Rye Bread
This recipe guides you through the process of making a delightful rye flour bread with subtle sweetness from black treacle. The dough is kneaded to perfection and left to prove slowly, resulting in a beautifully textured loaf with a crisp crust. Enjoy the earthy flavors of rye in every bite of this homemade bread.
— Constant Cookbook
Ingredients
- 500g/1lb 2oz rye flour
- 10g/⅓oz salt
- 10g/⅓oz instant yeast
- 20ml/¾fl oz black treacle
- 350ml/12fl oz cool water
- , for kneading olive oil
Instructions
- Tip the flour into a large mixing bowl and add the salt to one side of the bowl and the yeast to the other. Add the treacle and three-quarters of the water and turn the mixture round with your fingers.
- Continue to add the remaining water, a little at a time, until youâve picked all of the flour from the sides of the bowl. You may not need to add all the water, or you may need to add a little more â you want dough that is soft, but not soggy. Use the mixture to clean the inside of the bowl and keep going until the mixture forms a rough dough.
- Coat a clean work surface with a little olive oil, then tip the dough onto it and begin to knead. Keep kneading for 5-10 minutes. Work through the initial wet stage until the dough starts to form a soft skin. You will find the dough feels different from conventional wheat flour dough â less smooth and stretchy.
- Form the dough into a smooth, round cob shape by turning it on the surface and tucking the edges underneath until the top is smooth and tight. Generously dust the inside of a large, round proving basket with rye flour. Put the dough into it, placing the smooth top-side down. Cover with a tea towel to protect the dough and prevent a skin forming on the top.
- Leave to prove for about eight hours or ideally overnight. The dough will double in size eventually, but will take considerable longer than wheat-flour breads.
- Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7 and put a roasting tray in the bottom to heat up. Line a baking tray with parchment or silicone paper.
- When the roasting tray is hot, half fill it with boiling water and return it to the bottom of the oven (this will create steam and help form a good crust).
- When the loaf is risen, invert it carefully onto the prepared tray. The basket should have left a pattern on the surface of the dough. Slash a deep crosshatch pattern on the top with a sharp knife. Bake for 30 minutes. To test, tap the base of the loaf â it should sound hollow.
- Remove from the oven to cool and serve in slices.
Cook Time
1H
Yield
Makes 1 loaf
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