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Rye flour - dark vs light

Lars
10 years ago

Yesterday I made a loaf of rye bread based on a couple of recipes that called for light rye flour, but all I found at the supermarket was dark rye flour, and so I used that. The ratio was 1-1/8 cups rye for 1-7/8 cups bread flour plus 2 tbsp VWG. I substituted 2 tbsp of semolina flour for part of the bread flour because I think it improves the texture. I also added a couple of tablespoons for reconstituted dried onion flakes. The recipes also called for 2 tbsp of caraway seeds (from one recipe) and 1 tbsp of fennel seeds (from the other recipe - I like to combine them), which I ground together in a coffee mill. I've been making this bread in the bread machine using medium rye flour (from Surfas Restaurant Supply) but have not been there recently to restock. I have not seen light rye flour in any markets - only on-line, and so I may have to order some.

Anyway, I started the bread at lunch in my bread machine and set it to be ready at 7:00 PM. When I got home at 5:10, I noticed that the bread dough was pushed over to one side of the machine and was going to make a very misshapened loaf if I left it alone, and so I took the dough out, pulled it into a rectangular shape, and put it in a small loaf pan and let it rise for 1-1/2 hours. It made a nicely shaped loaf, but I am thinking that next time I should perhaps spend a bit more time shaping the loaf, although I did not want to deflate the dough. I used 1 tbsp of IDY, which is a lot more than I use for WW bread in the machine, but the recipe called for more yeast.

How does dark rye flour affect the dough as compared to light rye flour? I looked on line for answers and found conflicting information. I have a feeling that the dark rye makes irregular loaves in the bread machine, but I am okay with taking the dough out and then baking it in the oven. I wasn't sure how much to work the dough after taking it from the machine and how long to let it rise. It did not seem to rise in the oven, and I baked it at 425 for 30 minutes and then at 350 for 20 minutes, based on a recipe in Kevin's bread book, but I think that was too long, since the internal temp was 205 degrees. The crust was very hard and dark (but not at all burned), and so I covered it with butter when I took the bread out of the oven, and then I misted it with water in an effort to soften it. Ten minutes later it was cool enough to slice, and it tasted very good, but the crust was still crunchy (which Kevin liked). I made turkey and cheese sandwiches out of it, which I warmed in the toaster oven at 220 degrees, just to melt the cheese and warm the turkey.

Has anyone had success making rye bread in a bread machine? My pumpernickel turns out okay, but it is also a bit dense, although this is really not a problem.

Lars

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