{Day 1} Sweet Rye Bread

Welcome to my first post in my new 31 day series! This won't go live on the link-up at the official 31 Days page until this evening but I couldn't resist sharing this already this morning!

We're off to a delicious start!! Today I bring you Sweet Rye Bread! I have adapted this recipe from a whole wheat bread recipe (mostly because I didn't have whole wheat flour on hand when I decided to make it! lol) I made this bread by hand, no mixer, no bread maker, just a bamboo mixing bowl, a wooden spoon and my own 2 hands/arms. :) Annalise enjoyed helping me find and add the ingredients. She is learning math skills with activities like this! She can do adding in her head really well with questions like: we added 2 cups of flour; how many more do we need to make 3? (but ask her "what's 2 and 1 more?" or "what's 2 + 1?" and she wouldn't be able to tell you). :)  This recipe could easily be made in a bread maker on the dough setting (but I'd still recommend baking it in the oven). I will include instructions for both making by hand or with a bread maker.

Sweet Rye Bread

Ingredients:

1 cup warm water
1 tbsp milk
2 tbsp oil
2 tbsp honey (I used fresh wildflower honey bought at a local farmer's market and it was amazing!)
2 tbsp brown sugar (either golden or dark but dark brown will give a darker colour and a more molasses-y flavour)
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups rye flour
2 tsp active dry yeast (or instant/bread-machine yeast if you're doing the dough in the bread machine)

Instructions:

1. Combine first 6 ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

2. Add the flours and yeast. Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic - about 10-15 minutes. Place dough in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover with a clean towel and let rise until doubled in size (about an hour).

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

4. Punch dough down. Knead for a few minutes until smooth and then form into a loaf. Place loaf into a greased pan and cover. Let rise in a warm place (on top of your pre-heating oven) until almost doubled in size (about 30-40 minutes).

5. Bake in 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes.

6. Remove from oven and allow to rest in pan for a few minutes before removing it to a wire rack. Cover with a clean cloth. Slice and enjoy while still warm! This is a fabulous bread to have warm with cheese, especially spiced Gouda! :)

Instruction for using bread maker:

1. Combine ingredients in order suggested by bread machine manual.

2. Set bread machine to dough setting and turn on.

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

4. At end of cycle, remove dough to a lightly floured surface. Punch down, knead for a few minutes and then form into a loaf. Place loaf into a greased pan and cover with a  clean fowl. Let rise in a warm place (on top of preheating oven) until almost doubled in size (30-40 minutes).

5. Bake in 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes.

6. Remove from oven and allow to rest in pan for a few minutes before removing it to a wire rack. Cover with a clean cloth. Slice and enjoy while still warm! This is a fabulous bread to have warm with cheese, especially spiced Gouda! :)

Look at that loaf of deliciousness!! OOPS - forgot to take a picture before cutting a slice for my girls! :) They had been begging all afternoon for a taste of the bread! :)

Isn't that just a thing of beauty?! Darran, my darling husband, said it was delicious and quite moist! SO glad the family likes it!

I should also mention that this bread is FABULOUS with cheese, especially spiced Gouda! :)