Swedish Rye Loaves Recipes

Steps:

• Put warm water into glass measuring (1) cup and check temperature with thermometer.
• Sprinkle yeast into warm water and let stand.
• In another glass measuring cup (2 cup) place water and Crisco.
• Microwave to hot, to melt fat.
• In a large bowl, combine sugar, molasses, and salt.
• Pour the Crisco water into bowl. (I usually pour it into, over the bowl, the 1/4 measuring cup I had the sugar, then the molasses inches To get all of the goodies into the bowl!).
• Stir until sugar dissolves.
• Cool to lukewarm (85°F It will probably cool to that as you dissolve the sugar, you just don't want to kill the yeast with too high a temp.).
• Stir in rye flour and beat well. (I use my electric hand mixer).
• Add yeast and caraway seed, and mix well.
• Stir in enough regular flour to make a soft dough.
• Cover with clean towel and let rest for 10 minutes.
• Generously sprinkle kneading surface with flour.
• Knead for 10 minutes.
• Place dough in lightly greased bowl and turn to coat all surfaces.
• Cover and let rise in warm draft free space, until doubled, about 2 hours.
• Punch down.
• Turn out onto lightly floured surface.
• Divide in two (I use a bread knife to slice the ball in half).
• Shape each piece into smooth ball, cover, and let rest 10 minutes (this is called proofing).
• Form each into two round loaves, and place on greased baking sheet.
• Cover and let rise in warm place (I put them in oven with the light on) until doubled again, about 1 1/2 hours.
• If you put them in oven to rise, make sure you take them out before lighting oven!
• Bake at 375°F for about 30 minutes.
• If loaves are getting too brown, you may cover with foil near the end of baking.
• Brush tops, when done, with butter for a soft crust.

Steps:

• In a bowl, dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup water. Add sugar, molasses, shortening, salt and remaining water; stir well. Add rye flour; beat until smooth. Add enough all-purpose flour to form a soft dough. , Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1-1/2 hours. Punch dough down. , Shape into 4 round loaves. Place on greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise until doubled, 45-60 minutes. Bake at 350° until golden brown, 30-35 minutes. Brush with butter.

Steps:

• The day before making the bread, make the sponge. Combine the water, molasses, orange peel, aniseeds, fennel seeds, and cardamom in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil and then turn off the heat. Cool to lukewarm. Stir in the barm and rye flour until the flour is fully hydrated and evenly distributed. This should make a thick sponge. Cover with plastic wrap and ferment at room temperature for 4 hours, or until the mixture becomes foamy. Refrigerate overnight.
• The next day, remove the sponge from the refrigerator 1 hour before making the bread dough to take off the chill.
• To make the dough, in a 4-quart mixing bowl (or in the bowl of an electric mixer), stir together the flour, yeast, salt, and brown sugar. Add the sponge and the melted shortening. Mix with a large metal spoon (or on low speed for 1 minute with the paddle attachment) until the dough forms a ball. Sprinkle flour on the counter, transfer the dough to the counter, and begin kneading (or mix on medium speed with the dough hook) for approximately 4 minutes. Adjust with additional high-gluten (not rye) flour, if needed. The dough should be slightly tacky but not sticky. Do not overknead, as the rye flour will become gummy. The entire kneading or mixing process should be completed within 6 minutes. The dough should pass the windowpane test (page 58) and register 77° to 81°F. Lightly oil a large bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
• Ferment at room temperature for about 2 hours, or until the dough doubles in size.
• Remove the dough from the bowl and knead for 1 minute to degas. Divide the dough in half for 1-pound loaves (or leave intact for a 2-pound loaf). Shape the dough into sandwich loaves (page 81) or bâtards (page 73) for freestanding loaves. Lightly oil two 8 1/2 by 4 1/2-inch pans or one 9 by 5-inch pan; for freestanding loaves, line a large sheet pan with baking parchment and sprinkle with cornmeal or semolina flour. Transfer the loaves to the pan(s) and score the top of the loaves with 3 parallel slashes as shown on page 90. Mist the loaves with spray oil and cover loosely with plastic wrap or a food-grade plastic bag.
• Proof at room temperature for approximately 90 minutes, or until the dough crests 1 inch above the bread pans at the center, or rises 1 1/2 times its original size for freestanding loaves.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F. For freestanding loaves, brush the egg wash over the surface of the dough just prior to baking. This is optional for loaf-pan breads.
• Bake for 20 minutes, then rotate the pan(s) 180 degrees for even baking. Continue to bake for 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the size of the loaves. They should register 190°F in the center, be a light golden brown, and make a hollow sound when thumped on the bottom. If the sides are still white or soft, return the bread to the oven to finish.
• When the loaves are finished baking, immediately remove them from the pans and cool on a rack for at least 1 hour before slicing or serving.
• BREAD PROFILE
• Enriched, standard dough; indirect method; commercial yeast
• DAYS TO MAKE: 2
• Day 1: 4 hours sponge
• Day 2: 1 hour to de-chill sponge; 6 minutes mixing; 3 1/2 hours fermentation, shaping, and proofing; 35 to 50 minutes baking
• Commentary
• By being scored before the final proofing the breads take on a different look than when scored just prior to baking, as is customary for most breads. The cuts fill in during the rising period and spread out. When the bread bakes, it seems as if the cuts have healed, leaving behind a different shade of crust where the cuts were made.
• BAKER'S PERCENTAGE FORMULA
• Swedish Rye: Limpa %
• (SPONGE)
• Water: 43.1%
• Molasses: 10.8%
• Orange peel: 2%
• Seeds and spices: 2%
• Barm: 43.1%
• White rye flour: 30.8%
• (DOUGH)
• High-gluten flour: 69.2%
• Instant yeast: 1.4%
• Salt: 2.3%
• Brown sugar: 13.8%
• Shortening: 6.2%
• Total: 224.7%

