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Rye Bread
1 cup scalded milk 1 cup boiling water 1 tablespoon lard 1 tablespoon butter 1/3 cup brown sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1/4 yeast cake dissolved in 1/4 cup lukewarm water 3 cups flour Rye meal To milk and water add lard, butter, sugar, and salt; when lukewarm, add dissolved yeast cake and flour, beat thoroughly, cover, and let rise until light. Add rye meal until dough is stiff enough to knead; knead thoroughly, let rise, shape in loaves, let rise again, and bake.
A straightforward sponge-and-dough rye from the era of compressed yeast cakes and unspecified ovens. Two details need translating before you start: the yeast quantity and the missing bake instructions.
- The yeastA quarter of a yeast cake works out to roughly 1/2 teaspoon of modern instant or active dry yeast, if one assumes the small (about 0.6 oz) compressed cake; period cakes were not all the same size. With that little yeast expect a long, slow first rise — perhaps 2 to 3 hours at room temperature.
- Rye meal vs. rye flourRye meal is coarsely ground whole rye, closer to what is sold as pumpernickel or dark rye flour than to light rye. Expect to add 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 cups; rye absorbs water slowly, so add it gradually and let it hydrate a minute before judging stiffness.
- Kneading ryeRye has little gluten and its pentosans make the dough sticky rather than springy. It will never feel smooth and elastic like a wheat dough. Knead 6 to 8 minutes with a light hand and wet or oiled fingers instead of adding more flour.
- Oven and timeThe original gives no temperature. Bake at 375°F for 35 to 45 minutes, until the loaves sound hollow and register 200-205°F at the center. Rye is dense enough that underbaking is the usual fault.
- "Let rise until light"For the sponge stage this means roughly doubled, bubbly and slack — not merely risen. Poking it should leave a mark that does not spring back.
- Yield and pansWith three cups of wheat flour plus the rye, the dough should fill two 8x4-inch pans. Grease them; brown sugar and milk make a crust that sticks.
- SlicingCool rye completely, ideally several hours, before cutting. Warm rye crumb is gummy and tears, and the flavor is noticeably better the day after baking.