I don’t know if I’ve ever mentioned it on here (I probably have), but I definitely prefer cooking to baking. I just love experimenting with different ingredients and flavours. For me, cooking means putting things together and experimenting. Baking is just following a certain recipe to a T and that’s less fun. Anyway, the exception to my baking reluctance is baking bread. I love taking a fresh loaf out of the oven and the smell that fills every room. While I’m still looking for the perfect white bread, I think I have mastered the perfect dark and healthy bread. This one’s great with both sweet and savoury spreads and I could probably eat it every day. Enjoy.
Dark Rye Bread with Buttermilk (makes one loaf)
Ingredients: 300 g spelt flour, 150 g whole rye flour, 200 ml warm water, 200 ml buttermilk, 10 g instant yeast, 2 Tbsp. salt, 1 tbsp. sugar, 1 tbsp. cider vinegar, optional: sunflower seeds, flaxseed, oat bran (whatever you like or have on hand).
First, mix the yeast with the warm water until the yeast is dissolved. Slowly mix in both flours and the rest of the ingredients. Mix for at least 5-10 minutes (it’s definitely what makes all the difference with the bread!).
Put the dough in a loaf pan (that you have greased with butter before) and let it prove for an hour (or even longer).
Put it in the oven for 10 minutes at 230 degree Celsius, then for an additional 40 minutes at 180 degree.
And that’s it already! You should definitely try it today (if you start baking at around 4 pm, you will have fresh and lovely bread for dinner).
Happy baking!
Hanna’s Places is a green lifestyle magazine written by Hanna Ulatowski. It’s all about slowing down in a fast-paced society and finding ways to live a more sustainable, simple lifestyle.