A Good Dish

making food simpler

Love Rye Bread? It Is Easier Than You Might Imagine To Make It Yourself

Homemade seeded rye bread
Large blue and white stoneware bowl
by Wendy Goldsmith

I love rye bread, especially for toast and sandwiches. It has a specific flavor quite different from the more common wheat breads that derives not just from the rye flour but mostly from the caraway seeds. It is somewhat sour, somewhat sweet and just mildly salty. It is also one of the easiest yeast breads to make since the texture is dense and not as persnickety as sourdough, challah or sandwich loaves.

Brushing the loaf with lightly beaten egg white
makes the crust darker and glossy

Because it is so simple, the quality of your flour is important so it isn’t stale, rancid or devoid of nutrients. Buy fresh rye and wheat flour from good sources (King Arthur, Arrowhead Mills and Bob’s Red Mill are widely available but you may have a local (or near local mill) you shop) and keep it in your freezer if you don’t use it up quickly. Here is a list of excellent millers. The original of this recipe by Jeanne Heyerly of Chenoa, IL (from a community cookbook called Simply In Season) only called for 1 cup of rye flour in the sponge (the first step in bread making which starts fermentation) and 3 cups of bread flour to be added. Bread flour has higher protein than all-purpose so it forms more gluten, resulting in a better rise and texture. I tried to use equal parts whole rye, whole wheat and white flour to have more rye and more whole grain and it was good but quite dense. If you want to add some whole grain, try one cup of whole wheat and see what you think. The tiny amount of sugar is optional but I think the flavor of rye profits from a bit of sweetness. Honey, maple or date syrup, apple juice concentrate or agave are all usable.

Either grinding your own or buying fresh, good quality
flour makes a big difference to taste and nutrition
The sponge is simply some flour, water,
caraway seeds and yeast mixed to start fermentation

Growing up, I used to go shopping with my mother at a grocery store that had an in-store bakery that made fresh rye bread. The bakery women used to give us (kids) a cookie with sprinkles or a candied cherry when we tagged along but the crusty end of the freshly sliced (in those amazing bread slicers I always feared would take off someone’s fingers) rye bread was my preference. I still choose bread over cookies and rye is one of my favorites, especially for avocado toast, smoked salmon, grilled cheese or a bbq tempeh Reuben. This recipe makes one big loaf or two smaller loaves, one of which you can freeze for up to a few months.

Because it is moist and dense,
this rye bread slices easily

I asked a bread-baking phobic friend to try this recipe and she had encouraging results. She used one cup rye and 2 cups whole wheat in her trial and she found she had to add a little more water in order to knead the dough, which was too dry. Her bread was dense but she likes it that way. I am so happy she is optimistic about continuing to bake bread. Whether you use all white bread flour or some combination of flours, I wish you the same results.

Smoked salmon and smashed avocado
are both delicious on rye bread or toast
Platter by Wendy Goldsmith
This bread makes great toast!
Platter by Wendy Goldsmith

SEEDED RYE BREAD

Sponge:

Mix in a large bowl and let stand 3-5 minutes to proof:

  • 1 cup/250 ml warm water
  • 1 TBs active dry yeast

Add and stir in:

  • 1 cup/250 grams rye flour
  • 1/4 cup/ 60 grams bread flour
  • 1 generous TBs caraway seeds
Cover with a tight lid or plastic wrap and let stand 2 hours (or overnight (in fridge if it is warm out) for “the sponge” to develop more flavor).

Next day, stir down the yeast sponge and add:

  • 3 cups/750 grams bread flour (or a mix of whole wheat bread and all purpose)
  • 3/4 cup room temperature water
  • 2 1/2 tsps salt
  • 1-2 tsps sugar (optional)
 Knead about 5 minutes (if too dry, wet your hands to add a bit more water until kneadable) and then place in a greased bowl, turning to grease all over.

Cover with a damp cloth and let rise until doubled, about one hour.

