Bake Off Bread

Baking Rye Bread and Coarse Bread

Rye bread used to be in greater favor with the public than it now is, but I consider that is owing to the sodden, heavy way in which it is generally made; for if rye flour is properly blended with fine flour, instead of the barley meal generally used, it produces a very nice- flavored loaf.

Set a sponge at night with fine flour -- say, 1 gallon of water, 1 1/2 ozs. of yeast, and l 1/2 ozs. of salt; let your sponge be about the same consistency as for muffin batter; in the morning add 1 quart of water and 3 ozs. of salt, and make your dough up with rye meal; let your sponge be set of the same heat as for wheat meal bread. I have adopted this plan, and find it gives general satisfaction. In baking wheat meals, or other meals of the same nature, your oven should be 30° or 40° by the pyrometer under the heat used for fine bread.

Coarse Bread

Coarse flour (or "overheads," as it is generally called in the south of Scotland) is the cheapest grade of flour made, and if properly manufactured it will vie with any class of flour in the market for a fine, sweet, nutty flavor; but of course it is dark in color, and I have seen four of this grade very strong and carry an exceedingly large quantity of water.

In a test I had some time ago, I produced 110 - 41b. loaves, weighed in dough at 4 lbs. 6 ozs., out of 20 stone of this flour; but I may say that the flour was stone-dressed, and milled in the old style. This same class of flour was in general use in Scotland twenty years ago, and was generally made into coarse or second bread, and coarse "two pennies." Many a poor family -- ay, and rich families too -- have thriven and had their hearts made glad on the produce of this grade of flour.

To make Coarse Bread. -- Take, say 1 gallon of water, at the same temperature as for wheat meal bread; dissolve 1 1/4 ozs. of yeast, and the same quantity of salt, in the water; make into an ordinary- sized sponge, and when ready in the morning add half a gallon of water and about 4 ozs. of salt; then make all into a dough, and work off as other doughs.

This flour can be sponged the same way as fine flour for a quick or flying sponge, only care should be used in not setting the sponge too warm, as I find that it ferments and works more quickly than the finer grades of flour.

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