Dark Rye Bread

From King Arthur Flour: “How does that dark pumpernickel you get at the supermarket get its deep-brown, chocolate-y color? From super-caramelized sugar; or from this baker’s shortcut ingredient: powdered caramel color.”

This recipe is sinfully delicious and can be made at home using DDW Caramel color!

Ingredients (Kitchen-Friendly)		Ingredients (Metric)
	Part 1
2 1/4 tsp yeast		7 g yeast
1 c water		240 ml water
1 Tbsp sugar		15 g sugar
1 Tbsp butter		14 g butter
2 c bread flour (see Tips)		270 g bread flour (see Tips)
	Part 2
1 1/2 tsp salt		11 g salt
1 Tbsp dill seeds (optional)		dill seeds (optional)
3/4 – 1 c all-purpose flour		135 g all-purpose flour
5 Tbsp D.D. Williamson Caramel Color Powder Click here to buy		50 g D.D. Williamson Caramel Color Powder Click here to buy
3 Tbsp rye bread improver from King Arthur Flour’s Bakers’ Catalogue		30 g rye bread improver from King Arthur Flour’s Bakers’ Catalogue

Directions:

Combine Part I ingredients.
Let rest/rise for 45 minutes.
Add Part II ingredients and mix for 1.5-2 minutes.
Place in lightly greased bowl and let rise for 1 hour.
Shape dough into a slightly flattened round loaf and cover. Let rise for an hour.
Spritz loaf with water and bake for 40-50 minutes at 350°F. The internal temperature of the loaf should be about 200°F when the bread is done.
Cool on a wire rack.
Enjoy!

Tips:

Rye Flour and bread flour can be interchanged. For a variety, dill seeds may be added or omitted.
The D.D. Williamson Caramel Color Powder gives the bread its dark look; for a darker look, simply add more powder.

Serving Suggestion:

This recipe yields one large loaf. Tastes wonderful when served warm with butter.

This recipe originates from The Baking Sheet, a newsletter published by The Baker’s Catalogue. Both publications are registered trademarks of The Baker’s Catalogue, Inc. of The King Arthur Flour Company, P.O. Box 876, Norwich, Vermont 05055, USA.