Molasses Rye Bread.

So I am in the process of finding a Lithuanian rye bread recipe that I can make at home. I used to get it in Chicago, or nearer to home in New Buffalo, Michigan. There were some specialty shops that sold it there.

Now that I live on the east coast, it has been really hard to find it! The Lithuanians are hard to find out here. In normal Victory fashion, if I can’t get it, I will do it myself! Like the cookies, it will take me a while, but that is fine. I’ve got time, I will get there, and one day I will share it with you all. 

But for today, I will share a really good rye bread that is not Lithuanian. It is awesome though, and pairs great with light soups and soft cheeses.

What you will need:

2 cups rye flour
2 cups bread flour
2 plus cups all purpose flour
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup milk
1/2 cup molasses
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons yeast
2 teaspoons salt
A spray bottle filled with water
A large loaf pan or two normal loaf pans. (I like these big loaf pans. One makes enough for my family of 4 for a week.)

Pre-heat you oven to the proofing setting, or 110 degrees. This will help so much with the rise of the bread! Before I had a oven that could go that low, a sunny window sill or big metal radiator was fine enough.

Now in your stand mixer: Put in all the flours! And i guess the oats and the yeast and salt. Put on the dough hook attachment and let it go. (You can do this without a stand mixer. You will have beefy arms when you are done.) While it’s combing the dry ingredients for you, put the milk, water, butter, and molasses in the microwave for a minute. Stir well together to make sure the molasses is well combined. You’ll know when it turns to a mocha-like color.

Now that your flours have been integrating, pour in all the wet ingredients, and turn up the speed slowly so as to not launch flour everywhere.

It should take 3 to 5 minutes for the dough to come together. You might need to add extra flour a bit at a time until you get the right consistency: what you will be looking for is for the bottom of the bowl to come clean of dough as it is mixing. This is a harder step if you have never made bread before, but keep at it. Practice makes perfect.

Once your dough is pulling away from the side of the bowl. It’s time to take it from the stand mixer and remove the dough hook, like a pirate. Place the dough, bowl and all, into the oven. Spray down the top very well with water. Yup. Spray it down like your kid just rubbed pasta sauce on the wall and you have to clean it up before your family shows up in 10 minutes.

Yeast needs moisture, warmth, and food to create those little gas bubbles we like to eat so much. Think of them as a micro pets. So when you are spraying down your bread, it’s ensuring that they will not get parched in the heat. Let rise for 2 hours. Go watch a move or read a book. Do some laundry. Whatever, just leave it alone. They’re shy.

After the time has passed, put the dough on a floured surface and press it out with your hands, or roll it out with a pin, to the length of your pan.

Then spray down with water again, and roll it up. This will ensure no big air pockets form while it rises again. The water mixes with the flour from the surface and makes a glue that keeps the rolled dough together! Place the dough roll, seem side down, in the loaf pan. Place the pan in the oven and spray it down again. Then let rise again! Just for an hour or two.

When you are happy it has proofed enough: Take it out of the oven, then turn it up to 350 degrees. Score the top with a sharp knife and bake for 30 minutes or until the bread reaches an internal temperature of 200 degrees.

Slice thick or thin, toast it and slather in butter. Enjoy!