Easy Rye Bread Recipes

Steps:

• Combine the yeast, sugar, melted butter, egg, and milk in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. Beat on low speed for 1 minute. Add the salt, rye flour, all-purpose flour, and caraway seeds. Beat at low speed until all of the flour is incorporated, about 1 minute. Then, beat at medium speed until the mixture forms a ball, leaves the sides of the bowl and climbs up the dough hook. Remove the dough from the bowl. Using your hands, form the dough into a smooth ball. Lightly oil a bowl. Place the dough in the bowl and turn it to oil all sides. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm, draft-free place until it doubles in size, about 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease a 5 1/2 by 9-inch baking pan.
• Remove the dough from the bowl and invert onto a lightly floured surface. Gently knead the dough several times. Tuck and roll so that any seams disappear into the dough and place in the prepared baking pan. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm, draft-free place until it doubles in size, about 1 hour. Use a pastry brush to brush the egg lightly over the top of the dough. Bake until lightly brown, about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack.

Steps:

• In the bowl of a standing mixer, whisk together the flours, caraway seeds (if using), salt and yeast. Put 1 1/4 cups lukewarm water into a small bowl, then stir in the honey and oil.
• Using a dough hook attachment at low speed, gradually pour in the liquid mixture. Mix just until a cohesive dough starts to form and no streaks of dry flour remain, about 2 minutes. Scrape down sides of the bowl halfway through. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let dough rest for 20 minutes.
• Turn mixer to medium-low and knead until smooth and elastic, easily clearing the sides of the bowl, about 8 minutes. The dough should be moist but not sticky; if needed, add more flour 1 tablespoon at a time.
• Lightly oil a medium-size mixing bowl. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead 30 seconds, shaping dough into a smooth round ball. Place seam side down in the oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• Stack 2 rimmed baking sheets and line the top sheet with aluminum foil. Punch the dough down to deflate. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Press and stretch into a rough 6-inch square.
• Lift and fold top 2 corners of dough into the center of the square and press gently to seal. Lift and fold down the upper third of the dough toward the center and press gently to seal. Lift and fold down the top half of the dough to form a loaf, and pinch the seam closed. Turn the loaf seam side down, gently slide hands underneath, and transfer to the prepared pan. You should have an oval loaf about 8 inches by 4 inches; use hands to shape as needed. Cover with oiled plastic wrap and let rise until loaf increases in size by about half, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, place a rack in the lower third of oven and heat to 450 degrees. When the dough has risen, make 3 deep slashes across the top, using a sharp paring knife or razor blade. Place in oven, reduce heat to 375 degrees and bake until deep golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes, rotating pan once during baking.
• Meanwhile, dissolve cornstarch in 1 cup cold water. Simmer in saucepan or microwave until clear and syrupy. Transfer hot, baked bread immediately to a wire rack and brush top and sides with cornstarch mixture until glazed and shiny. Let cool completely before slicing.

Steps:

• In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, sprinkle yeast over 1/2 cup water. Add 2 teaspoons honey. Whisk until yeast dissolves. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
• Add remaining 1 3/4 cups water to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, along with remaining 3 tablespoons honey, butter, caraway seeds, and salt. Mix on low to combine. Gradually add both flours, one cup at a time, mixing until dough comes away from sides of bowl and forms a ragged, slightly sticky ball. Butter a large bowl.
• Knead dough on a floured surface until smooth and elastic but still slightly tacky, about 5 minutes. Shape into a ball. Transfer to prepared bowl; cover with plastic wrap.
• Let dough stand in a warm place until it doubled in volume (it should not spring back when pressed), about 1 hour. Butter two 4 1/2-by-8 1/2-inch loaf pans. Punch down dough and divide in half.
• Working with one piece of dough at a time, shape into a 7-by-7-inch square. Fold dough into thirds; press seam to adhere and pinch ends to seal. Place seam-side down in loaf pan. Repeat process with remaining piece of dough.
• In a small bowl, mix egg white with 1 teaspoon water and brush mixture over tops of loaves; sprinkle with caraway seeds.
• Spray two pieces of plastic wrap with nonstick cooking spray; drape loaves with prepared plastic wrap and let stand until dough rises about 1 inch above tops of pans, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees on a conventional oven or 425 degrees on a convection oven. Reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees (conventional) or 375 degrees (convection).
• Uncover loaves and transfer to oven. Bake, rotating pans after 20 minutes, until tops are golden brown, about 45 minutes. Transfer to wire racks. Let cool slightly; turn out loaves. Let cool completely before slicing.

Steps:

• Weigh out ingredients for the starter in your mixing bowl and whisk together. They should be the consistency of pancake batter.
• Measure out the remaining bread flour into the mixing bowl with starter (on top of starter).
• Make two wells in the dry bread flour, add the salt and caraway seeds in one, the yeast in the other.
• Place mixing bowl on its stand, cover (loosely with plastic wrap or a lid), and let ferment for 1-4 hours. The yeast will become active during this time.
• Measure out vegetable oil and reserve until ready for use.
• After the preliminary ferment, add oil to bowl and mix with a dough hook until a smooth, elastic dough ball is formed, about 5 minutes.
• Turn the dough out onto a greased countertop (olive oil or Pam Spray works well).
• Knead into a ball (1 minute) and place into a dough riser lightly coated with oil. Spray top of dough with oil, cover and let rise for 2 hours or until doubled in size*.
• Preheat oven with a pizza stone to 450°F Be sure that the stone and a cookie sheet (bottom shelf) are in the oven when you start pre-heating it.
• Turn bread dough out onto a lightly floured countertop and divide into two pieces.
• Form loaves and place them on a sheet of parchment paper that is roughly the same size as your pizza stone.
• Cover** and let rise for 45-60 minutes.
• After rising, slash the tops of the loaves using a serrated knife.
• Place the rolls in the oven using a pizza peel.*** At the same time, put a cup of ice on the cookie sheet to humidify your oven.
• Bake at 450 F for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 400 F and continue baking for another 40 minutes. If your oven has a convection bake setting, switch to convection for the last 10 minute of baking.
• Cool on wire racks and enjoy!
• *If you are not ready to form the loaves after the first rise, you can punch the dough down and let it rise again until doubled in size. **I use a plastic storage container that is designed to store things under my bed. It is the perfect size and keeps my dough safe from cats, dogs and other critters. ***An inverted cookie tray works in a pinch. ****If smaller loaves are desired, divide dough into four pieces and reduce baking time by 10 minutes.