Hi folks...

First time poster here. I'm a casual bread baker, maybe about 10 loaves a year (although I'd like to do more...). Mostly varieties of white and whole wheat breads, once in a while some sort of multigrain.

I decided to try a recipe out I read online, which was basically whole wheat, barley and rye flours in equal proportions.

The result was a loaf that was so hard, it could be mistaken for a stone and could not be cut with a knife. My daughter took it outside to throw on the sidewalk, it barely dented! I think I could've pounded nails with it...

Anyhow... what would cause that? The loaf barely rose, but I expected that per the instructions. I know the yeast was good, having used some from the same batch the day before in a french bread which rose quite well. Is it a moisture issue; needing more water? I've had problems in the past using rye flour - never really have been able to make a good rye-based bread.

Thanks for reading...