Connie's Swedish Rye #BreadBakers

This month I am hosting the Bread Bakers in making rye or pumpernickel breads. I wrote: I recently had a discussion with some foodie friends who were just as confused as I was about rye bread, pumpernickel bread, and the differences between those in US and in other parts of the world. Pick whichever bread you wish. Let's explore!

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all our of lovely bread by following our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated after each event on the Bread Bakers home page. 

We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient. If you are a food blogger and would like to join us, just send an email with your blog URL to Stacy at foodlustpeoplelove@gmail.com.

Here's the Rye-Pumpernickel line-up...

• Connie's Swedish Rye by Culinary Cam (you're here)

• Marbled Rye Bread by Karen's Kitchen Stories

• New York Jewish Deli Rye by A Messy Kitchen

• Norwegian Crispbread aka Knekkebrød by Food Lust People Love

• Pumpernickel Rolls by Sneha's Recipe

• Swiss Onion Rye Batard by A Day in the Life on the Farm

Connie's Swedish Rye

A friend gave me a loaf of rye bread. And, when I asked her for the recipe, she sent me a photo of this recipe card.

I tried it once with too many variations. I was trying to get away from yeast, so I read about how to substitute sourdough starter; and I didn't have shortening, so I tried to use butter. That was a gooey disaster of my own making. I decided to try the recipe as written...yeast, shortening, and all!

Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoons active dry yeast

• 1/2 cup warm water

• 3/4 cup unsulphured molasses

• 2 teaspoons salt

• 1/3 cup shortening

• 2 cups hot water

• 2 Tablespoons caraway seeds

• 2 cups rye flour

• 6 cups flour

• 1 egg, beaten

Procedure

Place warm water and yeast in a large mixing bowl. Let bloom for 10 minutes. The mixture should be foamy.

In another mixing bowl, stir the hot water and shortening together until the shortening is melted. Whisk in the molasses and let cool slightly. Pour the molasses mixture into the yeast bowl and stir to combine.

Stir the rye flour into the mixture. Then add flour 1/2 cup at a time while mixing with a wooden spoon. Adjust the flour: if you feel that the dough is wet and sticky, continue adding 1/2 cup flour at a time until the dough is no longer sticky. The dough will be scraggy.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and let rest for 10 minutes. Then knead for 10 minutes or until smooth and elastic.

Place in an oiled bowl, cover with a kitchen towel, and let rise until doubled, approximately 90 minutes to 2 hours depending on the warmth of your kitchen.

Once it has doubled, punch the dough down and let it rise again until doubled. Then divide and shape into three rounds. Place them on a silicone mat or parchment paper-lined baking sheet or baking stone.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Brush the tops with beaten egg and let them rise while the oven heats.

Place the baking sheets in the oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes. The rounds should be nicely browned and firm to the touch. Let cool completely before slicing.

That's a wrap for my March #BreadBakers offering. We will be back next month with carrot or Easter breads. Stay tuned!