German dark rye bread

  • 3 cups All purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup cocoa
  • 5/16 oz active dry yeast
  • 1 tablespoons caraway seeds
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 31/2 cups rye flour
  • 8 teaspoons wheat gluten
  1. Place white flour, cocoa, yeast, caraway seeds, gluten, and salt in large bowl. Stir to mix.
  2. Place water, honey, and butter in a saucepan and heat until butter melts. When this liquid mixture registers 1050-1150F add to dry ingredients and mix until moistened, then beat very hard for 3 minutes.
  3. Stir in rye flour, enough to make a soft dough.
  4. Knead 8 to 10 minutes.
  5. Roll out and shape to fit 2 greased loaf pans.
  6. Brush tops lightly with oil and cover with a damp cloth.
  7. Raise in unheated oven over a pan of hot water for 1 hour until doubled.
  8. Punch down and allow to raise again until almost doubled.
  9. Preheat oven to 4000F. Bake 25 minutes.
  10. Remove from oven and immediately remove from pans; let cool on racks.