Rye Bread

• 1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast (two 1/4-ounce envelopes)
• 2 1/4 cups warm water (110 degrees)
• 3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons honey
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for bowl and pans
• 2 tablespoons caraway seeds, plus more for topping
• 4 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for surface and dusting
• 2 1/2 cups rye flour
• 1 large egg white
• Nonstick cooking spray

In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, sprinkle yeast over 1/2 cup water. Add 2 teaspoons honey. Whisk until yeast dissolves. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.

Add remaining 1 3/4 cups water to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, along with remaining 3 tablespoons honey, butter, caraway seeds, and salt. Mix on low to combine. Gradually add both flours, one cup at a time, mixing until dough comes away from sides of bowl and forms a ragged, slightly sticky ball. Butter a large bowl.

Knead dough on a floured surface until smooth and elastic but still slightly tacky, about 5 minutes. Shape into a ball. Transfer to prepared bowl; cover with plastic wrap.

Let dough stand in a warm place until it doubled in volume (it should not spring back when pressed), about 1 hour. Butter two 4 1/2-by-8 1/2-inch loaf pans. Punch down dough and divide in half.
Working with one piece of dough at a time, shape into a 7-by-7-inch square. Fold dough into thirds; press seam to adhere and pinch ends to seal. Place seam-side down in loaf pan. Repeat process with remaining piece of dough.

In a small bowl, mix egg white with 1 teaspoon water and brush mixture over tops of loaves; sprinkle with caraway seeds.

Spray two pieces of plastic wrap with nonstick cooking spray; drape loaves with prepared plastic wrap and let stand until dough rises about 1 inch above tops of pans, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees on a conventional oven or 425 degrees on a convection oven. Reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees (conventional) or 375 degrees (convection).

Uncover loaves and transfer to oven. Bake, rotating pans after 20 minutes, until tops are golden brown, about 45 minutes. Transfer to wire racks. Let cool slightly; turn out loaves. Let cool completely before slicing. 

 

Yield: two loaves.

 

VERDICT:  Perfectly respectable rye bread.  A few notes: when I put the yeast, etc. in a glass measuring cup to proof, it completely overflowed--use a bigger small bowl.  Also, the recipe never says when to add the yeast mixture--I stuck in in after mixing together the remaining water, etc.  Finally, I found the bread got brown really fast, so I tented it with tin foil.   

 

Also notable: Michael Ruhlman, in his rye bread recipe, suggested toasting it, rubbing it with a clove of cut garlic, then buttering it.  I tried it with this--fantastic.  I could eat that all day.  

 

Keep.