Cooking

Old-world bread recipes call for black & white photos.

I’ve always loved a nice rye bread. I did not, however, have any illusions that such a thing could be created at home. That’s crazy. Isn’t it?

Maybe not. I expected this recipe to be edible. I didn’t expect it to be where-did-you-find-a-Jewish-deli good.

This recipe makes four 1-pound loaves. The bread freezes well; defrost overnight and warm in the oven to re-crisp the crust.

Ingredients

• 3 cups lukewarm water
• 1 1/2 Tbsp active dry yeast
• 1 1/2 Tbsp salt
• 1 1/2 Tbsp caraway seeds, plus more for sprinkling
• 1 cup rye flour
• 5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• Cornmeal
• Cornstarch

Instructions

Mix water, yeast, salt and caraway seeds together in a large bowl. Stir in the remaining dry ingredients. Do not knead. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and allow to rest at room temperature for 2 hours.

At this point, the bread is ready to be prepared for baking, or it can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week.

To bake, dust the surface of the dough with flour and cut off 1/4 of the dough. Quickly shape the dough into a ball, adding more flour if necessary. Shape the ball into an oval-shaped loaf. Rest dough for 40 minutes on a baking sheet covered with cornmeal.

Arrange your oven racks so that one is in the lowest position and the second is in the middle. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Put an empty broiler tray on the bottom rack.

Make a cornstarch wash by combining 1/2 tsp cornstarch with a small amount of water to form a thick paste. Add 1/2 cup of water and whisk to combine. Microwave for 60 seconds.

Paint the top of the loaf with the cornstarch wash and sprinkle with caraway seeds, if desired. Slash deep, parallel cuts across the loaf; a serrated bread knife works best.

Have one cup of hot tap water on hand near the oven.

Slide the baking sheet onto the middle rack. Pour the hot water into the broiler pan to create steam. Quickly close the oven door. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the bread looks golden and sounds hollow when tapped.

Results

The Tiny Kitchen Assistant would like it if I made bread every day. My husband prefers a version with fewer caraway seeds, so I only use them inside the bread dough where they impart a more subtle flavor, and skip the surface dusting after the cornstarch wash.

Tags: bread, freezes well, no-knead, oven, rye

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