Rye bread

Method7 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Mix both measured dough flours, all seven grams fast-action dried yeast and half teaspoon fine salt in a bowl. In a jug mix all the honey (1 tbsp) with only the measured two hundred and fifty millilitres warm water (250 ml). Pour this honey-water mixture into the flour bowl and mix to form a dough. Keep the extra rye flour for dusting.

   Uses 200 g rye flour for dough · 200 g strong white bread flour for dough · 7 g fast-action dried yeast · ½ tsp fine salt · 1 tbsp honey · 250 ml warm water for dough

2. 2

   Step 2: If the dough is too dry, add only a little of the separate optional extra warm water at a time until soft. Tip the dough onto the work surface and knead for ten minutes until smooth. It contains rye, so it will feel less springy than a white-flour dough.

   Uses All mixed dough · More warm water, only if needed to make dough soft

3. 3

   Step 3: Lightly oil a bowl with some of the separate bowl/film oil. Put all the kneaded dough in it, cover and leave somewhere warm for one to two hours until roughly doubled. Meanwhile lightly dust a two-pound/900 g-capacity loaf tin with some of the separate extra rye flour.

   First dough rise until roughly doubled · 120 minUses All kneaded dough · A little cooking oil to grease bowl and covering film · Extra rye flour to dust the loaf tin and risen loaf lightly

4. 4

   Step 4: Tip the doubled dough onto the work surface and knead briefly to knock out large air bubbles. If using the optional caraway seeds, work all one teaspoon into this dough now; otherwise leave them out.

   Uses All dough after first doubling · Optional full teaspoon caraway seeds if selected

5. 5

   Step 5: Shape the knocked-back dough into a smooth oval loaf and put it in the prepared loaf tin. Cover the tin with film lightly oiled using some of the separate bowl/film oil. Leave somewhere warm for one to one and a half hours until roughly doubled again.

   Second shaped-loaf proof until doubled · 90 minUses All prepared dough · A little cooking oil to grease bowl and covering film

6. 6

   Step 6: Heat the oven to 220 °C /200 °C fan /gas 7. Remove all covering film from the proofed loaf. Lightly dust its surface with some of the separate extra rye flour, keeping any unused dusting flour aside.

   Uses The risen loaf · Extra rye flour to dust the loaf tin and risen loaf lightly

7. 7

   Step 7: Make a few angled slashes in the top of the loaf and bake for thirty minutes until dark brown and hollow-sounding when tapped. Turn the baked loaf onto a wire cooling rack and let it cool for at least twenty minutes before slicing. Cut the complete loaf into eight slices once cooled.

   Bake risen rye loaf; cool for at least 20 minutes afterwards · 30 minUses The ready-to-bake loaf