This bread is close-textured, grainy, and full of hearty flavor. It slices most easily the day after it is baked. Serve it very thinly sliced with a flavorful cheese such as gjetost, Jarlsberg, or Danish Havarti.

　　

Ingredients

makes 2 loaves

　　4 1/2 teaspoons (2 packages) active dry yeast

　　1/2 cup dark molasses

　　3 tablespoons butter, melted

　　2 tablespoons caraway seeds

　　1 teaspoon salt

　　2 cups rye meal, cracked wheat, or multigrain cereal

　　3 to 4 cups unbleached bread flour

　　

Step 1

In a large bowl, stir the yeast into 1 1/2 cups warm (105° to 115°F) water; let stand for 5 minutes to soften. Add the molasses, butter, caraway seeds, and salt.

　　

Step 2

Stir in the rye meal. Let stand for 15 minutes. Stir in the bread flour 1 cup at a time. Beat in enough flour to make a stiff dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board. Cover with a cloth and let stand for 5 to 15 minutes.

　　

Step 3

Wash and grease the bowl; set aside. Sprinkle the work surface with flour and knead the dough until smooth, 5 to 10 minutes. Place in the greased bowl, turning to grease all sides. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 2 hours.

　　

Step 4

Punch the dough down. Divide in half. Shape each half into a loaf. Grease two 9 × 5-inch loaf pans and place the loaves in the pans smooth side up.

　　

Step 5

Cover and let the dough rise until almost doubled, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

　　

Step 6

Position the oven racks so that the top rack is in the center of the oven. Place a shallow pan of water on the very bottom rack in the oven. Preheat the oven to convection bake at 325°F for at least 20 minutes.

　　

Step 7

Fill a spray bottle with water and spray the loaves with water. Place on the center rack in the oven. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of each loaf comes out clean and dry. Turn the bread out of the pans; cool on a wire rack.

　　From Cooking with Convection by Beatrice Ojankangas. Copyright (c) 2005 by Beatrice Ojankangas. Published by Broadway Books.Beatrice Ojakangas has written more than a dozen cookbooks, including Beatrice Ojakangas' Great Holiday Baking Book, Beatrice Ojakangas' Light and Easy Baking, Pot Pies, Quick Breads, Light Desserts, The Finnish Cookbook, and The Great Scandinavian Baking Book. Beatrice works as a consultant for Pillsbury and other major food companies, teaches cooking classes, and writes for various food magazines. She lives in Duluth, Minnesota.