{"id":3277,"date":"2012-12-18T04:55:29","date_gmt":"2012-12-18T04:55:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cookingatdebras.com\/eng\/?p=3277"},"modified":"2012-12-18T19:54:01","modified_gmt":"2012-12-18T19:54:01","slug":"baking-bagels-and-rye-from-scratch-oh-my","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cookingatdebras.com\/eng\/2012\/12\/18\/baking-bagels-and-rye-from-scratch-oh-my\/","title":{"rendered":"Baking bagels and rye bread from scratch, oh my!"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
<\/dt>\n
First in a 2-part post on the cookbook, “Secrets of a Jewish Baker: Recipes for 125 Breads from Around the World” by George Greenstein<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n

I’m on a toot. I get like this every once in a while. I read a book by an author that is new to me and I have to read everything they ever wrote. I see a knitting pattern or yarn I like for a pair of socks and I am knitting socks for the next 6 months. You get the picture?<\/p>\n

So when Holly Jennings, creator of the on-line Dowdy Corners Cookbook Club<\/a>, of which I am a member, offered up “Secrets of a Jewish Baker: Recipes for 125 Breads from Around the World,”by George Greenstein, 10 Speed Press, Revised Edition 2007, as the next selection to work from, \u00a0I was thrilled!<\/p>\n

\"IMG_0382\"<\/a><\/p>\n

This would be a real opportunity to learn how to make the breads I loved and grew up on:seeded ryes, \u00a0pumpernickel loaves, bagels, bialys, bulky and onion rolls. \u00a0These yeasted Eastern European breads were the domain of Jewish bakeries and no one I knew ever baked them.<\/p>\n

“Secrets of a Jewish Baker” \u00a0covers a wide variety of breads. In fact most of the recipes are not for Jewish style breads. \u00a0Greenstein, happens to be Jewish and owned a Jewish bakery on Long Island. He has written a book that \u00a0imparts his \u00a0knowledge, tips and tricks as a third generation \u00a0professional baker, to the home baker.<\/p>\n

The first 2 chapters are about materials and techniques. \u00a0I wanted to learn how to make my favorites along with the dark health breads I had come to love after spending time in Berlin, Germany. \u00a0So I \u00a0focused on the Sour dough and Rolls chapters.It is critical to read the recipes you plan on making before setting out. You will need special flours (clear flour, rye and pumpernickel) and other ingredients not usually found in \u00a0your cupboard such as malt syrup, rye chops\u00a0 and caramel color or \u00a0in standard supermarkets. I was able to get many items in Whole Foods, but \u00a0I still needed to \u00a0shop on the King Arthur Flour<\/a> website for some items. \u00a0Greenstein does give you alternatives, but I suggest \u00a0using the right ingredients the first time.<\/p>\n

Well in order to make rye bread, you have to have a rye sour. Uh oh. Already I am in over my head. \u00a0A rye sour is a starter, a fermented mixture which gives the bread a distinctive flavor and helps with leavening. \u00a0 I had never made a starter from scratch but I was committed to giving this a go. I was as interested in the process as producing a good result.\u00a0 Besides, rye flour,a smidge of yeast, a teaspoon of minced onion and caraway seeds, I also needed time; at least 48 hours before the sour was even ready to go into a recipe. \u00a0No problem.<\/p>\n

I also needed \u00a0help \u00a0to interpret the instructions in the sour recipe. It wasn’t that they weren’t clear; they were unfamiliar. \u00a0 Besides being the founder of the Dowdy Corners Cookbook Club, Holly Jennings is my friend and a fine editor. She edited my first cookbook, “The Korean Table,” when she worked at Tuttle Publishing. \u00a0Holly needed to do research for an article on muffins she was writing for The Boston Globe, \u00a0so she came to stay with me in Lexington and in addition to her research \u00a0we spent several days making starters and bagels together.\u00a0Two heads and hands were much better than one.<\/p>\n

MAKING THE RYE SOUR<\/strong><\/p>\n

First we made the starter, as we would be waiting 24 hours for the fermentation to begin. As I write this, I have just made my 5th batch of Russian Health bread with the original starter. It worked!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"IMG_0134\"<\/a><\/p>\n

We crushed caraway seeds and added it to a a mixture of rye flour, water, a smidge of yeast and a little grated onion.<\/p>\n

\"Starting<\/a>\u00a0\"Watched<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\"putting<\/a><\/dt>\n
We put the sour down \u00a0for a 24-hour nap.<\/dt>\n<\/dl>\n

