Well, I started making the Levy's Rye Bread according to the directions
posted here.
I am making it in the ABM though so I changed a few things. First off, I
mixed the sponge in the machine for a minute or so. Then I put together the
flour mixture and placed it on top. I let it sit, covered, like that for a
few hours.
Then I added the oil and started the mixing and kneading. I am going to do
this on the dough cycle. I am going to let it rise about 1-1/2 hours then
remove it from the machine, put it in a big bowl, cover with oiled plastic
wrap and let it sit in the refrigerator over night.
Tomorrow I will remove it before going out, come back about 3 hours or so
later, and if it is room temp I will let it rise, in a warm place, and then
bake it according to the directions.
Right now it smells amazing. I can't wait to smell it as it is baking.
I'll give a full report tomorrow.
I am hoping for rye bread nirvana! I'll let everyone know if it succeeds.
Being that it is from a famous cookbook author who writes baking books, I
would think it will be a winner.
Thanks for the recipes, everyone. I will try each one, and give a report on
each one and then I will make my final decision as to which is the closest
to the ones I get in the stores in NY and Brooklyn.
The next day...
I made the sponge yesterday. I put the dried ingredients on top (in the
bread pan of my ABM) and I left it standing there for 4 hours (covered).
Then I started up the machine, added the 1 tbsp oil, and let it rip!
I had to add a bit more water to make a dough ball. Then I left it alone. I
let it rise and then knead, rise and then knead. Then I turned off the
machine and let the dough rise for an hour. I punched it down and put it in
a oiled-ziploc bag (2 gallon). I put it in the refrigerator overnight.
Today I took it out at 8 am. I let it sit out until it got to room
temperature. I had to go out at 9:45 and would be home around 1.
When I got home, it had gotten so large I couldn't believe it. Wow.
I took the dough out, punched it down, and then shaped it. I had enough to
make 2 loaves. I put the dough in my Italian Bread pan from King Arthur (it
makes 2 loaves at a time). I realize that that is the wrong shape for rye
bread, but I didn't care about the shape, just the taste!
I set up the oven the way the recipe said. I put ice cubes on the bottom
pan, sprayed the tops of the loaves with water, made slits in the tops of
the loaves, and put them loaves in the oven at 450 (after preheating for
almost 1 hour - if I leave it too long my smoke alarms go off no matter how
clean the oven is - it smokes). I baked it for 15 minutes and then lowered
the heat to 400 and finished baking the loaves for 1/2 hour. That is all
they needed. They were browned and quite crunchy.
I removed them from the oven and put the loaves on wire racks to cool.
After 1/2 hour, I cut into one (the smell was incredible). I put some soft
butter on a small slice and tasted. Well...close to NY rye but more crusty
than a loaf of the real thing. But...happy am I. Very close in taste.
My husband, who is fasting today because he has to have a procedure done
tomorrow, said it was unfair because it smelled too good. I promised him a
slice tomorrow afternoon!
Thanks for the great recipe. I will try it again. I want to try the other
loaves that were posted and we'll see if yours is the tops or not. So
far..so good.
Thanks a lot,
RisaG