Artisan Sourdough Bread Made Simple: Full of Easy Bread Recipes for Beginners 9798650182252

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Artisan Sourdough Bread Made Simple Full of Easy Bread Recipes for Beginners Christopher Pelz Copyright © 2020 Christopher Pelz All rights reserved. ISBN: 9798650182252

DEDICATION The author and publisher have provided this e-book to you for your personal use only. You may not make this e-book publicly available in any way. Copyright infringement is against the law. If you believe the copy of this ebook you are reading infringes on the author copyright, please notify the publisher at: https://us.macmillan.com/piracy.

Contents Acknowledge Colomba di Pasqua (Easter Dove Bread) Date Apple Quick Bread No Yeast Dinner Rolls Braid Egg-Twist Breads Sourdough Biscuits Sourdough English Muffins Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls Ice Cream Bread Pull-Apart Garlic Bread Danish Rye Bread

Acknowledge

Cooking Together, Staying Together Few things are more comforting than the smell of homemade bread filling the kitchen. Use these recipes and tips to make your own homemade loaves.

Colomba di Pasqua (Easter Dove Bread) This traditional Italian Easter bread is soft and delicate with bits of candied orange peel in every bite. The bread is brushed with a sweet glaze, then topped with sliced almonds and pearl sugar for a crunchy coating on top. Traditionally, this bread with be flavored with an orange scented extract called fiori di Sicilia. If you are having trouble finding it in your local market, the combination of vanilla and orange extracts used in this recipe make for a delicious substitute.

Total:80 mins Prep:45 mins Cook:35 mins Rise:12 hrs Yield:1 loaf (24 slices) Ingredients For the Starter: 1 tablespoon active dry yeast 1 cup milk (warmed to about 110 degrees F)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon sugar For the Dough: 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 tablespoon active dry yeast 2 eggs 1 egg yolk (white reserved for topping) 1/3 cup granulated sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons freshly-grated orange zest 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 teaspoon orange extract 1 cup unsalted butter (softened) 1 cup candied orange peel For the Glaze and Toppings: 1 egg white (reserved from dough) 3 tablespoons almond flour 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 1/4 teaspoon almond extract 2 tablespoons sliced almonds 2 tablespoons pearl sugar Steps to Make It Gather the ingredients.

The night before you want to bake the Easter dove bread, prepare the starter. In the large bowl of a stand mixer, sprinkle the yeast over the warm milk and let it sit for 5 minutes. Whisk in the 1/2 cup of flour and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest overnight (or for at least 6 hours) at room temperature.

The next day, prepare the dough. Remove the plastic wrap from the bowl. The starter should be bubbly. To the bowl with the starter, add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of yeast and 2 cups of flour in the bowl of a stand mixer attached with the dough hook. Mix it on medium speed for about 5 minutes. Add the 1/3 cup of sugar, eggs, egg yolk, remaining 1/2 cup flour, salt, orange zest, vanilla extract and orange extract. Knead for about 15 minutes on medium speed, adding up to an additional 1/2 cup flour if necessary if the dough is not coming together. Once the dough is soft and elastic, add the butter slowly while kneading. Continue kneading for 10 more minutes or until the dough is satiny and soft. Add the candied orange peel and mix to combine.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a towel, and let the dough rise for 3 hours or until at least doubled in size. Divide the dough in two pieces, one slightly larger than the other. Shape the larger one into a 10-inch log, with one end slightly smaller than the other end. This will be the “head” of the dove. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Use the edge of your hand to form a crease in the center. Shape the smaller piece of dough into a 7-inch log. Place it across the larger log, inside the crease. Gently bend this log into a crescent shape. (This will be the “wings” of the dove.) . Cover the loaf lightly with a towel or plastic wrap. Allow to rise for 45 to 60 minutes or until doubled in size. Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Meanwhile, prepare the glaze. Beat the egg white until foamy and whisk in the almond flour, granulated sugar, and almond extract until you have a white paste-like glaze. When the loaf is ready to bake, carefully brush the glaze on the bread, being careful not to deflate it. Sprinkle with the sliced almonds and the pearl sugar.

Bake the loaf for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven heat to 350 F and bake for an additional 20 minutes, tenting it with foil for the final 10 minutes of baking. The finished loaf will be golden brown, and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center will register 190 F. Remove the bread from the oven and carefully slide it onto a rack to cool.