\"IMG_0201\"<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\"IMG_0210\"<\/a><\/p>\n

We \u00a0transferred the mixture to a larger \u00a0bowl. \u00a0 Now began the next 3 stages. Each stage required an addition of rye flour and water. A small amount of the total flour is not mixed in but sprinkled on top of the mixture. The bowl is covered \u00a0set it aside for\u00a0\u00a0about 4 – 8 hours ” until the floured top appears cracked with wide fissures.<\/p>\n

\"More<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

\n
IT’S Alive!\u00a0The rye sour has fissures!<\/strong> Greenstein’s directions and visual markers were spot on! \u00a0This step was repeated 2 more times.\u00a0<\/dt>\n
The third time you remove about 1\/2 cup of the sour and place it in a container in the fridge. \u00a0This is the pro-genitor of all subsequent sours you will use to make additional sours. \u00a0And each time you make a new sour, you are always putting some away for the next time. \u00a0The starter needs to be “fed” a little flour and water every few days to keep it viable. \u00a0<\/dt>\n
<\/dt>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n

\"Mixing<\/a><\/p>\n

The rye sour is ready to make \u00a0breads! \u00a0There is a strong smell of rye and fermentation.<\/p>\n

First up a seeded rye.<\/p>\n

\"It's<\/a>

It’s alive!<\/p><\/div>\n

Special flour, called clear flour is used in many ryes. It is less refined and low in gluten. \u00a0You can use regular white flour, but says Greenstein,”It won’t taste as good.” \u00a0I used clear flour. The dough is kneaded, rests for 15 minutes, shaped and set aside rise until double in bulk.\"Brush<\/a>\"IMG_0238\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\n
\n
<\/dt>\n
Brush the rye bread with a cornstarch and water paste glaze. Make 3 diagonal slashes. Bake at 375 degrees.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\"Rye<\/a><\/div>\n
\n
Rye bread!<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n

\"IMG_0246\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Dense interior with a crunchy crust. Outstanding toast. \u00a0Can’t believe I made that!<\/p>\n

\"IMG_0879\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The other bread \u00a0is a commercial rye bread, from a Jewish bakery no less!<\/p>\n

Russian Health Bread<\/strong>
\nIf you like those square dense, almost black German health bread loaves, you will surely love this bread. \u00a0Greenstein calls this\u00a0Russian Health Bread and it is also made with the rye sour. \u00a0It includes rye chops (chopped \u00a0up rye berries) and pumpernickel flour.<\/p>\n

It’s a feisty little dough that takes a bit of strength to knead.<\/p>\n

\"Kneading<\/a>

Kneading the Russian Health Bread<\/p><\/div>\n

\"IMG_0283\"
\n<\/a><\/p>\n

But it eventually behaves and forms a heavy smooth ball that rises until double in bulk.<\/p>\n

Then cut into four pieces with 2 pieces each set into a loaf pan. And set to rise again.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_0285\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Just before baking you send your finger from the center to the bottom of the loaf. I have no idea why.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_0286\"<\/a><\/p>\n

This has everything I look for in a bread: it is dense, moist, toothsome and has a tang. \u00a0Love it with the the wonderful veggie cream cheese Greenstein has in the book made with diced radishes, green onions, celery and shredded carrots.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_0293\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
<\/dt>\n
Stay tuned for Holly and Deb’s bagel bonanza!<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

First in a 2-part post on the cookbook, “Secrets of a Jewish Baker: Recipes for 125 Breads from Around the World” by George Greenstein I’m on a toot. I get like this every once in a while. I read a book by an author that is new to me and I have to read everything […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3292,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[111,96,85,180,89,50,100,99,108,1],"tags":[195,194,193],"class_list":["post-3277","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bread","category-breads-and-pizza","category-fooding-around","category-germany","category-jewish","category-recipes","category-recipes-by-categories","category-recipes-by-cuisine","category-recipes-by-ingredients","category-uncategorized","tag-jewish-breads","tag-pumpernickel-bread","tag-rye-bread"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cookingatdebras.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3277","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cookingatdebras.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cookingatdebras.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cookingatdebras.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cookingatdebras.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3277"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/www.cookingatdebras.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3277\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3302,"href":"https:\/\/www.cookingatdebras.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3277\/revisions\/3302"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cookingatdebras.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3292"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cookingatdebras.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3277"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cookingatdebras.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3277"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cookingatdebras.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3277"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}