Mother Earth News_December_2016_2017

http://www.MotherearthNews.coM 33

cut the dough in half, as evenly as you

can. Pat each half into an oval, about 8

by 10 inches, and then, stretching it a bit,

roll it up into a nice, fat loaf. For a rustic

appearance, pick up a little flour from the

board and sprinkle a bit on the top. Put

each loaf into a greased or well-seasoned

loaf pan to rise.

Cover the loaves with greased plastic

wrap or a proof cover and allow them to

rise until fully doubled. While the loaves

rise, check them a time or two. If you see

a big bubble on the top, pinch it carefully

so you won’t have a burned blister on the

top of your bread.

Just before the rise is complete, make a

slash or two with a lame (see photo, Page

31) or a very sharp knife or razor blade.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees

Fahrenheit. Bake your loaves for about 50

minutes, until they’re a nice dark-gold col-

or, and a thermometer inserted through

the side reads 190 degrees. Turn out the

loaves immediately onto a wire rack.

Never cut a loaf until it’s completely cool.

Wrap the loaves well to freeze them.

I put each loaf or half loaf into a cheap

plastic bag and then place two loaves into

a 2-gallon zip-close bag.

Try rustic boules and pizza crust: This

dough also makes great sandwich rolls,

boules, rustic loaves for the dinner table,

and my favorite: pizza crusts. I love to

form several pizza crusts to stock up. A

chunk of dough about the size of a base-

ball makes a 10-inch pizza; use a hunk

the size of a softball if you’d like a 12-

inch pie.

To make pizza crust: Pat, roll, and

stretch the crust to the size you’d like.

Place each crust on a piece of parchment

on a baking sheet. Allow the crusts to rise

until puffy. If the crust tries to hump up

in the center, give it a stab with a knife.

You can freeze crusts by partially

baking them about 10 minutes at 450

degrees, cooling them, and then plac-

ing them in zip-close bags separated by

sheets of parchment.

Rye Bread with a Starter

Rye bread is a challenge for many bak-

ers. There are so many “hockey puck”

disasters. This recipe works! You’ll make

a loaf with a moist, open crumb and a

chewy crust, just like the best deli loaves.

You can form your dough into two fat

loaves in loaf pans, a huge artisan boule,

or two smaller boules — or even use some

for crusty, chewy rolls, which are fabulous

for thick sandwiches. Even if you don’t

like the whole caraway seeds in your

bread, be sure to put in the ground seeds.

Yield: 2 standard loaves or a huge boule.

• 3 cups rye flour, preferably whole rye


• 3 cups bread flour, divided, plus more
  in reserve
  -^1 ⁄ 4 cup vital wheat gluten


• 4 tbsp caraway seeds, divided


• Pinch of citric acid


• 1 tbsp fine sea salt


• 2 tbsp instant yeast


• 16 ounces pre-fermented starter, about

(^1) ⁄ 3 batch (see recipe, Page 32)

• 2^1 ⁄ 4 cups hot water, 105 degrees
  Fahrenheit


• 2 tbsp molasses or sorghum syrup


• 1 tbsp oil (optional)


• Cornmeal (optional)
  Directions: Set up a mixer with a
  dough hook. You’ll probably want the
  mixer for this dough — rye dough takes
  a lot of muscle. Put the rye flour, 1 cup of

Using a starter will help you make a rye bread that’s moist and has a chewy crust.

Make a loaf of white bread, form the dough into boules or pizza crust, or try a whole-wheat version.

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