Date Apple Quick Bread

Quick loaves of bread are great additions to your breakfast or brunch tables, are wonderful to accompany coffee or tea, and make tasty desserts. This easy quick bread recipe gets its moisture and flavor from the finely chopped apples and warming spices. Dates give the loaf a chewy texture and the right amount of sweetness, while the milk and butter make a silky dough that browns beautifully in the oven. Portable and packed with nutrition, this bread is great for picnics and potlucks and makes decadent nut butter and jelly sandwiches for kids' parties. Use thick slices for French toast, press a sandwich with Brie cheese and honey, or simply serve with whipped butter and jelly. There is no wrong way of eating this and it's so easy to make, that you'll find yourself making one each week. Ingredients 2 apples (sweet apples, such a Honey Crisp or Golden Delicious) 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/2 cup butter (softened) 3/4 cup granulated sugar 2 large eggs 1/2 cup milk 1 cup chopped dates Steps to Make It Gather the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease and flour a 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan. Peel, core, and finely chop the apples until the fruit measures 1 1/2 cups. Reserve. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Using a stand or hand mixer, cream the butter with the sugar. Mix for about 5 minutes. Roughly beat the eggs in a small bowl and add them to the creamed butter and sugar. Add half of the flour mixture into the creamed mixture. Mix for 3 minutes. Add the milk. Add the remaining flour to the mixture and mix well for another 5 minutes. Stop and scrape the sides of the bowl and mix for another 3 minutes. Add the dates and chopped apple into the batter and mix well with the help of a spatula. The batter will be quite stiff.

Spread the batter in the prepared loaf pan. Bake in the preheated oven for about 1 hour and 5 minutes to 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a wooden pick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the bread in the pan for 10 minutes. Turn the loaf out onto a rack to cool completely and use a serrated knife to cut. Enjoy! Other Dried Fruits and Flavorings for Your Loaf Using this basic dough as a base, add other ingredients and make your own quick sweet bread. Here are a few ideas: Instead of dates, add dried cranberries or raisins to the dough, or a combination of both. Add chopped dried cherries or apricots, or a combination of both, instead of the dates. Add sliced almonds, crushed cashews, pepitas, or sunflower seeds to give the bread some extra crunch. Use vegan margarine and any milk substitute instead of whole milk and butter to make the loaf dairy-free.

No Yeast Dinner Rolls

No yeast? No problem! It is easy to prepare freshly baked dinner rolls with just four simple ingredients. The trick: self-rising flour. You won't believe that these perfectly risen no-fuss dinner rolls were made without any yeast. This convenience product is made with baking powder and salt already incorporated into the flour. If you don't have any self-rising flour on hand, you can certainly make your own. The best part about these no yeast dinner rolls is that they can be made in less than 20 minutes and require only four ingredients. They are the perfect solution at dinnertime because they can be easily whipped up while you are preparing the rest of the meal. This recipe yields a dozen dinner rolls, but the recipe can easily be halved if you only want to bake six rolls for dinner or doubled when you need more. They taste best when enjoyed warm and fresh from the oven. They are wonderful when served with a homemade herb butter or even with your favorite fruit jam. Ingredients

2 cups self-rising flour 1 cup milk 1/4 cup mayonnaise 1 teaspoon sugar Steps to Make It Gather the ingredients. Preheat oven to 450 F. Prepare a 12-cup muffin tin by coating with cooking spray. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the self-rising flour, milk, mayonnaise, and sugar. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tin. Bake in the preheated oven for 12 to 14 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool for 5 minutes in pan. Remove to a wire rack. Serve warm. Tips These dinner rolls are an extra special treat when served with a homemade herb butter, also called compound butter. To make, simply combine softened, unsalted butter with your favorite chopped fresh herbs and spices: Parsley, rosemary, basil, or thyme are all great choices. You can add additional savory elements such as finely chopped green onion or chives as well. Fresh lemon or lime zest also add interest to compound butters. Finally, season the butter with salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste. After combining your choice of ingredients, refrigerate the butter for a few hours before serving to allow the flavors to blend. Homemade herb butters can then be covered and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Braid Egg-Twist Breads

There is something about a braided bread that looks delicate, decadent, and absolutely professional. If you're new to baking bread, you might think this technique is hard to achieve. With a little practice, it's actually quite easy. If you know how to braid hair or string, the same method is applied to this dough. Once you have it mastered, you'll be baking braided bread for yourself, family, and friends. Use a kitchen thermometer to test the warm milk and water temperature. Ingredients 1 cup warmed milk (no hotter than 110 F) 1/2 cup butter (or margarine) 1 cup sugar (or less, to taste) 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 (1/4 ounce) packages active dry yeast 1/4 cup warm water (no hotter than 110 F) 3 large eggs (divided, at room temperature, beaten) 5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour Optional: 1 cup golden raisins

Steps to Make It Gather the ingredients. In a small bowl, or in the pot used to heat the milk, whisk together lukewarm milk (110 F), butter, sugar, and salt. Stir to combine and until butter is thoroughly melted.

