April 5, 2015 - 10:57am
Waiting for Rye Bread
After observing all the rye breads happening here over the past months, and visiting The Mill and partaking in Dark mountain Rye toast, I had to bake a rye bread. I followed Josey Baker's recipe, with only a minor variation in the seeds included (used my Harvest Grains blend). You can see the loaf turned out handsomely. But now I'm directed to wait 24+hours until slicing into it. That's fine, but my question is do I cover it, bag it, leave it out? My worry is that it will dry out... and I surely don't want to waste it now.
Thanks for any advice!
Cathy
Share
I usually wrap in a thin cotton kitchen towel and then wrap in plastic to keep the moisture in so it can redistribute. You are lucky. Most of the 100% rye breads are wrapped for 40-48 Hours before slicing:-)
Happy rye waiting Cathy
I knew there was a solution, just had not paid enough attention as I watched everyone making their own ryes. Am anxious to see (taste) if I came close at all...
Thank you!
C
PS - just wrapped it. Oh, my does it smell good. Maybe waiting won't be so easy as I thought!
I'd have to stand over it with a large kitchen knife to keep the hubby away. Looks yummy!
Shoulders squared, arms crossed, chef's knife in-hand and a stern gaze. Quite a formidable pose. And we could hope it works!
Not much risk of that here, my hubby thinks real bread comes from the store and is soft, white and squishy. The (grown) kids, neighbors and coworkers aren't complaining, though.
can you post the link for that rye recipe looks yummy
oven cold. (not gas) I will put the loaf in the oven overnight to cool and temper, then wrap in the morning. I often hide loaves in the oven out of sight. Something about seeing a loaf combined with aroma triggers slicing reflexes. Hiding the bread board and bread knife sometimes deters "slicing syndrome" however, if severe, it can be entertaining watching affected persons search the kitchen from top to bottom.
For those occasions, a cup of coffee/tea/beverage and distracting conversation can add to the observer's experience. Severity of the syndrome can be judged by length of lag time it takes the affected person to concentrate and answer obtuse questions. Variables include the % of hunger and temperament of suffering person. It is important to let the afflicted person come to a peak of activity before feeding.
Should the affected find hidden loaf, and/or manage to carve off a slice or chunk before loaf has cooled and stood, emergency treatment includes covering warm loaf end with foil or standing the loaf, slice down on a plate to trap moisture from escaping.
If freezing slices, wait a day or two after baking when the moisture in the loaf has evened out to slice. Otherwise fresh slices tend to thaw out with dry hard crusts framing a wet middle.
Hi Mini - hope you're well. I know you know, so I'm asking you for advice. :) You mentioned above in this old post about wrapping your rye bread. I just baked two of Rene's Rye breads from Tartine. They're dense seeded loaves made with rye sprouts. I get redistributing moisture within the loaf and waiting. But can you tell me how you would wrap them and how long to wait before eating and/or freezing? I've seen mention of wraping with a cloth, then plastic cling wrap. Or to use parchment, then foil and then plastic wrap. What would you recommend? Please and thank you.. I'll look to eat one and freeze and/or give away the other. Thanks in advance!! frank!
Like a babe in a manger...or not. ? "A-rye in a manger, no crib for a bed...."
When cool, about 4-6 hours, wrap tightly in plastic wrap unless there is an aversion to plastic (then instead, you could place into a tin perhaps with foil or parchment to prevent sticking to the tin.) It is most beneficial to very lightly oil the surface of the wrap (except cloth) with a drop or two of oil smearing and spreading it evenly to prevent sticking to the bread. Experience is the teacher. A second bag is good when freezing to prevent freezer burn, but wait until a dense heavy loaf is at least two days old before freezing. Let the moisture migrate to the surface crust before freezing or risk thawed bread having a crumbly outside crumb and a wet dense middle. If you slice before freezing, do it just before freezing, unwrapping the loaf and dividing into slices or sections wrapping or bagging each before slipping into a second plastic sack.
Can easily munch on the other loaf while slicing the one for the freezer, maybe earlier. Try a slice and see how it slices with a thin large straight blade knife. Rewrap tightly between slicing.
If you are worried about the loaf drying out too much the latter half of cooling (hang up a load of laundry nearby or) slip the barely warm loaf into a large container with a rack under the loaf so steam can rise and condense on the container and lid and not on the bread. I have often placed a cooling rack over a large bowl and place an equally large bowl over the loaf and rack letting air slip in and out in the space provided by the rack. Especially good for overnight cooling or moving the loaf to a garage or porch to have more working space in the kitchen. If the loaf appears too hard and dry from the oven, run it guickly under potable tap water or brush with cooled boiled water and allow loaf to cool.
How long a loaf takes the loaf to cool depends on loaf size and your ambient temperatures. Cool climates cool bread faster. But once the bead temp is the same as the ambient temp, it can be wrapped tightly. If steam or condense water appears soon after wrapping on the wrap next to the bread, unwrap and allow to cool longer. If you have problems with ants and bugs, you might want to drape with a net for flying insects or citing convention, suspend on stilts over water to thwart the crawling ones until the loaf is cold and packed away.
Have I missed anything?
Mini
Very helpful insight Mini - thank you! It's been just about 24 hours and they've been under wraps. I'll give them a try tomorrow morning for breakfast and see how they came out. Will post a blog entry after that. Many thanks - frank!
Love it, Mini, especially allowing for the frenzy to intensify, merely to obtain maximum entertainment value! It appeals to the sadistic side in each of us.
The loaf came out after 10PM, so sat out to cool overnight before being wrapped. It has now been plenty long enough, but will be another 12 hours until I'm back home and armed with a knife. Then will proceed to carve and savor...