First Time Baking Simple Rye Bread

Yesterday I planned on buying plain whole wheat pittot to use for sandwiches when I travel very early in the morning to Jerusalem for classes in Matan. I've discovered that I function better (meaning stay more alert and awake) if I eat a "good breakfast" before classes. 

Although not my usual menu, I've discovered that a sandwich on whole grain bread seems to do the trick best. That's why I wanted to buy some sort of whole-wheat bread/pitta. They would take up less room in my fridge's limited freezer than rolls. I found a bag, but then for some inexplicable reason, I read the ingredients. Hmmm, there were all sorts of additives, and I lost my appetite for them. 

So the intrepid baker, yours truly, went to the flour section and searched for whole-wheat flour. I couldn't find any. All they had were the 70% and 80% whole-wheat, but there was 100% rye flour. So, I decided to give it a try. 

Just two problems. 

1-Although I've been baking challah for decades, I've never baked simple bread.

2- I've never used rye flour, which I understand reacts differently from wheat.

I began googling, and most recipes had too many ingredients and seemed too complicated. Then I found Easy recipe for 100% rye bread from Virtuous Bread. Nothing could be easier. It doesn't need a mixer, and it includes only four ingredients including a pinch of salt. Following is what I used.

300gram flour, 250gram water (from the faucet,) tablespoon of brown sugar, pinch plus of coarse salt, Tablespoon of dehydrated yeast.

The only equipment you need:

a large bowl, two big mixing spoons, measuring cups and a "loaf" pan for baking

Directions:

In the large bow mix yeast in the water. Leave it a few minutes, until the yeast liquifies.

Add the flour and salt to the water, mix. I had to add more water. You'll get a sticky gob, but don't worry. You don't have to knead the dough.  Keep mixing with the spoons.

When the mush is mixed, pour (using the two spoons) it into the loaf pan. Instead of greasing the pan I used baking paper. 

Then let it sit at least two hours, covered loosely by a plastic bag. Don't bake until it fills the pan and seems to have a least doubled.

Bake at 200C for about 40 minutes. I think that next time I'll lower it to about 170 once it looks crusty and then keep baking an baking.

When it's ready, have it cool on a rack. After I made my sandwiches I sliced the remaining. 

I made my 

Here's the rye bread, recipe note on top

This must be the world's easiest bread recipe. I mixed it with a spoon. I didn't have to knead it, just poured the gop into the pan and let it sit, covered, for a few hours. Then I baked it in a hot oven. 

avocado and tomato in between slices of the rye bread

Homemade Challah, Yes, Passover's Over

Yesterday I made a nice batch of challah, which should be enough for more than a month. I used a very simple challah recipe and no electric mixer. I knead by hand.

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar (I use dark brown)
2 Tablespoons or a bit more of dehydrated yeast
approximately 2 kilo flour (I use whole wheat extra fine)
pinch of coarse salt
3 1/2 cups of warm water
1 cup of any vegetable oil
2 eggs (optional)
1 egg for painting to make a shiny challah

Instructions:

1. Put almost all of the dry ingredients into a large bowl; just use a cup of flour.
2. Mix
3. Add the warm water.
4. Cover with plastic.
5. When it looks all bubbly and has risen add the oil (and eggs).
6. Mix
7. Gradually add flour, mixing all the time, until you can knead it.
8. Knead for about 8 minutes.
9. Coat completely in a bit more oil.
10. Cover and wait until doubled in size, anything from 20 to 40 minutes depending on the weather and quality of yeast.
11. Punch down, then cover and wait again. 
12. "Take a piece of challah" for the blessing.
13. Punch down and shape. The shaping as you can see in my photos can be very simple.
14. Paint with raw egg and let the challot rise a bit.
15. Bake. Don't preheat oven. First I let the shaped challot, more like rolls, rise in 100c, 212f oven until doubled. Then I baked it at 190c, 374f until starting to brown. Finally lower heat to 160c, 320 until a sort of hollow sound when tapped on bottom. Times depend on size of challah and your oven. Mine is turbo/fan and I have heat from bottom. Usually I bake on two racks, also.
16. It's ready when hard on the bottom and has a hollow sound when tapping the bottom.
17. Let cool out of the oven.
18. Enjoy for Shabbat, Jewish Holidays or whenever you want a special bread.

Afterwards I bagged and froze the challah, since it was only Monday, but the house had that wonderful smell of home-baked challah for the rest of the day.

Easy to Make, Tasty Sandwich Rolls, Vegan, Parve

 Sandwich Rolls, Vegan, Parve
very easy to make, and you don't need a mixer

The basic recipe is from Mel's Kitchen Cafe,  FRENCH BREAD ROLLS, which I tweaked. I also doubled the recipe, since I had a kilo of flour to finish off.

These are very easy to make and tasty rolls. I don't have a mixer, just my hands, so they're low-tech too. I baked them with 100% whole wheat flour and brown sugar, which not only is supposed to be healthier, but I find it much tastier than white. I make a point of labeling vegan foods as such, since now I have a vegan daughter-in-law, which makes me more aware of ingredients, besides our being strictly kosher. Parve means neither meat nor dairy, not even the grease or oil.

handwritten version of Tasty Sandwich Rolls, which I worked from
My typed recipe below is more accurate and hopefully w/o spelling errors.

Ingredients:

3 cups warm water
2 Tablespoons dehydrated yeast
4 Tablespoons dark brown sugar
4 Tablespoons vegetable oil
pinch plus coarse salt
1 kilo* (approximately) 100% whole wheat flour

Instructions:

1. mix water, yeast, sugar, oil and about 2 cups of flour in large mixing bowl
2. cover and wait at least 15 minutes until bubbly
3. start adding the flour topped with the salt
4. mix with large strong spoon, or dough hook if you're using a mixer
5. keep adding flour until it doesn't stick to your fingers 
6. start hand (or dough hook) kneading for at least 7 minutes, a bit more if by hand
7. coat with oil, cover and leave to rise, double, (at least 25 minutes)
8. when doubled, punch down and shape on baking pan; I just made balls and squished them
9. let rolls rise and then bake at 400f or 200c, depending on your oven
10. between 17-20 minutes should be all they take to be ready, tap for hollow sound
11. Enjoy! They freeze well too.

*kilo = 2.2 lbs or about 8 cups flour