Black Bread for Jeff

My friend Jeff has been talking about the Black Bread he used to get at a German restaurant in Alabama and how good it was, so I'm intrigued and have been researching it.  I've come across several recipes for it including a number for recipes for Russian Black Bread version.  Through experimentation I've learned two things.  Number one, do not use ground coffee to make the bread dark (as some recipes do).  Number two, 'Listen to your mother' -- specifically when she says "I don't think I would put the coffee in that bread".

Russian Black Bread
1 1/3 cups of Lukewarm Water
2 1/4 tsp Yeast
1 tbsp Brown Sugar

2 tbsp Cocoa Powder
1/4 cup Molasses
3 tsp Caraway Seeds
3 tbsp Margarine or Butter
2 tsp Salt

1 1/2 cups Rye Flour
2 to 3 cups Bread Flour

• Dissolve the sugar in the water and then add the yeast.  Set this aside for about 10 to 15 minutes.
• In a small heavy frying pan, melt the butter, molasses and cocoa gently over a very low heat.
• Add the Caraway seed and the salt to the melted mixture.
• Put the rye flour in a large bowl and pour the melted mixture over it, then mix it together.  It will be dry and sticky.
• Pour the yeast mixture into the bowl and stir it in.
• Add about a cup of the bread flour and stir.  It should make the dough become kind of stiff but still sticky.  If the dough isn't very stiff, add more flour -- a half cup at a time -- until the dough is stiff enough to start kneading.
• Spread another cup of bread flour onto a very clean counter top or a large cutting board.  Turn the dough out on top of the flour.
• Knead the flour into the dough until the dough easily forms a heavy ball (see below).
• Form the dough into a ball and place it on a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper.  Cut a cross in the top of the dough.
• Let the dough rise for  about an hour or until it is double in bulk.
• When ready to bake, place it in a cold over and set the temperature to 400F.  
• Optional -- use either an egg wash or a milk wash and sprinkle caraway seeds over the top. 
• After 20 minutes, check on the bread.  It is done if the top is crusty and the bottom sounds hollow when tapped.  If the bread isn't done at this point (it probably won't be), turn down the oven to 350F and check the bread every 5 minutes until it's done.
• Let the loaf cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing it.

 

The dough after kneading is done.