Brewer's Rye Bread

Total Time: 3 hrs 10 mins Preparation Time: 2 hrs 35 mins Cook Time: 35 mins

Ingredients

• 5 -6 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 cups rye flour
• 2 cups warm milk (105â°-115â°f)
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar or 1/3 cup molasses
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 1/4 cups warm ale (105â°-115â°f)
• 2 envelopes active dry yeast
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seed (i guess you could use traditional caraway seeds if you prefer)

Recipe

• 1 combine flours and set aside.
• 2 combine warm milk, sugar or molasses and butter.
• 3 measure warm ale into a large bowl.
• 4 sprinkle in yeast; stir until dissolved.
• 5 stir in milk mixture, fennel seed and 4 cups of flour.
• 6 beat until smooth.
• 7 let batter rise in warm, draft free place, until doubled in bulk (about 30 minutes).
• 8 stir batter down; stir in enough additional flour mixture to make a stiff dough.
• 9 turn dough out into a lightly floured board, knead until smooth and elastic (about 12 minutes).
• 10 place dough in a greased bowl, turning to grease top.
• 11 cover, let rise in warm draft free place until doubled in bulk (about 45 minutes).
• 12 punch dough down, divide it in half and shape.
• 13 ***to shape loaves***.
• 14 gently roll each half into a 14x9 inch rectangle.
• 15 starting with the 9 inch side, gently roll the dough (like for a jelly roll), pinch seams closed.
• 16 place each rolled loaf into a greased 9x5x3 inch loaf pan.
• 17 ***tomake rounds***.
• 18 form each dough half into a smooth round ball.
• 19 flatten each ball into a round, about 7 inches in diameter.
• 20 place each round on a greased baking sheet.
• 21 after dough has been shaped (into loaves or rounds),cover it and let it rise in warm draft free place until doubled in bulk (about 50 minutes).
• 22 bake at 375°f for about 45 minutes for loaves, 35 minutes for rounds.
• 23 remove bread from baking pans or baking sheets and cool on wire racks.