Farmer Rye Bread
This simple, wholesome bread is made with stone-ground rye flour. Baked in the convection oven, the crust is chewy and flavorful. It is not as dense a bread as others in this category, therefore it bakes at a slightly higher temperature. This is the bread we baked in the oven of the woodstove when I was growing up on the farm in northern Minnesota. The wood oven creates heat that circulates much like that of a convection oven. I have finally been able to bake bread that closely resembles my childhood favorite!
Recipe information
Yield
makes 1 loaf
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
To mix the dough in a bowl by hand, measure 1 1/2 cups warm (105° to 115°F) water into a large mixing bowl. Add the yeast, salt, sugar, and rye flour. Beat until smooth. Slowly beat in the bread flour to make a stiff dough. Cover and let rest for 15 minutes. Turn it out onto a floured board and knead until the dough forms a smooth, nonsticky ball. Place in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled. Proceed with step 4.
Step 2
To mix the dough in a bread machine, measure all of the ingredients into the work bowl, starting with the water. Program the machine to make dough. Proceed with step 4.
Step 3
To mix the dough in a food processor, measure the flours, sugar, salt, and yeast into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Turn the processor on and add the water slowly through the feed tube, processing until the dough spins around the bowl in a solid but sticky mass. Leave the cover on the food processor and let the dough rise until it fills the bowl.
Step 4
Turn it out onto a lightly floured board and shape it into a round loaf. Place on a lightly greased rimless cookie sheet. Cover and let rise for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until almost doubled.
Step 5
Position the oven racks so that the top rack is in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to convection bake at 350°F. Brush the loaf with water. Bake in the center of the oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until nicely browned and a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean and dry. Remove the bread from the oven and cool on a wire rack.
