Rye Bread

Although I haven't made fresh homemade bread in quite some time, it is one of my favorite activities. I particularly enjoy the process of kneading the dough, as it's a nice way to release stress in a healthy fashion. While this recipe includes fennel seeds, if you don't like the taste of them (like my brother), then you can feel free to leave them out.

Rye Bread
Adapted from the American Girls "Kristen's Cook Book"
1 loaf, roughly 16 slices

Ingredients:
3/4 cup milk
2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup lukewarm water
4 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
1/2 cup packed brown sugar, the original recipe calls for dark brown sugar, but I used light brown sugar
1 tbsp ground fennel seed
1 tsp salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 - 3 cups rye flour
1 tbsp vegetable oil

1. Heat the milk in a saucepan over low heat. Add the butter and stir until it is melted. Turn off heat.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the lukewarm water and yeast. Stir well and set aside for five minutes.

3. After five minutes, add the milk mixture to the yeast mixture, making sure the milk is not warm enough to kill the yeast.

4. If the fennel seeds are not ground already, ground them at this point with a mortar and pestle.

5. Stir in the brown sugar, fennel, and salt into the liquid mixture.

6. Add the all-purpose flour, and stir to mix.

7. Gradually mix in two cups of the rye flour, then add enough of the remaining flour until a dough ball is formed.

8. Cover the mixing bowl with a towel and let the dough rest in a warm place for 10-15 minutes.

9. Lightly flour a surface with rye flour. Knead the dough for 5-10 minutes, adding additional flour as necessary, until a smooth ball of dough is formed and springs back when poked with a finger.

10. Cover the dough with a towel and let rest 5-10 minutes.

11. Coat the inside of a medium bowl with oil. Roll the dough around the bowl, cover with a towel, and let rise in a warm place for about 45-60 minutes, or until double in size.

12. When the dough has doubled in size, test it by poking it with your finger. If it does not spring back, it is ready to be shaped.

13. Spray a baking sheet (or round pizza pan) with cooking spray and sprinkle with a little bit of rye flour.

14. Punch the dough in the bowl to remove the air and then knead it a few times.

15. Shape the dough into a round loaf about 7-8 inches in diameter on the baking sheet.

16. Cover the dough with a towel and let rise in a warm place again for another 45-60 minutes.

17. Preheat the oven to 375F degrees.

18. Pierce the top of the loaf with a fork several times, making a deeper hole in the center by rotating the fork.

19. Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until the top is browned and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the top.

 20. Once the loaf has cooled some, rub extra butter over the top, if desired.

21. Enjoy!

Nutritional Info per Slice:
Calories 136; Total Fat 3g; Cholesterol 4mg; Sodium 157mg; Total Carbs 27g; Protein 3g