Swedish Rye Bread II

An aromatic rye bread with a hint of orange and honey. A friend gave me a loaf of this bread as a hostess gift and was thoughtful enough to pass along the recipe.

Step: 1

In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm (110 degree F) water. Let sit until creamy, about 10 minutes.

Step: 2

Pour the hot water in a large mixing bowl, add the honey, salt, sugar, orange zest, caraway seeds and butter; briefly stir. Let cool to lukewarm.

Step: 3

Combine the yeast mixture with the honey orange mixture. Stir in the rye flour. Mix the bread flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough comes together. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and supple, about 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large mixing bowl. Place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, lightly grease three 9x5 inch loaf pans.

Step: 4

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into three equal pieces. Form each piece into a loaf and place in prepared pans. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Step: 5

Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the top of the loaves are golden and the bottoms sound hollow when tapped.

Per Serving: 236 calories; protein 4.8g; carbohydrates 48.8g; fat 2.5g; cholesterol 5.1mg; sodium 596.6mg.

The quality of the flour can make a real difference to your bread. Different makers do vary. Extra-strong or Canadian flours, which are naturally higher in gluten, may give you a better rise than standard bread flours – especially if you’re make wholemeal bread , which not always getting bigger as well as white bread.

To make this in a breadmaker , add all the ingredients to your breadmaker and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

A dough’s first rising can be done in the fridge 24 hours . This slows down the time it takes to rise to double its size, giving it a deeper flavour. It’s also a great timesaver , as you can start it night before , then finish it off the next day.