suemunzlinger's Recipe

Rye Bread / King Arthur

Category: Breads and quick breads

1 1/2 packets "highly active" active dry yeast; or 1 tablespoon active dry yeast; or 2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
2/3 cup to 7/8 cup lukewarm water*
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup dill pickle juice
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons caraway seeds
1 1/4 teaspoons dill seeds
1 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds OR 1 tablespoon prepared Dijon mustard
3/4 cup instant mashed potato flakes or 1/4 cup potato flour
2 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour
1 1/3 cups pumpernickel
*Use the lesser amount in summer (or in a humid environment), the greater amount in winter (or in a dry climate), and somewhere in between the rest of the year, or if your house is climate controlled.

1) Dissolve the yeast in 2 tablespoons of the lukewarm water with a pinch of sugar. Allow it to rest for 15 minutes, till it becomes puffy. If you're using instant yeast, you can skip this step.

2) Combine the dissolved yeast (or instant yeast) with the remaining ingredients, and mix till clumps form; the dough may seem dry at this point. Let it rest for 20 minutes, for the flour to start to absorb the liquid.

3) Knead the dough—by mixer or bread machine set on the dough cycle—to make a stiff, but fairly smooth dough. It'll take about 7 minutes in a stand mixer at second speed, using the dough hook. The dough should clean the sides of the bowl; if it doesn't sprinkle in a bit more all-purpose flour. We don't recommend kneading this dough by hand, as it's hard to develop the gluten sufficiently. If you DO knead by hand, realize that the dough will take longer to rise, and won't rise as high.

4) Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover the bowl, and let the dough rise till it's puffy, about 1 to 2 hours. It may or may not have doubled in bulk, but it definitely will have expanded.

5) Gently deflate the dough, and shape it into a log. Place the log in a lightly greased 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pan (for a stiffer dough), or 9" x 5" loaf pan (for a slacker dough). Press it to the edges of the pan, and flatten the top.

6) Tent the pan with greased plastic wrap, and allow the loaf to rise till it's crowned about 1" to 1 1/2" over the edge of the pan, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350F.

7) Bake the bread for 20 minutes. Tent it lightly with foil, and bake for an additional 20 minutes. When done the bread will be golden brown, and its internal temperature will register 190F on an instant-read thermometer.

8) Remove the bread from the oven, wait 5 minutes, remove it from the pan, and allow it to cool completely on a rack before slicing. Store for up to a week at cool room temperature.


Note:
Homemade rye bread can be quite a challenge; if you are a beginning bread baker, please become familiar with the bread-baking process by trying a simpler loaf (like White Sandwich Bread) before tackling this one.
Substitute white or medium rye flour for the pumpernickel, if desired.
This bread has a sensitive liquid-flour ratio. The finished dough should be smooth and easy to handle; it should not be sticky. If it is sticky, understand that the rising times may be shorter; a slacker (stickier) dough usually rises faster than one that is stiffer.
We have baked this successfully in both an 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pan, and a 9" x 5" loaf pan. If your dough is at all sticky, we recommend using the larger size pan.