As you can see, I’m using the term “marbled” very loosely here, as the bread you’re looking at is not even remotely marbled. Before I start making excuses, maybe I’d better tell you how we got to this point to begin with.
Last May (or maybe it was June) I accepted a challenge along with a group of bloggers, to bake our way through The Bread Baker’s Apprentice. With fervor, I baked light wheat bread, herbed focaccia bread and homemade English muffins. I met a couple of roadblocks along the way, especially when an attempt at producing a flawless loaf of French bread resulted in Plan B: a trip to my local market.
Well, I know it’s been awhile since my last Bread Baker’s Apprentice post, so now it’s time for the excuses. Between starting a quasi-new job and taking an apartment without a dishwasher, I’ve unarguably done less baking since my move to Chicago than I used to do.
But the real reason that it took me eons to bake marbled rye bread is that one of the key ingredients, light rye flour, was nearly impossible to track down at my grocery stores. Yes, from the grocery stores in New Jersey to the grocery stores in Chicago, I found shelves populated with dark rye flour and shelves populated with rye bread mix, but Peter Reinhart did not promise that either of those would produce an edible rye bread.
Finally, I decided to attempt the bread recipe with organic whole grain rye flour. Not a total fail (read: the bread was edible, albeit I wouldn’t have served it to anyone outside my immediate family) but it wasn’t marbled. I’m going to blame the flour, well, because that’s just what I’m going to do.
Marbled Rye Bread
Ingredients:
Light:
1 1/2 cups of white rye flour
3 cups unbleached bread flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 3/4 teaspoons instant yeast
1 tablespoon molasses
2 tablespoons shortening
1 1/4 cups water, at room temperature
Dark:
1 1/2 cups white rye flour
3 cups unbleached bread flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 3/4 teaspoons instant yeast
1 tablespoon molasses
2 tablespoons shortening
1 1/4 cups water, at room temperature
3 tablespoons cocoa powder or instant espresso dissolved in 3 tablespoons of water
Egg wash:
1 egg
1 teaspoon water
Directions:
1. To make the light rye, stir together rye flour, bread flour, salt and yeast. Add molasses, shortening and water. Mix until the dough forms a loose ball, adding an additional tablespoon of water or two if necessary to bring the dough together. Knead for 4-6 minutes, adding flour as necessary. The dough should feel supple and pliable but not sticky. Lightly oil a large bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling to coat it all over. Cover and set aside.
2. To make the dark rye, stir together rye flour, bread flour, salt and yeast. Add molasses, shortening, water and cocoa powder mixture. Mix until the dough forms a loose ball, adding an additional tablespoon of water or two if necessary to bring the dough together. Knead for 4-6 minutes, adding flour as necessary. The dough should feel supple and pliable but not sticky. Lightly oil a large bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling to coat it all over. Cover and set aside.
3. Ferment both doughs at room temperature for about 1 1/2 hours, or until they double in bulk.
4. Next, turn each of the doughs out onto a lightly floured surface, and divide each color into 4 equal segments. For a spiral shape, take 2 pieces of light rye and 2 pieces of dark. Use a rolling pin to roll them out into rectangles approximately 8″ by 5″ in size. Layer the four rectangles so that the colors alternate, making sure that the light rye is on the bottom. Starting on the long side of the rectangle, fold about 1/3 of the dough towards you, pinching the dough down to form a seam.
5. Next, take the other long edge of the rectangle, and fold it up and over the rolled-up dough, again pinching the edge to form a seam. The entire outside of the roll should be covered in the white rye, stretched around the inside layers.
6. Repeat this shaping process with the other 4 pieces of dough so that you have 2 loaves. You can place them on a large baking sheet lined with parchment or into well-oiled loaf 8×5″ loaf pans like so.
7. Mist the loaves with oil and cover with plastic wrap. Proof at room temperature for 60-90 minutes, or until the loaves double in bulk.
8. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk the egg with the 1 teaspoon of water, and lightly brush the loaves with this egg wash. Bake on the middle rack for about 45 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the bread is 190 degrees.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Well it certainly looks very delicious. I can see it toasted with some butter and strawberry jam. Yum!!!
I’m having a problem with rye bread too, I just don’t like the results I’m getting at all
I love rye bread with spinach dip. I’ve never attempted to bake rye bread. sometimes I struggle with bread enough.
It’s like we’re on the same food wavelength – you’re cooking all the things I’ve been meaning to make. I totally want to make marble rye and make a veggie reuben sandwich out of it. I tried once last January and it was a total failure. I’m also working on rye sourdough bread with moderate success… it’s totally hit or miss. I should check out the Bread Baker’s Apprentice. I’ve heard good things!