New Bread!
As many of you know, I fancy myself quite the baker--especially of breads. I think it's safe to say that I have not purchased "bread" at the store in over a year (tortillas and wraps don't count!), instead I've been making my own. It's quite gratifying to eat a sandwich on bread you baked yourself, and really, it's not that difficult! Yes, it takes time, but most of that time is spent waiting for the bread to rise and bake--only about 20-30 minutes is actually spent doing something!
So, today for the first time in quite a while, I decided to try a new bread. Today's experiment--Pumpernickel! Now, I'll let you know up front, it looks nothing like the dark, black bread you find in the store, and it doesn't have quite the same flavor (yet), but it's pretty awesome.
Pumpernickel Bread
Ingredients:
2 1/4 T yeast
1 1/2 C warm water
1/2 C dark molasses (I'll have to look around for that...I think the regular molasses gives it a lovely color and flavor, though)
1-2 T caraway seed (I can't get enough of that flavor!)
1 T salt
2 T shortening
2 3/4 C rye flour
2-3 C white flour
Directions:
1. Soften yeast in water. In a large bowl, combine molasses, caraway seeds, salt, shortening, all the rye flour, and 1 cup of white flour. Add the softened yeast and mix well, until smooth (kind of pasty). Add enough of the white flour to make a stiff dough.
2. Turn onto a floured surface and knead until smooth (about 10 minutes). Place in a covered, greased bowl to rise until double (1 to 1 1/2 hours).
3. Punch down dough and separate into two even portions. Form each piece into a ball and place on opposite corners of a greased cookie sheet. Let rise until double (about 30 minutes).
4. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.
Now, I'll be honest; I often don't knead my bread nearly as long as most recipes ask for...although I do find that it is smooth by the time I'm done with it. There are plenty of videos on how to knead bread online, and you'll eventually develop your own technique as you get used to it. Also, mixing the dough can be difficult until you build that upper arm strength (but honestly, for me, the trouble is in my hands...). Don't be afraid to get your hands into that sticky, gooey, dough!
So, today for the first time in quite a while, I decided to try a new bread. Today's experiment--Pumpernickel! Now, I'll let you know up front, it looks nothing like the dark, black bread you find in the store, and it doesn't have quite the same flavor (yet), but it's pretty awesome.
Pumpernickel Bread
Ingredients:
2 1/4 T yeast
1 1/2 C warm water
1/2 C dark molasses (I'll have to look around for that...I think the regular molasses gives it a lovely color and flavor, though)
1-2 T caraway seed (I can't get enough of that flavor!)
1 T salt
2 T shortening
2 3/4 C rye flour
2-3 C white flour
Directions:
1. Soften yeast in water. In a large bowl, combine molasses, caraway seeds, salt, shortening, all the rye flour, and 1 cup of white flour. Add the softened yeast and mix well, until smooth (kind of pasty). Add enough of the white flour to make a stiff dough.
2. Turn onto a floured surface and knead until smooth (about 10 minutes). Place in a covered, greased bowl to rise until double (1 to 1 1/2 hours).
3. Punch down dough and separate into two even portions. Form each piece into a ball and place on opposite corners of a greased cookie sheet. Let rise until double (about 30 minutes).
4. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.
Now, I'll be honest; I often don't knead my bread nearly as long as most recipes ask for...although I do find that it is smooth by the time I'm done with it. There are plenty of videos on how to knead bread online, and you'll eventually develop your own technique as you get used to it. Also, mixing the dough can be difficult until you build that upper arm strength (but honestly, for me, the trouble is in my hands...). Don't be afraid to get your hands into that sticky, gooey, dough!