Rye Bread russian

Russia is known the world over for its Rye Bread. The secret to making good
rye bread is to not add too much flour and to be patient enough to let the
bread rise fully This recipe makes a delicious, dense loaf that is well
worth the time and the effort it takes to make it.

2 packages active dry yeast (4 ½ tsp)

1 cup warm water (105° to 115° F)

1/3 cup dark corn syrup

4 ½ to 5 ½ cups dark rye flour

2 teaspoons salt

1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in 1 cup warm water. Stir in corn syrup
and set aside for 5 minutes until yeast mixture foams. If after 5 minutes
yeast mixture has not started to foam, the water is too cold or too hot or
the yeast is too old. Discard the yeast mixture and try again.

2. Add 2.5 cups flour to the yeast mixture, a little at a time, and beat
with a spoon until smooth. Stir in salt

3. Set bowl in a warm place, cover with a cloth towel (not terry cloth), and
let rise for 30 minutes.

4. Add 2 to 3 more cups flour, a half cup at a time, stirring after each
addition. When dough becomes difficult to stir, turn out onto a floured
surface and knead in flour with your hands until dough is stiff but still
slightly sticky. Form dough into a ball.

5. Wash and dry bowl. Place dough in bowl, cover with a cloth towel, and set
in a warm place. Let rise for 2½ to 3 hours or until dough almost doubles.

6. Turn dough out onto floured surface and, with floured hands, form into a
loaf. Place loaf in a well-greased 9" x 5" baking pan, cover tightly with
plastic wrap, and return to warm place to rise for 1 hour.

7. Preheat oven to 350°.

8. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. (Bread will not brown much.)

Makes 1 loaf