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Jewish Corn Rye Bread

The Best Traditional Corn Rye Recipe on the Internet, built from scratch after research and talking to old NY bakers.

Course Snack
Cuisine Jewish
Keyword Bread, Rye
Prep Time 3 hours
Cook Time 30 minutes
Starter Prep Time 2 days
Total Time 2 days 3 hours 30 minutes
Servings 2 loafs
Calories 750 kcal

Ingredients

Rye Starter - Makes 4 cups of starter

  • 1 Tbsp Dry Yeast
  • 2 cups water warm
  • 2 cups Rye Flour
  • 1 Onion
  • 1 cup water warm
  • 1.5 cup Rye Flour

Corn Rye Bread

  • 1.5 cup water warm
  • 1 Tbsp dry yeast
  • 1/2 tsp sugar
  • 4 tsp kosher salt
  • 3 cup Rye Sourdough Starter
  • 2 cup High Gluten Flour
  • 3.5 cup All-Purpose Flour
  • cornmeal for dusting
  • 1 egg for glaze
  • 2 T water for glaze
  • 2 tsp caraway seeds

Instructions

Rye Starter

  1. 48 hours before beginning rye bread, make this starter: Mix 1 T. dry yeast in 2 cups of tepid water.

  2. Beat in 2 cups of rye flour. Add a small onion, peeled and halved. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let stand at room temperature for 24 hours. 

  3. Remove onion. Beat in 1 cup tepid water and 1.5 cups rye flour. Cover and let stand for 24 hours longer. 

  4. This can be used immediately or refrigerated for 24 hours. This preparation makes about 4 cups of starter (a bit more than required for the bread).

Bread - The following directions are for hand kneading. If you have a heavy duty food processor, put all dough ingredients in work bowl after you have made the yeast starter. Add starter and combine. Dough will be fairly sticky. Don't use a food processor unless it is quite durable; this is a very heavy dough.

  1. Combine 1/2 cup warm water, yeast, sugar, and let stand until double (10 min.). 

  2. Dissolve salt in remaining water. Mix in sourdough starter, then yeast mix. 

  3. Add gluten flour and 2 cups of all-purpose flour and optional caraway seeds; make a soft dough. 

  4. Spread 1.5 cups flour on kneading surface and turn dough out on it. Knead, adding more flour, to make a soft dough. Do not over-knead. The dough should be only slightly elastic, even a bit sticky. Form dough into a ball, and put in an un-greased bowl. Cover with plastic, and let rise until double (1.5 hours). 

  5. Knead, cover with towel, and let rest for 15 minutes. Divide into 2 parts. Form each into 12 inch loaf. Pinch seam, and place seam down on cornmeal-dusted sheet. Cover and let rise until 3/4 proof. 

  6. Put a large pan with 2 inches water in oven. Preheat to 400 °. Place quarry tiles on upper shelf of oven. Brush loaves with egg-white glaze, slash with knife. Sprinkle seeds on top. Bake for 30 minutes on tiles. Brush again with glaze; bake an additional 20 to 30 minutes.

Recipe Notes

This recipe takes time.