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast in warm water.
• Scald milk. Transfer milk to a large bowl, and add salt, molasses, brown sugar, and melted shortening. Cool to lukewarm, and add dissolved yeast. Add rye flour, beating with mixer. Gradually beat in white flour. Place dough in a greased bowl, and turn to coat the surface. Cover with a damp towel, and allow to rise till double in bulk in a warm place.
• Punch down the dough, and place on a lightly floured board. Knead until dough becomes elastic, and does not stick to the board. Allow to rest for 5 minutes. Divide into 3 equal portions, and shape into loaves. Place in greased 9 x 5 inch bread pans. Let rise until double in bulk.
• Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 35 to 40 minutes.

Steps:

• In a saucepan, mix together molasses, water, brown sugar, fennel, and salt. Bring to boiling point, then gently cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add shortening. Let stand until lukewarm.
• Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup lukewarm water. Add cooled molasses mixture and mix well. Stir in the rye flour. Beat until smooth. Cover and let rise at room temperature overnight, about 9 to 10 hours.
• In the morning add 5 cups white flour, and place remaining 1/2 cup on a pastry cloth or board for kneading. Turn out the dough and knead until smooth and elastic. Place in greased bowl, cover, and let rise until double in size, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
• Cut dough in half and shape into 2 loaves (round is more traditional). Place in 2 greased 9 inch pie pans. Cover with a clean cloth and let rise until light, about 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Bake for 45 to 55 minutes. Remove and brush tops with melted butter.

Steps:

• Grind the caraway seeds, anise seed, and fennel seeds in a mortar and pestle or a spice or coffee grinder and place in a large bowl with the orange zest and milk.
• In a large warmed bowl, mix the yeast and molasses with 1/4 cup warm (105° to 115°F) water. Let stand about 5 minutes or until the yeast foams. Add the milk mixture, salt, and melted butter. Beat in the rye flour until smooth. Beat in enough bread flour to make a stiff dough. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 15 minutes.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board. Knead, adding flour sparingly, until the dough is smooth and springy, about 10 minutes. If desired, you may mix and knead the dough in a heavy-duty mixer using the dough hook.
• Cover and let rise until doubled, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Punch the dough down. Turn it out onto a lightly oiled board. Knead to squeeze out air bubbles. Divide the dough into two pieces and shape into two oblong loaves. Grease two 9 × 5-inch loaf pans. Place the loaves in the pans smooth side up. Cover and let rise until almost doubled, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Position the oven racks so that the top rack is in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to convection bake at 325°F. Bake on the center rack for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted into the bread comes out clean and dry. Remove the bread from the pans and cool on a wire rack.