Punch down and shape into one large loaf (tucking sides under to tighten the ball) or 2 small loaves, letting rise until doubled again.

Brush loaf with a lightly beaten egg white before baking and again 10 minutes before end of baking to promote a shiny crust. You can add more caraway seeds to the top if you like.

You can bake on a rimmed cookie or baking sheet or in a Dutch oven.

Bake in preheated oven (375F) for 35-45 minutes, depending on loaf size. Check for doneness by tapping on the bottom (it should sound hollow) or check temperature for 190F.

Cool on a wire rack for at least 1 hour before slicing.

Note – When I bake bread, I usually measure in grams because it is more precise and baking is an exercise in precision. This recipe is so foolproof, however, that such extreme precision doesn’t seem necessary so I use cup measurements here for ease and because not everyone has a gram scale. I have included both measurements so use whichever you prefer.

Floral honeycomb platter
by Wendy Goldsmith
Wendy Goldsmith’s wonderful ceramics can be purchased on Ohanga.com and this summer at sales and festivals including The Art Drive
The beautifully finished underside of
Wendy Goldsmith’s beehive platter

When You (Or Others)Are Stressed And In Need Of Clarity and Comfort, Try Cooking

Kitchari, tortilla, cornbread, baked beans (clockwise)
Melissa Weiss, Jen Allen, Wendy Goldsmith, Paul Eshelman

One of the things I love about cooking, beyond the edible results, is the ability the process has to get me out of my head. Like making art or exercise or a good conversation, preparing food takes planning, mental concentration and some physical exertion. So when I am worrying about an ailing parent or ill siblings or a struggling friend, I cook. I look through recipes, make lists, procure ingredients, measure, chop, grate and mix in order to prepare something for my family or friends to eat. The process requires focus to do well, thereby getting me off the worry wheel. 

Curried cabbage with cashews
Porcelain bowl by Jim Makins
Simple roasted potatoes
Bowl by Michael Connelly

Cooking not only relieves mental stress but gives me the satisfaction of a job well done while providing nourishment and, hopefully, pleasure to those I love. Soup is my go-to but sometimes a salad is needed, especially when people have been too busy to cook healthfully for themselves. The bean soup mix I posted a couple of months ago is a good example of a gift for someone with limited time and ability. But if someone is ill or mourning, bringing a prepared pot of soup or a big roast veggie platter or a long lasting salad, like carrot or fennel, is a better gift. When a new baby is born, I love to prepare a complete dinner (rice and beans, a batch of pesto, soup and cornbread, or roast chicken) because who can think about cooking with a newborn?

Miso soup
Lidded Jar by Gay Smith
Black beans and rice
Square bowl by Joe Pintz

Sometimes I make a frittata/tortilla when I feel frazzled and don’t know what else to cook. The chopping of the vegetables is soothing and the resulting meal is satisfying, not too heavy and can provide leftovers. Other comfort food favorites are kitchari, a simple pasta with peas or greens, curried cabbage with cashews, miso soup and lava bread. They are all easy, soothing and tasty, the winning triumvirate of stress cooking. And when even simple cooking is too much, there is always avocado toast!

Avocado toast on lava bread
Plate by Aysha Peltz

Bake My Favorite Easy Cornbread and Make People (and Yourself) Happy!

Yellow stoneground cornmeal cornbread
Blue and white bowl by Wendy Goldsmith

Cornbread is one of those comfort foods that is simple to make and almost everyone loves. The sunny color is perfect for brightening these short days and long nights! I have tried many versions over the years since I made my first one from a boxed Jiffy mix as a teenager. People have strong feelings about the right way to make cornbread. Some say sweet while others insist on no sweetener. Some use half flour half cornmeal while others are cornmeal-only purists. Finely ground corn flour, as Edna Lewis preferred, vs. coarse corn grits or polenta. Add corn kernels, cheese or green chilies? I think all can be delicious (have you ever had bad cornbread?) as long as the ingredients, particularly the cornmeal, are fresh. 

