For quite a while, I have been planning to write a template of a food blogger’s will. I am sure, many like me hold their ingredients and blogging equipment very close to heart. I cannot imagine just about anyone having control on my dough scrapper or my favorite glass mixing bowl. I don’t even want to start talking about my photography props because however average my photographs are the props are amazing and worth committing crimes for. So these have to be bequeathed to special people who understand how valuable they are.
In the same list, I have my rye flour to add. I bought it after excessive effort of looking for it in shop after gourmet shop across cities. Finally, in a small shop tucked away near the staircase at the basement of a huge mall in Kuala Lumpur, I found this rye flour. I have been saving it carefully in order to use it for some classic and awesome recipes. What better time to start than a Baking Mega Marathon! So here is my first rye bread and I have to say I am in love. Me, a staunch follower of all purpose flour and discreetly shunning its less glutenous sibling, the whole wheat flour, is now in love with rye. Who would have thought that was possible?
While Rye Bread is originally from Scandinavian and North Europe, the USA has adopted it and made it its own. Traditional rye breads used more rye whereas its American version uses a lot of whole wheat flour and less of rye flour. In this version, I have used all purpose flour instead of the recommended bread flour. (I am still dunking into corners and hole-in-the-wall shops searching for bread flour.) So here goes –
Makes a 10″ loaf
Country – USA
Recipe adapted from here
WHAT WE NEED
All purpose flour 2 cup
Light rye flour 1 cup
Salt 2 tsp
Instant yeast 1 1/2 tsp
Honey 2 tsp
Canola oil 2 tsp
Lukewarm water 1 1/2 cup
Cornstarch 2 tsp
Caraway seeds(optional) 2 tsp
WHAT TO DO
- Whisk the all purpose flour, rye flour, salt, yeast and caraway seeds in a large bowl
- In another bowl, add the honey and oil to the water and mix well
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix till a dough is formed without any flour left out
- Cover with cling wrap and set aside for 20 minutes
- Knead the dough well for 8 minutes on medium speed in the mixer or till it is moist but not sticky
- Shape it into a ball and place it in a greased bowl
- Cover with cling wrap and set aside till it doubles in volume
- Grease a 10″ * 3″ loaf pan
- Punch down the dough and knead it for 1-2 minutes
- Shape it into a loaf and transfer it to the prepared loaf pan
- Cover with an oiled cling wrap and set aside till it increases by half its size, around 30 minutes
- Preheat the oven to 230C
- With a paring knife, make three cuts on the loaf
- Reduce the oven temperature to 190C and bake for 20 minutes
- Rotate the pan and bake for another 15-20 minutes or till deep golden brown
- Dissolve the cornstarch in 1 cup of water and heat till clear and syrupy. It should take 2 minutes in the microwave oven
- Transfer the loaf to a wirerack and brush it on the top and sides with the cornstarch glaze
- Let it cool completely before slicing
- Enjoy with butter or jam or your choice of sandwich filling
This is my post for the Mega Marathon under the letter ‘D’
Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 75
Bread Therapy 
Sowmya, please come up with that will..would love to see the beneficiaries, might help me write my own as well..hehehe..I so enjoyed reading your notes..girl you should write more..I have a baking book with so many rye flour, that I only keep dreaming over it…now your bread looks fabulous with that fine crumb..very nicely baked!
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Thanks a bunch Valli. I suspect your will should resemble an entire book. Do write the chocolate mine to me…😀
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What a beautiful loaf of bread this is and I am so glad that you found rye flour and also used it up in a great recipe. I am bookmarking this to try soon as I have never baked with rye before. The crumb texture is just marvelous!
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Thank you Sandhya. Rye bread tastes wonderful. Do try it
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thats a cool idea to write a will, super post …and lovely bread to go along with this writeup
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Thanks Pradnya!
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OMG! The crumb and texture looks out of the world. Bookmarked to try when I have the will to pick up rye flour 🙂 Regarding the possessive instinct towards the props – I am with you as well :))
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Thanks Harini. Guess all of us share that possessive streak when it comes to props and equipment
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Enjoyed reading your post Sowmya . It was on my trip to US when I had my first rye bread but I can vouch what you have baked is any day better ! The bread texture is absolutely to die for . Absolutely gorgeous Sowmya !
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Thank you so much Vaishali
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Soumya next time you are off to KL . remember me pls. I need this flour too. This bread looks super and the texture looks awesome
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Thank you Veena! I spoke of a time when I was living in Malaysia…now I am looking to emotionally influence friends and relatives who travel abroad 😉
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Wow that is one perfect loaf of bread!! Love the crumb & texture and so neatly sliced. Rye flour is tricky to handle, you did great.
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Thank you so much Namratha
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Beautifully baked rye bread Sowmya. It looks just perfect with amazing crumb.
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Thank you Pavani
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How prefect this bread looks, such a gorgeous bread Sowmya, you nailed it prefect yaar. See that crust and crumb, just amazing.
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Coming from you, it is a huge compliment. Thank you
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Perfect crumb and awesome texture.. Lovely share!!
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Thanks Sharmila
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Add me to the staunch follower list of APF.. he he.. I bought rye flour only for this marathon. 😉 😉 That bread looks heavenly and that texture no words to explain. Awesome sowmya.
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Thanks a bunch Vidhya
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the texture of the bread looks awesome. I havent yet tried rye bread. need to try soon..
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iI am scared of using whole wheat in bread and you baked with rye flour. Seriously you are rocking with all the bread.
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