There is nothing I have ever experienced that is quite like making your own loaf of bread. I will never forget the day that I sliced open my first bread loaf. When all of your labor, care, and attention have paid off, and you are rewarded with that perfect aroma, texture, and taste. You can hardly believe that you have created a thing of such tremendous beauty and power and all you can do is stand speechless and admire your newly forged loaf in wonder and reverence. I imagine this must be similar to the feeling that parents have about their children.

Baking a quality loaf of bread is not as difficult as I originally believed, but it is bit tricky. This caraway rye recipe took me three attempts to reach the desired result because of mistakes I made in timing and oven temperature (discussed in more detail below). The first two loafs were still good, just not quite the perfect loaf I was looking for. In the end, the third loaf was well worth the wait.

The end result makes great toast for breakfast, but even better sandwich bread for my left over St. Patrick’s Day Corned Beef. The rye flower and caraway seeds produce that distinct rye taste, the crust is soft and buttery, and the interior is strong enough to meet all of my sandwich construction requirements without being stiff or dry. Truly a triumph of human innovation.

Ingredients:

Steps:

1. mix rye flour, sugar, yeast, and water
2. let the mixture rest for 15-20 minutes
3. Add the Greekyogurt/sour cream to the mixture and then gradually mix in the bread flour, salt, and caraway seeds.
4. Once the ingredients are evenly combined, knead the dough into a ball and then place it in an olive oil coated dish. Cover the dish with a towel and let it rise for 60-90 minutes
5. After it has rested, work the dough into your desired shape (I went with an oval loaf shape). Place the loaf on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and cover with the towel for another 90 minutes.
6. Preheat oven to 425F. Score the top of the loaf and sprits it with a little water before baking
7. Check after 25 minutes. If the loaf looks like its turning brown too quickly, put tin foil over it. (I did this at the 25 minute mark just to be safe)
8. Bake for another 20 minutes and then begin checking on the loaf every couple of minutes. It should have a nice dark brown color and have risen significantly. My best loaf resulted from about 50 minutes total baking time.
9. Melt some butter and brush the bread after it is done baking. This will help keep the crust soft as it cools. Sprinkle extra caraway seeds on top.

Notes and Results:

• Third Times the Charm: It took me 3 attempts to get a loaf that I was really satisfied with. I made a few important mistakes on my initial attempts…
• Let the Yeast do its thing: Don’t forget to let the mixture rest for 20 minutes (step 2)! It seems insignificant, but allowing the yeast, rye flour, sugar, and water time to undergo whatever chemical reaction they are undergoing, seems to be crucial to achieving the desired end result.
• Baking Temperature: The recipe which I followed called for a cooking temperature of 350F. I tried baking at this temperature on my first 2 attempts and both times made a loaf that looked, smelled, and tasted good, but which did not rise very much, and was not fully cooked in the center (even after baking for well over an hour. On the third attempt, I baked at 425F which yielded an absolutely beautiful rise and crumb.