4 c Warm water (105 – 115 F) 1 tb Fennel seed, crushed
3 c Fine or medium grind rye Dough:
-flour 3 tb Vegetable oil
1/2 c Molasses 1 tb Salt
1/4 c Firmly packed brown sugar 8 To 9 cups bread flour or
2 Envelopes dry yeast -all-purpose flour
Makes 4 round loaves
Sponge:
For sponge: Whisk all ingredients in large bowl until smooth. Cover bowl
with plastic. Let rise in warm draft-free area until doubled, about 1
hour.
For dough: Using wooden spoon, stir down sponge. Add oil, salt and 3 cups
bread flour, stirring until smooth. Mix in enough of remaining flour 1/2
cup at a time to form soft dough. Knead on floured surface until dough is
no longer sticky, adding more flour if necessary, about 10 minutes.
Grease large bowl. Add dough, turning to coat entire surface. Cover bowl
with plastic. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in
volume, about 1 1/2 hours.
Grease baking sheets. Gently knead dough on lightly floured surface until
deflated. Cut into 4 even pieces. Knead each piece into round. Place on
prepared sheets. Cover with towel. Let rise in warm draft-free area until
doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350 F. Bake until loaves sound hollow when tapped on
bottom, about 1 hour. Immediately transfer to racks and cool completely.
Yields
4 servings