Place yeast and warm water (110 F) in the bowl of a stand mixer or large bowl. With the paddle attachment, mix until dissolved. Add lukewarm milk mixture and 2 eggs and combine. Add flour and continue to mix until smooth, 3 to 5 minutes. Add raisins (if using) and thoroughly combine. The dough will be sticky.

Transfer dough to a clean, greased bowl. Turn dough over to grease the top and cover bowl with plastic wrap. Place in a warm, draft-free place and let rise until the dough has doubled (about 1 hour). You also can microwave your dough to help cut down on the rising time. When the dough has risen, punch it down and turn out onto a lightly floured board. The less flour you use, the better the bread will be.

If making one large loaf, divide the dough into three equal pieces. If making two loaves, divide the dough into two equal pieces and divide each of the two pieces into three equal pieces, for a total of six pieces. Roll each piece of dough into a rope about 14 inches long. Use three ropes

per bread. If making two loaves, roll the ropes into 10- to 12-inch lengths.

Combine the tops of the three ropes. Start braiding from the top, as you would for a plait of hair. Tuck the dough under a bit when you get to the bottom.

Heat the oven to 350 F. Let the bread rise, loosely covered with oiled plastic wrap, until doubled in volume, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Brush lightly with remaining beaten egg. Bake 30 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer registers 190 to 200 F when placed in the middle of the loaf.

Remove bread from the oven. When completely cool, slice and serve. If you have leftovers, they're great in bread pudding or sliced for French toast!

Sourdough Biscuits

This recipe is great for sourdough bakers who do not like wasting starter. It's also for those inevitable days when you get your starter all fired up for making bread, but your schedule changes and you miss the starter’s peak. Rather than making imperfect bread or chucking starter in the trash and starting over, save it for biscuits. These biscuits are not sourdough in the true sense because biscuits are a quick bread and sourdough requires fermentation. The taste is more like buttermilk biscuits, except here the cultured tang comes from sourdough starter discarded as part of the refreshment process. You can use fresh, recently-fed starter if you like, but it will not give as much cultured flavor as a starter that has been through a fermentation cycle and stored for a few days in the refrigerator. One benefit of using sourdough starter instead of buttermilk is that these biscuits can easily be made vegan without losing depth of flavor. Try substituting non-dairy milk and solid vegetable fat like coconut oil (trickier to work with but more natural than hydrogenated oils like Crisco) for a vegan biscuit that tastes like a homestyle buttermilk biscuit. Ingredients

200 grams all-purpose flour 60 grams white whole wheat flour 2 teaspoons granulated sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 6 grams sea salt 120 grams cold whole milk, plus more for brushing the tops 100 grams cold sourdough starter discard 1 stick cold unsalted butter (cut in small pieces) Steps to Make It Gather the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 400 F. In a large mixing bowl, add the flours, sugar, baking power, baking soda, and salt. Stir to combine. In a separate medium mixing bowl, whisk together the milk and sourdough starter until combined. Add the butter pieces to the dry ingredients. Mash all of the pieces of butter through the tines of a fork or pastry blender once. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir just until a shaggy dough forms. Turn the rough dough out onto a floured surface and form it into a 1-inch thick rectangle. Fold the rectangle in thirds like a business letter. Dust the dough lightly with flour and use a rolling pin to roll it out to 1 1/2 inches thick. Repeat the letter fold and roll the dough again, this time to a thickness of about 3/4 of an inch. Cut the dough into your desired shape. We prefer square biscuits because there is no leftover scrap dough. Place the biscuits on a parchment-lined baking sheet and brush the tops with milk. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until golden and well-risen. Serve

immediately. Tip Store in a sealed container at room temperature for up to three days or freeze for up to six months.

