malt

Malt Loaf

January 29, 2015


This is as easy as it gets. The recipe is a lazy baker's dream. Nevertheless, the bread is one of my very favorite things. 

 N.B. Scandinavian dark syrup, unlike American dark corn syrup, is processed from sugar beets. Thus, a good U.S. equivalent is American light molasses. The syrup is a bit sweeter than the molasses, but it's close enough that the substitution works well.

1 loaf

5 dl (500 g) orange juice
50 g fresh yeast
1,5 tsp salt
1,5 dl 100 g) dark syrup (or light molasses)
1 dl (60 g) rye malt for bread (flour)
1 dl (60 g) graham flour
4 dl (260 g) wheat flour
3 dl (170 g) rye flour

Stir the yeast, salt, syrup, malts and flours into the orange juice. Pour the mixture into a greased 2-liter tin. And yes, I mean two liters. Any smaller and it will overflow. I know from experience! If your tins are smaller, double the recipe and bake three loafs.

Cover and leave to rise at room temperature for 2 hours. 

 This is as easy as it gets! A lazy baker's dream bread recipe.

Preheat the oven to 175°C. Bake for 1 hour 20 minutes. Take the loaf out of the tin and bake for a further 15 minutes.

If you have patience, wait. The bread tastes best when served the next day. We don't have that kind of restraint. We take a bite as soon as it has cooled a little. It's irresistible!

The very favorite delicacy of our snowy winter picnics is this Malt bread with a touch of butter and a slice of mild cream cheese along with a delicious mug of hot chocolate. 

rye

Caraway Bread

January 22, 2015


This is our favorite bread. 

Caraway seeds give the bread a lovely flavor and the recipe is very forgiving to bakers. The loaf is tasty even if the amount of yeast or flours vary a little or the baker forgets the dough to rise.

Only two things matters. First, use fine flours, because only they give the bread its pleasantly chewy texture. Secondly, make one large loaf, because the size of the bread has an effect on its taste. 

1 large loaf

5 dl (500 g) cold water
17 g fresh yeast
0,75 tsp salt
1 tbsp caraway seeds
3 dl (170 g) fine, light rye flour (bolted rye flour)
6 dl (350 g) fine, dark wheat flour (yeast bread wheat flour)

Stir the yeast, salt and caraway seeds into the cold water. Gradually mix in the flour. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes until smooth.

Cover and leave to rise at room temperature for 2 hours. If you are busy, leave the dough to stand in a cool place, where it can rise several hours. 

 Form the dough into a large loaf on a generously floured work surface. Line a baking tray with parchment paper, place the bread on it, cover and leave to rise for an hour. 

 Preheat the oven to 225°C. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 200°C and bake for a further 20 - 30 minutes.

 The bread is ready if it sounds hollow, when you knock on its base.