Stoneground white and yellow cornmeal
from Gray’s Grist Mill

Freshly milled cornmeal can be found across the country. On the east coast there is Maine Grains, Farmer Flour, Anson Mills and Marsh Hen Mill, among many others. Our local place, Gray’s Grist Mill, stone grinds flint corn, both white and yellow, and does mail order. Use white or yellow (or blue or red if you can find it), finely or coarsely ground – just make sure it is fresh. And whatever you don’t use, store in the freezer until you bake again.

Cornbread bakes up especially well
in cast iron pans

I make my cornbread without flour because because, after all, it is corn bread and not cake. If you want it lighter and cake-like, use half cornmeal and half flour. There are endless recipes, many collected in Crescent Dragonwagon’s The CornBread Gospels, in which she lays out Northern vs. Southern cornbread plus the sweet vs. unsweetened debate. Sometimes I add some date or maple sugar and other times I don’t sweeten at all. I like to use whole or buttermilk but any kind of milk, even plant milks, work. (If using buttermilk, substituting a little baking soda for some of the baking powder will prevent sourness).You can even use half milk and half cream, if you want it richer. I can’t bring myself to use lard but people do. I find the butter adds plenty of flavor and crispness. Add oregano, thyme, diced chilis, dried cranberries, cherries or diced apricots, corn kernels or diced cheese if you want to vary the taste. For a really sweet treat, slather the top with honey or maple butter as soon as the hot pan comes out of the oven. Cornbread makes a great gift, either baked by you (and given in a pan or towel meant as part of the gift) or given as a kit, all the dry ingredients in a jar accompanied with a recipe.

White cornmeal cornbread
Oval plate by Wendy Goldsmith
Cornbread slice with butter and honey
Red plate by Wendy Goldsmith

Cornbread keeps a couple of days and can be frozen but it is definitely at its best hot out of the oven. You can serve it plain or topped with butter while still warm. It is a great accompaniment to bean dishes, chilis, stews and salads, makes delicious Thanksgiving stuffing and can stand alone as an easy breakfast when warmed or toasted, perhaps  with a spreadable soft cheese (I am thinking baked farmer, ricotta or cream cheese) and jam. And cornbread makes a great ham or turkey sandwich, spread with mustard, cranberry sauce or pepper jelly and topped with fresh greens. And although you can make cornbread in any baking pan, a cast iron skillet is best for holding heat. You want the pan hot to make the batter sizzle when it comes in contact with the bubbling melted butter to achieve a crunchy crust. Just thinking about it is making my mouth water. 

Yellow cornbread pieces
White and blue bowl by Wendy Goldsmith

CORNBREAD 

Preheat your oven to 400F and place an 9” cast iron skillet in the oven to heat.

Place dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk to combine:

  • 2 1/2 cups stone ground yellow or white cornmeal
  • 1 1/2 tsps baking powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1-2 TBs maple, date or white sugar, optional
  • Beat together in a separate bowl:
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 cups milk or buttermilk (if buttermilk, use 1/2 tsp baking soda and 1 tsp baking powder)

With a potholder, carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven, set in a safe place and add 2-3 TBs butter.

While the butter is melting, whisk the wet ingredients into the dry.

When the butter is starting to brown and bubbling (don’t let it burn and don’t burn yourself)), pour about half of it in the batter, mix in and pour the batter into the hot skillet (it should sizzle) and then place the skillet in your preheated oven.

Bake 25-30 minutes, until starting to brown and coming away from the sides.

Either invert the cornbread to serve crunchy side up or slice into wedges or squares and serve right away. Makes 8 generous wedges.

