Rye Bread

I remember when I was younger, my parents would sing the nursery rhyme:
Sing a song of sixpence,
A pocket full of rye
I never asked anyone what rye was, but I would make stuff up. I thought it was another word for money, for candy.. Then I would think that it’s some made up word, something they put in there just to have something that rhymes with “pie”

So when I saw rye flour while strolling through the baking aisle, (since that is the aisle I seem to be drawn to every time) it brought back so many memories that I had to buy some.

So here it is. My first bread made with yeast, kneading and all. Ever.

But, this being my first attempt at making bread, the shape didn’t quite end up perfectly. It was very heavy, and cracked at the top. This is probably because I didn’t use bread flour. Oh well, this was a learning experience.

Adapted from AllRecipes
Ingredients:

-2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
-1/4 cup warm water
-1/4 cup brown sugar
-1/4 cup golden corn corn syrup
-2 tablespoons shortening
-2 teaspoons salt
-1 1/2 cups warm water
-2 1/2 cups rye flour
-3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions:

    1.   In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in 1/4 cup water. Add sugar, corn syrup , shortening, salt and the 1 1/2 cups warm water. Stir well.
    2.   Add the rye flour and beat until smooth. Add enough all-purpose flour to form a soft dough.
    3.   Place dough onto a floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, for around 6-8 minutes.
    4.   Place dough in a greased bowl, turning to coat completely. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Punch the dough down.
    5.   Place the dough on a greased baking sheet, and shape into a loaf. Cover with a tea towel, and let rise for around 1 hour.
    6.   Bake the bread at 350˚F for 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown. Brush the top with melted butter.