Ladies and gents, we played this month.  Some of us played hooky.  Some of us played house hunting hiatus.  And then some of us played in the Bread Baking Babes Test Kitchen!

Testing can raise your anxiety level, like in school.  Testing Mary’s rye recipe in the BBB’s Test Kitchen raises only bread, tickles your funny bones and makes for a higher number on the scale if you don’t add a mile to your daily walk.  OK, OK.  Add two miles.  OK.  OK. 

Business for just a moment . . .  This month’s Kitchen of the Month:  Mary (aka Breadchick, there are others but perhaps we oughtn't to go there) at TheSourDough.  That link will get you Mary’s post on the bread, the recipe for the starter and the bread and how to be a Bread Baking Buddy by July 6 and get a badge for same.

Testing Mary’s recipe was a great opportunity to put it all together.  It needed following the recipe and then applying experience and experimentation.  This recipe really called for stretching our experience with the differences in flours and we learned rye is not easy to define. 

First Baking:

I first used what I had in my kitchen.  That was Arrowhead Mills Organic Rye Flour.  And I used the onion powder as Mary had written in the recipe. I always wonder what will happen with only starter and NO added yeast but this little baby just rises at every corner.

Set to rise

At 9 AM

Finished rise

At 11 AM

Set to rise

Finished Rise

I got a lovely light colored tasty loaf.  The onion smelled wonderfully heady fresh from the oven but totally disappeared by the time the bread was cooled.  The crumb was nicely tight.  The crust was too thick and tough.

Second Baking:

Now, I had found a rye flour labeled Dark Rye (stone ground) from Bob’s Red Mill.  AND I had determined I would try fresh onions.  If you’ve ever sweated or caramelized onions for French Onion Soup (like Karen & I did) you know there is a LOT of WATER in raw fresh onion.   What I didn’t want to happen by adding the onion flavor with fresh onions was to add additional water.

Third Baking

Fourth Baking:

Yes, I did.  Mary was twisting my arm (she revised the recipe).  Adding just a touch of butter and baking at lower temperatures produced the great flavor and a much improved crust!

Breadchick’s Dark Onion Rye

Total Time for Recipe: 2 days (does not include the time needed to build a starter)

Results in one (1) boule

Day 1: You will feed your starter 2 times on the first day; once in the morning and once about 2 - 4 hour prior to making the sponge.

First Feeding: Stir in any hooch and DO NOT TOSS ANY OFF. Feed the starter 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup AP flour.

Second Feeding: Stir in any hooch and divide the starter into two equal parts. Put one part away (This is your Mother Starter) and feed the other part 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup AP flour. Wait 2 - 4 hours and then make the sponge. (Note: I make the sponge right before I go to bed as it needs about 8 hours of fermenting time)

Making the Sponge:

In large bowl combine
1 cup active starter
3/4 cup rye flour
3/4 cup Bread flour (12% + gluten)
1/2 cup water

Cover and let ferment 8 - 10 hours overnight

Making the Dough:

You can use a stand mixer or do this by hand.

Combine:
Sponge
1 1/2 Tbsp dark molasses (or if you can’t find molasses, use Treacle or 1 Tbsp Lyle syrup and 1 Tbsp strong dark coffee) Note: don’t use Blackstrap molasses as this will give the bread a bitter taste.
2 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp melted unsalted butter

and mix until smooth.

To sponge mixture add:
1 3/4tsp salt
3/4 cup sweated fresh onions
2 heaping tsp caraway seeds (optional)
1 cup Dark Rye or Pumpernickel flour (100% Rye flour)
1/2 cup bread flour

Note: Use 3/4 cup of rye flour and 3/4 cup of bread flour if using European rye flour

Mix on low speed until a shaggy wet dough is formed.

In a separate bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup dark rye, 1/2 cup medium rye, and 1/2 cup bread flour. Using the dough hook of your stand mixer, on low speed, add rye flour mixture to shaggy dough 1/2 cup at a time until dough forms ball that pulls away from the bowl and is firm but still slightly tacky to the touch.

If you are doing this by hand, the dough ball will be firm and smooth but will stick your hand if you squeeze the dough.

On a floured counter (I use medium rye flour to flour the counter), give the dough a few hand kneads (about 2 - 4 minutes) and let rest for 15 minutes. Give one last knead, dough should be elastic feeling and not stick to your hands but will feel tacky. If it sticks to your hands, knead in additional rye flour until dough is firm but ever so slightly tacky.

In large, lightly greased covered bowl, let dough rise until almost double, about 4 hours.

Forming the loaf:

This bread works best if formed into a large round loaf. Gently deflate risen dough and gather into a boule. Place, pucker side up, in a very well floured brotform or banneton and loosely cover. Let rise until dough fills form and rises slightly above.

If you don’t have brotform or banneton, you can improvise by placing a very well floured tea towel in a large colander or other large round dish.

Baking the Bread:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. If using a stone or tiles, pre heat the oven with the stone/tiles in the oven. Gently unmold risen loaf onto a flat baking sheet prepared with cornmeal dusted parchment paper or onto a cornmeal prepared peel. You may slash the loaf is you wish. Mist top of loaf with water and gently slide bread into the oven and bake at 400 for 20 minutes. Turn oven down to 375 degrees and bake for another 25 minutes or until inside temperature of loaf reaches 200 degrees.

Let bread cool for 4 - 6 hours before slicing. This is very important as rye breads will turn to a gummy mess if they are sliced before completely cool.