4 loaves of the best dark rye bread

This is the second rye bread I am sharing . Here I am using a dark rye flour and I have left out the caraway seeds.

This is another versatile bread.  It can be made into one big loaf, 2 loaves, small rolls, or even 4 loaves as shown here.  As with any bread you have plenty of lead-way how to go, the mixing techniques is the same, the differences come in with shaping and baking times.  Of course smaller loaves/rolls/buns will take less time than one loaf, so bake it until it’s done or hollow sounding inside with a golden brown crust.

Remember, once you try home made you will never want store bought again.

 

Making the dough for The Best Dark Rye Bread

Measure out your ingredients.  I placed the oatmeal in to stand mixer bowl and  the 4 flours in one bowl and mixed the flours together. Add the room temperature milk to the oatmeal and allow the oatmeal to soak it up for 30 minutes.  About 10 minutes before the 30 minutes is up, add the yeast and sugar to the water and allow the yeast to proof, it should become bubbly and foamy.

After the oatmeal soaked up the milk, add the flours and salt; mix on low speed for one minute with the dough hook. Add the yeast mixture.  Knead for 5-7 minutes.  Turn out onto a floured surface and hand knead about 50 times.  Place in a greased bowl, turn to coat the sides and top of the dough.  Cover with plastic wrap and a towel and allow to proof until doubled in size, about 60-120 minutes.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, flatten then cut into 4 pieces.

Making a Rectangle Loaf of The Best Dark Rye Bread.

Flatten a piece of dough into a rectangle about 1/4-inch (6 mm) thick. Fold the top half towards the center and flatten. Next bring the bottom half towards the center and flatten. Next fold the right end towards the center and flatten.  And finally fold the left end to meet the right end in the center and flatten.  One rectangular loaf complete.  You can continue making all rectangular loaves or make a round loaf.

Making a round loaf of The Best Dark Rye Bread.

Start with a piece of dough, fold over until it becomes a ball and roll in a cupped hand until a tight ball forms.  You may need to use two hands to complete this, but the technique is similar.

Baking Sheet Preparation for The Best Dark Rye Bread

Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper and sprinkling it with flour.

Slashing the loaves of The Best Dark Rye Bread

I am going to show 4 different way to slash the bread.  We slash bread to control the expansion in a decorative way. Use a sharp knife (a serrated one works great for me) or a baker’s lame knife.

Topping and Baking of The Best Dark Rye Bread

Make you egg wash by beating 1 tablespoon of water and 1 egg in a bowl. Brush the loaves with the egg wash mixture.  Sprinkle with optional toppings – I am using a mixture of white and black sesame seeds.  Lastly sprinkly with a little flour.  Cover with plastic wrap and a towel and allow to double in size in a warm draft free place, about 30 minutes t0 an hour. Meanwhile. preheat the oven to 350ºF/177ºC.

The loaves before and after proofing.

Bake at 350ºF/177ºC for 20 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.  Bake time can vary greatly do to loaf size.  When done remove to cooling rack and allow to cool atleast 30 minutes before slicing. If you made small rolls, serve warm.

 

Best Dark Rye Bread Recipe

Best Dark Rye Bread
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
This is a non-seeded dark rye bread made into 4 smaller loaves. Sure you can make onlt 1 or 2 loaves or even rolls/hamburger buns out of it.
Author:
Recipe type: Rye Bread
Cuisine: Bread
Serves: 4 loaves
Ingredients
  • 2 cups old fashioned oatmeal (200g also called white oats)
  • 1-1/2 cups whole milk, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons warm water (10 mL)
  • 2 teaspoons granulated sugar (8g)
  • 1 tablespoon of active dry yeast (8.5g)
  • 1 cup medium rye flour (103g)
  • ½ cup bread flour (60g)
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour (60g)
  • ½ cup whole wheat flour (56g) (or any dark strong taste flour)
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • ½ stick butter, room temperature (4 tablespoons) (50g)
Egg Wash
  • 1 large Egg (50g)
  • 1 tablespoon Water (15mL)
Topping
  • black sesame seeds
  • white sesame seeds
Instructions
Dough
  1. Measure out all ingredients.
  2. Place the oatmeal in the stand mixer bowl, add the room temperature milk and allow to sit for 30 minutes so the oatmeal can absorb the milk. It will look like a paste in the end (thick oatmeal).
  3. Meanwhile, combine the flours and salt in one bowl, stir to mix.
  4. Start proofing the yeast about 10 minutes before the oats are ready by combining the water, yeast and sugar together. Stir and let sit, it should become foamy.
  5. Add the dry ingredients to the oatmeal and mix with the dough hook for about one minute on low speed.
  6. Add the yeast mixture, give a quick mix.
  7. Add the butter and knead for 5-7 minutes.
  8. Lightly flour the work surface and turn the dough out onto it. Knead by hand about 50 turns.
  9. Oil/grease a bowl, place dough in and turn to coat, leave coated side up. Cover with plastic wrap and a towel and set in a warm draft free place to double in size, about 1-2 hours.
  10. Lightly flour your work surface, turn the risen dough out. Push down to deflate gently and cut into 4 pieces.
  11. Form the pieces into loaves as shown in the video,
  12. Prepare baking sheet by covering with parchment paper and lightly flouring.
  13. Place the loaves on the floured parchment paper.
  14. Slash the loaves as desired. The video show 4 different ways, the choice is yours.
Egg Wash
  1. Prepare egg wash by mixing 1 egg with 1 tablespoon of water then brush on loaves.
Toppings and Baking
  1. Sprinkle with a mixture of white and black sesame seeds.
  2. Cover and let rise until doubled in size 30-60 minutes,
  3. Bake in a preheated 350ºF/177ºC over until golden brown and they sound hollow inside when tapped on the bottom. Baking times vary 20 minutes to an hour depending upon the size of the loaf/loaves.
  4. transfer to cooling rack to cool.
  5. Cool at least 30 minutes before slicing.

 

 

Watch How to Make the Best Dark Rye Bread