Sourdough English Muffins

English muffins get their distinctive flat sides and open crumb because they're “baked” on the griddle instead of the oven. They're kind of like puffy pancakes made of soft dough instead of batter and taste delicious split open and topped with butter. This recipe uses the easiest English muffin method out there. The secret is the softness of the dough. For bread dough, it contains a relatively high amount of liquid. Ordinarily, such doughs are somewhat difficult to handle, but this recipe solves that problem by using a muffin tin as a kind of proofing basket. This allows you to portion the muffins with a spoon instead of the standard tedious methods for dividing and scaling bread dough and the cups keep the wet dough from spreading too thin during the overnight refrigeration. Once cold, the dough is much easier to work with and the combination of cold dough and high hydration generates a lot of steam inside the muffins when they hit the griddle. The steam expands all the little bubbles created by

the fermentation and—voilà!—beautiful nooks and crannies. Nooks, crannies, and sourdough: what could be a better breakfast? Even though this version of the English muffin is made with sourdough starter, these muffins have a slight sweetness due to the honey. If you would prefer a truly tangy English muffin, you may omit the honey and give the muffin dough a longer period of refrigerated fermentation, which tends to bring out the natural sourdough flavor. Ingredients 125 grams bread flour 50 grams whole wheat flour 60 grams sourdough starter 120 grams milk 30 grams honey 1 egg white 5 grams salt Cornmeal (for dusting) Steps to Make It Gather the ingredients. Add the bread flour, whole wheat flour, sourdough starter, milk, honey, egg white, and salt to a large bowl. Mix until well combined. Cover and ferment for 4 to 5 hours at room temperature. Prepare a muffin pan (preferably the large pecan roll-type) by spraying six of the cups with cooking spray and dusting with cornmeal. Use a large spoon to put approximately 1/6 of the dough into each cup. Dust the dough with more of the cornmeal on top. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 12 to 16 hours. Heat a large griddle or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Spray the pan

with oil. Remove the muffin pan from the refrigerator. When the pan is hot, use a small spoon or rubber spatula to gently remove each muffin from its cup and place it in the skillet. Griddle the muffins until well browned, maybe with a few small spots nearing black, then flip them over and repeat on the other side. Remove to a rack to cool. Serve as desired. Tip These English muffins can be stored in a bag or covered container for up to a week. Frozen in a sealed container, they will keep for a lot longer, up to six months or more.

Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls

Sourdough is a much slower way to do cinnamon rolls, but it is definitely worth it. There’s nothing cozier than the scent of cinnamon and sourdough that wafts from the oven while these babies bake. They're an ooey, gooey, and flavorful addition to any breakfast or brunch. A quick word on bread technique: the stretch and fold method mentioned below is an incredibly useful skill to hone as a home baker. That is because as wonderful as your stand mixer is, it just isn’t the best tool for properly developing your dough fully. Giving your dough a fold or two after it has rested from the mixer will result in stronger dough that holds air better and is easier to handle.

Ingredients For the Dough: 300 grams bread flour 160 grams whole milk

100 grams sourdough starter 1 large egg 30 grams unsalted butter (softened) 30 grams sugar 7 grams sea salt For the Filling: 1/2 cup light brown sugar 1 tablespoon cinnamon 3 tablespoons butter (melted) For the Icing: 1/2 cup whipped cream cheese (room temperature) 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (softened) 1/2 cup powdered sugar Milk (as needed, to adjust consistency) Steps to Make It Gather the ingredients. To make the dough, add all of the ingredients to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix on low speed for about 2 minutes, or until mostly combined, then switch to second or third speed (it should be vigorous but not fast) and mix for 4 to 5 more minutes. The dough should be smooth and soft. It is fine if it is a bit sticky. With a dough scraper, transfer the dough to a wider, shallower bowl. Cover the bowl with a damp towel or a plastic bag. Rest for 20 minutes, then give the dough a stretch and fold. Ferment the dough at room temperature for 4 to 5 hours, then refrigerate for 12 to 16 hours.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and turn out onto a lightly-floured surface. Using a rolling pin, gently roll the dough into a flat rectangle about 16 inches long and 1/2 inch thick. To make the filling, mix the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl to combine. Brush the surface of the dough all over with the melted butter, then cover evenly with the cinnamon brown sugar. Taking care to keep as much cinnamon sugar inside the dough as possible, roll the dough up like a rug. Slice crosswise into eight pieces. Grease any suitable baking pan (anything that can go in the oven and fits the rolls, plus extra room for rising) with a little oil or butter and place the rolls inside with their swirls facing up. Cover lightly with plastic wrap. If the plastic wrap must touch the dough, coat the wrap or dough with a little oil to prevent sticking. Put in a warm place (around 80 F) to rise for two hours. When the rolls have risen to one and a half times their size, preheat the oven to 375 F. Bake for around 30 minutes or until golden brown. While the rolls are baking, prepare the icing. Place the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a wire whisk attachment. Whip on high until creamy and well combined. Stop the mixer. Sift the powdered sugar into the bowl. Mix on a low speed to combine. Adjust consistency by adding a splash or two of milk, if desired. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and whip for one 1 minute. When the cinnamon rolls are baked, remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before spreading with the cream cheese icing. Serve warm. Tip If you like to sleep in, scheduling these beauties for brunch or breakfast can be a challenge. To avoid getting up early you can use the following schedule: Make the dough the day before, ferment for four to five hours, chill for a few hours in the refrigerator, then proceed with the steps to form the rolls. Allow them to rise for about two hours, then put them back in the refrigerator. They will continue to rise slowly overnight. The next day, or even the day after, take them out, preheat the oven, and proceed from there.

