway seeds with the water in a 5-quart bowl or lidded (not airtight) food container.
• Mix in the remaining dry ingredients without kneading, using a spoon, or, if you have access, a 14-cup capacity food processor (with dough attachment) or a heavy-duty stand mixer (with dough hook). If you're not using a machine, you may need to use wet hands to incorporate the last bit of flour.
• Cover (not airtight), and allow to rest at room temperature until the dough rises and collapses (or flattens on top) approximately 2 hours.
• The dough can be used immediately after the initial rise, though it is easier to handle with cold. Refrigerate in a lidded (again, not airtight) container and use over the next 14 days.
• ON BAKING DAY, dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a 1-pound (grapefruit-sized) piece. Dust the piece with more flour and quickly shape it into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go. This should take no longer than 30 seconds max. You want to handle the dough as little as possible during this step. elongate the ball into an oval-shaped loaf. Allow to rest and rise on a cornmeal-covered pizza peel for 40 minutes.
• TWENTY MINUTES BEFORE BAKING TIME: preheat the oven to 450F, with a baking stone placed on the middle rack. Place an empty broiler tray on any other shelf that won't interfere with the rising bread.
• MAKING THE CORN WASH: Using a fork, blend 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch with a small amount of water to form a paste. Add 1/2 cup water and whisk with the fork. Microwave or boil until mixture appears glassy, about 30 to 60 seconds on high. It will keep in the refrigerator for 2 weeks.
• Using a pastry brush, paint the top crust with cornstarch wash and then sprinkle with additional caraway seeds. Slash with deep parallel cuts across the loaf using a serrated bread knife.
• Slide the loaf directly onto the hot stone. Pour 1 cup of hot tap water (do not boil) into the broiler tray and quickly close the oven door. Bake for about 30 minutes or until deeply browned and firm. Smaller or larger loaves will require adjustments in backing time.
• Allow to cool before slicing or eating, but when you do -- O'M'GAWD!

Steps:

• Place bread flour, rye flour, potato flakes, caraway seeds, demarara sugar, yeast, and sea salt in the bowl of a large stand mixer. Turn mixer to low and thoroughly mix dry ingredients. Beat warm water, canola oil, and pickle juice into dry ingredients. Fit dough hook onto mixer and beat until dough is rough and shaggy-looking.
• Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rest for exactly 30 minutes. Remove plastic wrap and knead dough in stand mixer with dough hook until smooth, firm, and only slightly sticky, 6 to 8 minutes. Turn dough onto a floured work surface and knead until smooth, 1 to 2 more minutes.
• Form dough into a ball, place dough into an oiled bowl, and turn dough around several times in bowl to coat with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, set into a warm place, and let rise until nearly double, about 1 hour.
• Grease a 5x9-inch loaf pan. Turn dough onto a lightly oiled surface, shape into a log, and place into prepared loaf pan. Cover with a cloth kitchen towel and let rise until top of dough has risen slightly over top of pan, 60 to 90 minutes.
• Place rack in middle of oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bake loaf until golden brown and cooked through, about 35 minutes. The internal temperature of the bread should be 190 degrees F (90 degrees C). If loaf browns too quickly, cover loosely with a tent of aluminum foil with shiny side out. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack.