A Recipe for Rye Bread

This is the recipe I used for my rye bread last weekend, taken from the book Recipes: The Cooking of Scandinavia, published as part of the Foods of the World series by Time-Life Books, 1974.

Suomalaisleipä - Finnish Bread

To make 1 loaf

4 packages active dry yeast (I used 3 tablespoons of yeast from a jar)

3 teaspoons dark brown sugar

1 and 1/4 cups lukewarm water

1 tablespoon melted butter

1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 and 1/2 cups rye flour

1 tablespoon soft butter

Sprinkle the yeast and 1 teaspoon of the brown sugar over 1/2 cup of the lukewarm water in the bowl where you will prepare the dough. Be absolutely sure that the water is lukewarm - neither too hot nor too cool to the touch. Let the mixture stand for 2 or 3 minutes, then stir it to dissolve the yeast completely. Set the cup aside in a warm, draft-free spot for 5 to 7 minutes or until the mixture has begun to bubble and has doubled in volume.

Add the remaining 3/4 cup of lukewarm water, and, with a wooden spoon, mix in the remaining 2 teaspoons of dark brown sugar, the melted butter, salt, all-purpose flour, and 1 cup of the rye flour. When the mixture forms a smooth dough, cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for 10 minutes.

Knead the dough until it is elastic and smooth. I like to do this in my standing mixer with the dough hook. Kneading by hand works too. Butter the inside bottom of the bowl, or pour melted butter, cooled slightly, into it, then put the dough in, then flip the dough over so all sides of the dough are buttered. Let the dough rest this way, with the bowl loosely covered with plastic wrap. Put it in a warm, draft-free place for 45 minutes or until the dough doubles in volume and no longer springs back when poked with a finger.

Preheat the oven to 375F. Lightly butter a cookie sheet and then sprinkle the cookie sheet with rye flour, turning the cookie sheet over to knock off any excess flour. Shape the dough into a round, flat loaf, 9 or 10 inches in diameter, and set it on the cookie sheet. Bake 1 hour, or until the bread has a dark brown crust and a toothpick or skewer comes out dry and clean. Remove to a cake rack to cool, and serve, if possible, while the bread is still warm.