Ice Cream Bread

Making two-ingredient ice cream bread is one of those magical recipes that sounds impossible. The recipe is incredibly easy and yet the flavor possibilities are endless. All you need is your favorite flavor of ice cream and self-rising flour. The key is to make sure you are using full-fat regular ice cream. Don't attempt to substitute low-fat or low-sugar ice cream in this recipe. You also need to be sure to use self-rising flour. It is a great convenience product with all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt already perfectly blended into the mix in the correct ratios. The result is a loaf of quick bread with a great texture and light flavor. The trick to this great texture is making sure the ice cream is melted and smooth before mixing it with the self-rising flour. Try mixing the ice cream with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to remove any lumps. This will prevent you from overworking the batter when combining the two ingredients. An overworked batter will result in a dense bread. Ingredients 2 cups softened ice cream 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour Optional: Multicolored sprinkles

Steps to Make It Gather the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease a bread loaf pan and set aside.

Stir the ice cream until mostly melted and smooth. In a large bowl, combine the soft, smooth ice cream, and the self-rising flour. Do not over mix.

Pour the batter into the prepared bread loaf pan.

Top with sprinkles, if desired. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove from the pan & allow to cool the rest of the way on a cooling rack.

Enjoy warm or at room temperature. Store leftovers for up to 3 days in an airtight container. Recipe Variations The flavor possibilities are endless when it comes to making ice cream bread. You can use your favorite flavors of ice cream to create new and exciting flavors of bread. Here are a few suggestions to try: Butter Pecan Ice Cream Bread: Use butter pecan ice cream in the recipe and top with finely chopped pecans before baking. Serve the slices toasted with a

pat of butter. Chocolate Ice Cream Bread: Use chocolate ice cream in the recipe and top with mini chocolate chips before baking. Strawberries and Cream Ice Cream Bread: Use strawberry ice cream in the recipe and top with white chocolate chips before baking. Cinnamon Raisin Ice Cream Bread: Use rum raisin ice cream in the recipe and add 1 teaspoon cinnamon into the batter. Additional raisins can also be mixed in before baking.

Pull-Apart Garlic Bread

This recipe for pull-apart garlic bread uses a traditional from-scratch dinner roll dough. It takes a little time, but most of it is hands-off and it’s worth the extra effort. The rolls are incredibly tender and delicious. Be sure to bake the dough fully. The center takes the longest and a visual check may deceive you, so when in doubt use a thermometer. The dough is baked when the internal temperature is close to 200 F. Great for indulgent special occasions, family dinners or carb-loading for marathons, these pull-apart rolls are a garlic lover’s heaven. To make a cheesy version, top the rolls in the last 5-10 minutes of baking with shredded cheese. Ingredients For the Sponge: 100 grams bread flour 60 grams water 1 pinch of instant yeast For the Dough: 300 grams bread flour 150 grams water

60 grams butter (softened) 1 egg (lightly beaten) 25 grams sugar 20 grams dry milk powder 9 grams salt 3 grams instant yeast 1 portion sponge For the Garlic Butter Topping: 2 ounces unsalted butter 7 cloves garlic (about 40g, minced) 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons fresh parsley (chopped) Steps to Make It Note: while there are multiple steps to this recipe, this dish is broken down into workable categories to help you better plan for preparation and cooking. Prepare the Sponge Gather the ingredients. Mix together the flour, water, and yeast until it forms a smooth dough. Cover and leave at room temperature for 12 to 16 hours. Make the Dough Gather the ingredients. Combine the bread flour, water, butter, egg, sugar, dry milk powder, salt, instant yeast, and sponge in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on low speed for about 4 minutes, then increase the speed (one or two clicks depending on your mixer) and mix for 2 to 3 minutes more. Remove the dough from the mixer and form into a ball by tucking the edges underneath. Lightly oil a medium bowl and place the dough inside it, seamside down. Cover and leave at room temperature (about 75 F) for 60 to 90 minutes, until doubled.

