How to Bake Homemade Dense & Crusty Bread
Dense and crusty bread is a popular comfort food that releases a pleasing aroma while baking. Rye bread falls in the dense and crusty category, with its signature caraway seeds adding a dash of unusual flavor and character. Rye bread is popular for dunking in soup; hosting a hot sandwich, such as a Reuben; or toasting before being slathered with butter and jam. Part of what makes the bread dense and crusty is that the dough is still sticky after all the recipe flour has been added. Resist the temptation to add more to preserve the moist texture inside. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- 1-qt. microwave safe bowl
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup hot water
- Large bowl
- 2 tbsp. shortening
- 2 tsp. salt
- 1 tbsp. sugar
- 1 tbsp. caraway seeds
- Small bowl
- 1/4 c. warm water
- 2 packages dry yeast
- 2 cups white flour
- 4 cups rye flour, divided
- Lightly floured board
- Large greased bowl
- Cloth (large enough to cover greased bowl)
- Large nonserrated knife
- Greased cookie sheet
Instructions
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1
Pour 1 cup milk and 1 cup hot water into a bowl, and microwave 2 to 3 minutes or until very hot. Meanwhile, combine 2 tbsp. shortening, 2 tsp. salt, 1 tbsp. sugar and 1 tbsp. seeds in a large bowl. Add the hot liquid when ready, stirring until shortening is dissolved. Set aside until lukewarm.
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2
Pour 1/4 cup warm water in a small bowl. Sprinkle in 2 packages yeast. Let it stand and dissolve for 5 minutes, then add it to the ingredients in the large bowl.
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3
Stir in 2 cups white flour until well mixed. Add about 3 cups rye flour until the dough is stiff. Turn the dough out onto a floured board, and knead for a few minutes. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes, then knead in the remaining rye flour. Dough will be slightly sticky.
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4
Place the dough in a large greased bowl, and cover it with a cloth. Let rise about 30 to 40 minutes, or until the dough has doubled in size.
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5
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
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6
Turn out the dough onto a floured board. Punch the dough down, and cut it into two even pieces. Allow the dough to rest 3 to 4 minutes, then shape into two round loaves. Place the dough on a greased cookie sheet, cover, and allow to rise until nearly doubled in size.
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7
Cut two parallel diagonal slashes in each loaf top. Bake for 45 minutes. Cool completely before storing or slicing. Wrap in foil, or store in a plastic bag until ready to eat.
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Tips & Warnings
To save time, use a bread machine on the dough cycle. Add the wet or dry ingredients first, depending on the order listed in your owner's manual. When the machine stops, pick up from Step 5. Instead of kneading by hand, use a mixer with a dough-hook attachment.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Nate Steiner