Blue and white bird bowl (about 12″ wide)
by Wendy Goldsmith
Verso of white and blue bowl
by Wendy Goldsmith

Wendy Goldsmith makes charming, appealing handbuilt pots that are a pleasure to use. Her whimsical, nature-based paintings, primarily of birds but also fish, flowers and trees, with decorative patterning make me smile when I use them. Lightweight with compacted, rounded edges and glossy glazes on a porcelaneous stoneware, they hold up to repeated usage. You can find her on her website and on Instagram.

Red bird plate
by Wendy Goldsmith
Vase detail – Wendy Goldsmith
Photo courtesy of the artist
Bird flask set by Wendy Goldsmith
Photo courtesy of the artist

Icelandic Lava Bread – Actually It Is Rye

Lava bread with smashed avocado
Porcelain plate by Aysha Peltz

We spent 3 weeks in Iceland in 2010 and it remains one of our favorite trips. Driving the ring road around the country and out onto the Snaefellsness Peninsula, we saw landscapes we never even imagined – waterfalls, moss covered lava fields, an iceberg lagoon, black beaches  and volcanic mountains rising out of coastal fjords in every shade of green, brown, grey and blue. The natural beauty stunned us. The food was another story.

Icy river in southwest Iceland

Since tourism and food culture in Iceland have exploded in the last decade, there are more kinds of foods available in restaurants and grocery stores. There are now greenhouses where a range of salad fixings are being grown. That wasn’t true on our first trip. Let me just say there were not a whole lot of green vegetables. What stood out were the major protein sources caught, produced or raised on the island, fish, dairy and lamb, and their lava bread.

Lava bread is moist and dense, perfect for toasting

Icelandic lava bread (also known as thunder bread, volcano bread, geyser bread, Icelandic brown bread or rugbraud) is one of the simplest breads to make. It is typically made of rye although it can be partly wheat, kamut or spelt flour, a sweetener (usually a combination of brown sugar and glucose syrup although I use maple syrup), baking soda, salt and buttermilk. Rye flour is available in good grocery, health and specialty food stores. I’ve even seen it at Job Lot. If you have a grain mill or Vitamix grain container, you can grind your own from rye berries in seconds. I like to add 1/2 cup of sunflower seeds for texture and nutrition but that is optional.

If you have a choice, use one that hasn’t been messed with, like the one on the left
Baked bread can be stored in the carton until ready to use

Traditionally lava bread is slow cooked in the geothermal heat of earth or sand from hot springs underground, hence its name. Although it bakes at a low temperature for a long time, it falls into the category of a quick bread, like pumpkin or banana bread. Since it is unyeasted, it doesn’t need a rise, and is more like savory cake in texture. It is a dense, sweet and dark, reminiscent of Boston brown bread and mixes up in just a few minutes. I make it in quart milk cartons but you could use empty cans or covered loaf pans. Lava bread is delicious freshly sliced or toasted and would make tasty croutons. Spread on a little butter or top it with cream cheese, fruit spreads, mashed avocado or make an open faced sandwich of egg, tuna or salmon salad, smoked salmon or ham – you’ll find your own favorite topping for this easy homemade bread.

Sliced lava bread with smoked salmon
Porcelain plate by Aysha Peltz

LAVA BREAD

Preheat oven to 210 F and remove top rack, making sure milk cartons will fit, standing upright, on bottom rack.

  • 4 1/2 cups rye flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 1/2 TBs baking soda
  • 1/2 cup raw sunflower seed (optional)
  • 2 cups buttermilk
  • 1/3 cup maple syrup

Combine all the ingredients until just blended and divide evenly into 2 milk cartons (of which you have already opened the top end).

Bake for 6 1/2 – 7 hours at 210 degrees F (100 C). The bread will feel springy not squishy through the carton when you press on the sides.

Cool somewhat before tearing off milk carton. You can leave the second one in its milk carton for storage while eating the first. If you remove the carton, store in a sealed bag to keep from drying out. Makes 2 loaves which keep fresh 3-4 days and can be frozen when wrapped well.

Reykjanes peninsula coastline