Rye Bread

Years ago we bought a huge Dak bread maker.  The bread came out is a big cylindar shape.  The bread maker served us well but eventually wore out.  It was eventually replaced by another machine, I don't remember the name but that machine was nothing like the Dak, if I recall correctly, I think we could even make jam in the breadmaker.  That machine was replaced by another bread maker that met it's untimely demise when I pulled it away from the wall to add some ingredients and it "walked" off the counter during the kneading cycle - crash!  Our current bread maker is a Breadman.  It does a fair job making bread but I always hate the hole it leaves in the bottom of the loaf.  If time allows, I use the Breadman for mixing, kneading and rising - then I remove the dough and place it in a regular loaf pan for the 2nd rise and finish by baking it in the oven.

I have found the best loaves are the ones that I stretch (sometimes I use a rolling pin) the bread into a rectangles and then roll the dough, jellyroll style, into a loaf.  No matter what, the home baked bread is always better than the preservative laden bread sold in the stores. 

The recipe book that came with the Breadman has some terrific recipes, including the following Rye Bread

Add the following ingredients to the bread maker in the order given:

1 1/4 cups water (80 degree F)
3 TBL. oil (note to friend CP - I recommend Canola Oil - fresh from the bottle, not french fry oil)
4 tsp. Caraway Seeds
3 TBL. Brown Sugar
2 tsp. Salt ( do not cut back on the salt, it is important for the yeast!)
2 1/2 cups Bread Flour
1 1/2 cups Medium Rye Flour
1 TBL. Red Star Active Dry Yeast
(or 2 tsp Red Star Quick Rise Yeast)
(or 2 tsp Bread Machine Yeast)

If you want to bake the bread in the oven, program your bread machine for "Dough".  When you hear the beep (at least on my machine) remove the dough and roll out into rectangle and follow steps listed above.  Allow the loaf to almost double in size (about 1 to 2 hours).  Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 30 to 45 minutes (possibly an hour) - the loaf should be a nice golden brown crust color.  I also use a instant read thermometer - the center of the bread should be 200 degrees.  Allow the bread to sit in the pan for 10 to 20 minutes.  No matter how tempted you are, do not cut the bread until it has cooled on a rack for at least one hour.

Yeah, about that last piece of advice, my favorite memories as a child was sitting in my grandpas kitchen smelling homemade bread in the oven.  Gramps would cut the bread while it was still warm and we would enjoy a slice with real butter and honey.  I still can't resist reliving those childhood memories!