German Rye Bread - Recipe

Well, I had a bit of time before I volunteer this afternoon and was running short of the loaf I made earlier in the week so whipped together another batch of this recipe. All I can say is wow is it good.

German Rye Bread
1 2/3 c. water
2 1/2 tbs. sugar
2/3 tsp. salt
3 1/2 c. white flour
1/2 c. rye flour
1 tb. vital gluten
2 tsp. rapid rise yeast

Other than that, I throw in bits and bobs. Today it was a shake of unsalted sunflower seeds, a shake of wheat germ, a shake of ground flax, and another shake of cracked wheat. Nothing I ever make will ever taste like the former because I almost always improvise and throw in pinches/shakes of random things I think might taste good.

I set the bread maker on the dough cycle and watch it when it starts to whir. If there isn't enough liquid, I drip in a bit more water until it starts to whir. If I add too much, I might throw some raw bran in. I play baking and cooking by ear.

Once the dough cycle is complete, I punch the hell out of it and turn it into a loaf and either into the greased bread tin or throw it onto the pizza stone that is always in the oven. Let it rise for about an hour in the slightly warmed oven. Then I cook it until the bottom sounds hollow when tapped cooking it at about 425F (normally takes about 30 mins).

Yum. If you bake or like bread, give it a go. It's light and toasts wonderfully.

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Earth shattering update (no, not really... but read on): after volunteering I went to a meat market that I've never been to but had their meat pies 27 years ago (I was a kid). I decided to pick up some pies and I saw they had a package of meat ends. I picked up the package ($0.99/100g) and it was filled with delectable delights. I had the best prosciutto and some sort of random smoked meat that I've ever consumed this morning on the toasted rye. Variety is the spice of life and I will have a spicy week ahead of me with all the random very, very tasty meats in this package. I wish this meat market wasn't on the other side of the city with petrol being this high or I'd be a regular.

I had 2 pies for dinner last night (beef and steak/kidney) and holy tomatoes are they good. I won't eat two pies at a sitting again, but oh my god were they orgasmic.