Whole Grain Swedish Rye Bread Recipes

NORDIC WHOLE-GRAIN RYE BREAD

Steps:

• On Day 1, make the starter: In a medium-size bowl, mix 3/4 cup warm water with the buttermilk or yogurt. Whisk flour and yeast together, add to the buttermilk mixture and use your hands to mix together until sticky and moist; add more warm water as needed. Cover tightly and set aside at cool room temperature overnight, or up to 24 hours.
• Also on Day 1, soak the grains: Mix 4 cups cold water with the rye berries (or meal) and sunflower seeds. Cover and set aside at cool room temperature overnight, or up to 24 hours.
• On Day 2, make the bread: Drain the soaked grains in a colander. Measure 35 ounces/1,000 grams of the grains and place in a deep bowl. Add 14 ounces/400 grams of the starter and mix well. (Any remaining starter can be saved to use with other bread recipes.) Add the flour, salt, malt (or molasses), yeast and 2 cups water. Mix dough firmly by hand to combine. The dough should be grainy, but quite runny and wet, almost like a thick batter. To achieve that texture, add cold water, 1/4 cup at a time, mixing after each addition. To test: When a walnut-size piece of dough smeared on the rim of the bowl slides slowly and smoothly down the inside, like a snail leaving a trail, the dough it is wet enough.
• Thickly butter 3 medium or 2 standard-size loaf pans. Divide the dough evenly among the pans, filling them about half full. Cover and let rise at room temperature until dough almost fills pans, about 2 hours. (Dough will not rise more during baking.)
• Heat oven to 450 degrees. Bake loaves for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 360 and bake until firm and glossy brown, 80 minutes to 2 hours more depending on size and moisture content of loaves. Let cool completely in the pans before turning out. Bread freezes well, and lasts for at least a week at room temperature, wrapped in paper.

SWEDISH RYE BREAD

Steps:

• Put warm water into glass measuring (1) cup and check temperature with thermometer.
• Sprinkle yeast into warm water and let stand.
• In another glass measuring cup (2 cup) place water and Crisco.
• Microwave to hot, to melt fat.
• In a large bowl, combine sugar, molasses, and salt.
• Pour the Crisco water into bowl. (I usually pour it into, over the bowl, the 1/4 measuring cup I had the sugar, then the molasses inches To get all of the goodies into the bowl!).
• Stir until sugar dissolves.
• Cool to lukewarm (85°F It will probably cool to that as you dissolve the sugar, you just don't want to kill the yeast with too high a temp.).
• Stir in rye flour and beat well. (I use my electric hand mixer).
• Add yeast and caraway seed, and mix well.
• Stir in enough regular flour to make a soft dough.
• Cover with clean towel and let rest for 10 minutes.
• Generously sprinkle kneading surface with flour.
• Knead for 10 minutes.
• Place dough in lightly greased bowl and turn to coat all surfaces.
• Cover and let rise in warm draft free space, until doubled, about 2 hours.
• Punch down.
• Turn out onto lightly floured surface.
• Divide in two (I use a bread knife to slice the ball in half).
• Shape each piece into smooth ball, cover, and let rest 10 minutes (this is called proofing).
• Form each into two round loaves, and place on greased baking sheet.
• Cover and let rise in warm place (I put them in oven with the light on) until doubled again, about 1 1/2 hours.
• If you put them in oven to rise, make sure you take them out before lighting oven!
• Bake at 375°F for about 30 minutes.
• If loaves are getting too brown, you may cover with foil near the end of baking.
• Brush tops, when done, with butter for a soft crust.

SWEDISH RYE BREAD I

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast in warm water.
• Scald milk. Transfer milk to a large bowl, and add salt, molasses, brown sugar, and melted shortening. Cool to lukewarm, and add dissolved yeast. Add rye flour, beating with mixer. Gradually beat in white flour. Place dough in a greased bowl, and turn to coat the surface. Cover with a damp towel, and allow to rise till double in bulk in a warm place.
• Punch down the dough, and place on a lightly floured board. Knead until dough becomes elastic, and does not stick to the board. Allow to rest for 5 minutes. Divide into 3 equal portions, and shape into loaves. Place in greased 9 x 5 inch bread pans. Let rise until double in bulk.
• Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 35 to 40 minutes.