Divide the dough into about 16 small pieces that are roughly the same size. Shape each piece into a ball in the same way you did earlier. Leave the dough balls on the counter while you prepare the garlic butter. Make the Topping and Assemble the Bread Gather the ingredients. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. When the butter has melted, add the garlic. Cook for about 2 minutes until the garlic softens slightly and is quite fragrant. Do not brown the garlic. Remove the saucepan from the heat and use a rubber spatula to scrape the garlic butter into a large bowl. Add the dough balls and gently toss to coat well. Place the dough balls in a 9 x 9-inch baking dish. Cover the dish loosely with aluminum foil and leave at room temperature for about 2 hours or until the dough has almost doubled in size. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Bake for about 30 minutes with the foil on, then remove the foil, drizzle the bread with olive oil and bake for 5 to 10 minutes more until browned and fully baked. To ensure the bread is completely baked, you may insert an instant-read thermometer into one of the center rolls; it should read close to 200 F. Remove from the oven. Allow to rest for 10 to 15 minutes. De-pan and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve warm. Tip The ambient temperature is important to consider when making yeasted doughs. If your kitchen is very hot or very cold, you may have to create a more temperate 75 F environment for your dough. For warmth in an otherwise cold kitchen, try a closed oven with the light on. To cool things down on a hot day, try mixing the dough with chilled water. Store leftovers wrapped in foil for a day or two.

Danish Rye Bread

The best thing about Danish rye bread, or rugbrød, is the way it beautifully blurs the line between porridge and bread. It’s a little bit like fermented oatmeal that you can slice and toast. One of the most flavorful yet stillversatile breads, this rye is equally fantastic toasted and buttered for breakfast, or as the foundation of an open-faced sandwich at lunchtime. Also like porridge, it’s simple to make and open to customization. Substitute different seeds or nuts, or even try it with a bit of dried fruit. The dough doesn’t require a lot of mixing, kneading, or fancy slashes. Just mix it up, let it sit around for a while, and bake it in a pan. The most challenging aspect of this recipe is the sourdough starter. Unfortunately with this bread, commercial yeast just won't do. But if sourdough isn’t something you’ve gotten into, this bread is a great place to start. If you don’t have a starter and don’t want to go to the trouble of starting your own (though it’s probably easier than you think), see if your local artisan bakery will hook you up. The effort will be well worth it. Finally, if you’re not a bread geek, you may not be accustomed to seeing ingredients measured in grams. It’s by far the best way of doing things. There are excellent kitchen scales available for this purpose for around twenty dollars.

Ingredients 80g buttermilk 60g dark beer 10g honey 170g whole spelt flour 65g dark rye flour 90g whole flax seeds 45g hulled hemp seed 45g sunflower seeds 14g salt 230g whole rye berries 220g water 150g active sourdough starter Steps to Make It Fully submerge the rye berries in water and soak them for twelve hours. Drain them after soaking. Add all ingredients to a large bowl and mix until well combined. Cover the bowl and leave it somewhere around 70 to 75 F to ferment for about 3 hours. After that time you should notice some visible fermentation activity. Due to the quality of the gluten, as well as all the heavy whole grains and seeds, the dough won’t rise much, but if you don’t see any bubbles, etc. then keep waiting, up to a maximum of 5 hours. Butter or oil a 4x9 Pullman-style loaf pan with a sliding lid, and using a flexible dough scraper, gently pour the dough into the open pan. It should fill about half the space. Let the dough ferment (technically, “proof” - the term for fermentation that takes place after the loaf has been shaped) for 2 more hours at the same ambient temperature. Refrigerate the dough in the covered pan for 12 to 16 hours. Preheat the oven to 425 F. Remove the pan, cover on, from the refrigerator and put it into the hot oven. After 20 minutes, remove the pan’s cover and

continue to bake for another 55-70 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted in the center of the loaf reads at least 205 F. Remove the loaf to a cooling rack. After the loaf has cooled to room temperature, wrap it in a clean kitchen towel. Wait 24 hours before slicing.