Millet Rye Bread

I'm very sorry to say that I've never eaten rye bread before today. What was I thinking? I've been missing something really amazing. I mentioned before that I'd bought a couple of different books on bread baking recently and this recipe came from one of them. The book is Secret's of a Jewish Baker and for somebody who's just starting into the world of bread baking, this book is AMAZING. He's got all sorts of tips and idea's and he explains things really well, not just the how's of bread baking, but the why's too. Even if you never buy his book, make this bread! You won't regret it!

I must admit that I had to make this bread three times before it worked for me. Not because it' a hard recipe to follow, because it isn't, but because I'm apparently an idiot. The first time I made this, I forgot the salt. Don't forget the salt! I wound up with a tasteless lump that could have doubled for a doorstop. The second time I made this, Brandon opened the window right next to my rising bread. It was 43 degrees outside. Don't let your husband's do this. It was a more flavorful lump, but a lump none the less. The third time I made this, I checked and doubled checked every step while Brandon was at work. Brandon has pronounced it his favorite bread I've made so far and my three year old was very concerned at lunch that we were going to have more bread for later. I especially liked the texture of the millet in the bread. It made fantastic grilled cheese sandwiches with turkey, ham and fontina cheese. It's a truly wonderful bread.

It starts out with a sponge. If you've never made bread with a sponge before, don't be intimidated. It's more or less just a pre-dough that gets mixed in to the rest of the dough. That's really it.

Millet Rye Bread
Sponge:
1 C boiling water
1 C hulled millet, toasted (see note)
1 package active dry yeast (2 1/4 t)
1 C rye flour

Dough:
1 C warm water
1 T honey
2 T shortening
1 1/2 C rye flour
2 1/2 to 3 1/2 C unbleached all-purpose flour (see note)
2 t salt
Water

Sponge:
In a large bowl, pour the boiling water over the millet. Let cool until lukewarm. Add the flour and mix until smooth. Cover and allow to stand until tripled in volume and beginning to fall back (about an hour.) The time will vary with roo, and dough temperature.

Dough:
Stir down the sponge, then add the water, honey, shortening, rye flour, 2 1/2 C of the all-purpose flour, and the salt. Mix until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl.

Turn out unto a floured work surface and knead, adding more all-purpose flour 1/4 C at a time if necessary, until the dough feels soft and silky (8-10 minutes).

Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover and allow to rise until doubled in volume (30-40 minutes). Cut the dough in half, shape into rounds, and cover. Allow to rest for 15 minutes.

Shaping:
Shape into 2 long pan shape loaves. Place on a flour-dusted baking pan or into 2 greased and floured 8 or 9 inch loaf pans. Cover with a flour dusted cloth and allow to rise until doubled in size (45-60 minutes). When the bread has fully proofed, slash with 6-8 deep diagonal cuts. Brush the tops with water.

Baking:
Preheat the oven to 450F. Bake with steam (see note) until golden brown (35-45 minutes). For the last 5 minutes of baking, remove from the pans and place on an oven stone or tiles if you have them. The bread is done when it emits a hollow sound when thumped on the bottom with your fingertps.

Makes 2 loaves.

Notes:
* Toast millet on the stove top in a dry cast iron skillet over medium heat, stirring or shaking until toasted and popping (about 5 minutes). Millet pops very quietly, so keep your ears open.

*Be sure to use Unbleached all purpose flour in this recipe, not just all-purpose flour. It absorbs water differently and will affect the finished product pretty dramatically.

*To bake with steam, place a broiler pan on a rack below your bread and allow it to pre-heat with your oven. When it's time to bake, pour 1 C of water into the broiler pan, careful not to drip on the glass on the door. Dripped water may shatter the glass. Also never use a glass baking pan in place of a broiler pan for the same reason. As an alternative, you can also spritz the oven with a water sprayer three times in the first three minutes of baking.