Home Baked Rye Bread

What a crazy time we are living in right now. I could say all manner of things about this and that, but there are other blogs for that I'm sure:) One thing I am super stoked to see come out of this, including in myself, is a real connection to friends, family and interstingly a real re-connection to grass roots cooking and creativity.

With Flour being a highly sought after commodity at present, people are baking and making all sorts of baked goods, pastas, breads and more. So here is my 2 cents in the form pf a recipe I have mastered over this time and now adapting with different flours, seeds, nuts, spices and grains.

I emplore you to have a go at this, nothing is quite as delicious in my opinion as fresh homemade bread, straight out of the oven, slathered in butter, and devoured with a proud little grin. Like that face you make when you get a strike at bowling!

Heres what you will need for this recipe:

A cast iron or ceramic heavy based saucepan with a lid.

Home baked Rye bread

Prep time: 10 mins + 2hours resting

Cook time: 45 mins

Ingredients

7g packet dried yeast

4g Honey

300mls luke warm water

200gms plain bakers flour

160g organic rye flour

10g fine sea salt

Extra flour for dusting

Method

1. In a small glass jug, add yeast, honey and water, mixing well to combine thoroughly, leaving to “bloom” for 5 mins. You will see bubbles start to form, this is the yeast becoming active and “alive”

2. In a large bowl (use a stand mixer with a dough hook if you have one) add your flours, salt and yeast mix.

3. Mix well for 3-4 mins until a sticky and wet dough forms, scraping down sides if needed.

4. Once mixed, sprinkle dough in the same bowl lightly with flour, just so it is covered lightly. Ensuring to do both the underside and top so the dough is “loose” from the bowl. Cover bowl with a warm, damp cloth and leave in a warm place to “double” in size for 1.5 hours

5. Once dough has doubled in size, tip onto a lightly floured bench or board, and working clockwise, pull corners out from the dough and fold them into the center like an envelope. Working around the whole dough until it becomes tighter and forms a ball.

6. In the same bowl, add a little flour and then place dough ball carefully, fold side down into the flour, this creates the lovely cracks and textures in the bread.

7. Leave to “double again for another 30-60 mins depending how warm your resting place is.

8. Meanwhile at the same time as the dough is resting, place your cast iron/ceramic saucepan in the oven to preheat at 220deg.

9. After the dough has risen again, remove pot from the oven carefully, remove the lid and place the dough in the pot “seam side up”, replace lid and place in the oven for 30mins

10. After 30mins, remove the lid and cook for a further 15 minutes to give that lovely rich and deep crust and color.

11. Remove from the oven, take loaf from the pot and place on a wire rack to cool and enjoy!