Rye bread, simple to make, and I love baking bread and experimenting with new flours in the kitchen. New flours at least for me at this moment since it’s the first time I’m using rye flour. Rye is grown in Italy: Lombardy, Piedmont, Aosta Valley, and in the alpine areas of Trentino-Alto Adige. Its resistance to low temperatures favors sowing even in difficult climates. Already known since the Bronze Age, for a long time it was the staple of nutrition in northern countries like the Germanic and Celtic countries. Today it is the most consumed bread in northern Italy and central Europe by Scandinavian countries. The surprising thing is that rye bread stays fresh and soft for several days, for a simple reason: it dries more slowly because it retains more moisture. Baking bread is a unique experience, feeling the aroma throughout the house and savoring a warm and fragrant slice is unmatched.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Affordable
- Rest time: 2 Hours 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 6
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
- Energy 296.40 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 52.96 (g) of which sugars 0.87 (g)
- Proteins 9.94 (g)
- Fat 5.62 (g) of which saturated 0.65 (g)of which unsaturated 1.74 (g)
- Fibers 5.50 (g)
- Sodium 778.09 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 120 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients to prepare rye bread
- 1.75 cups rye flour
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- 1.25 cups water (lukewarm)
- 2 tsps fine salt
- 1 packet dry yeast
- 0.7 oz sunflower seeds
Necessary tools to prepare rye bread
- Bowl
- Loaf Pan
- Kneading Board
Steps to prepare rye bread
In the bowl, combine the two flours with the yeast, the oil with the warm water, and start kneading vigorously. Finally, add the salt and the remainder of the water. Knead the dough for 10 minutes, lightly coat it with oil, cover it with plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes.
Retrieve the dough, knead it a bit, and place it in the loaf pan or cake pan. Let it rest covered for 2 hours.
Sprinkle the rye bread with sunflower seeds. Preheat the oven to 392°F and place a pot with 1 cup of water at the bottom of the oven. Bake the rye bread for 15 minutes, then remove the water and continue baking for another 20 minutes.
And here it is, ready to be enjoyed, the rye bread.
Useful Tips
Baking bread is not difficult, anyone can do it, even those who are not experts. The important thing is to follow some rules and the result will be guaranteed. 1) The water must be lukewarm and always have a greater amount than described in the recipe since not all flours are the same, some absorb more water than others. 2) Salt should never be near the yeast, it could compromise the rising, but adding a pinch of sugar promotes rising. 3) The oven should always be at high temperature and it’s good to add a bowl with water on the bottom to promote humidity.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Is a loaf pan necessary to bake rye bread in the oven?
Absolutely not, it can be baked normally like all other bread in the oven without a pan. I use it for convenience when preparing sandwiches.
