Hearty Russian Black Bread
Adapted from King Arthur Baking
A dense, hearty rye bread with a deep, complex and earthy flavor.
Ingredients
- 1 cup medium rye flour, plus more for dusting (106 grams)
- 2 1/2 cups unbleached bread flour, divided (300 grams)
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt (8 grams)
- 1 3/4 teaspoons instant yeast (6 grams)
- 3 tablespoons black cocoa powder (25 grams)
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder (or instant coffee powder)
- 1 tablespoon light or dark brown sugar (14 grams)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground fennel seed (or 1 teaspoon whole fennel seeds)
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (28 grams)
- 2 tablespoons dark molasses (43 grams)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature (28 grams)
- 1 1/8 cups lukewarm water (255 grams)
Instructions
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Reserve one cup of the bread flour and set to the side. Place all of the remaining dry ingredients, up to and including the ground fennel, in a large bowl. Whisk to blend. Add the vinegar, molasses, butter and water to the flour blend. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, mix well to make a thick batter-like dough. The dough will seem to be very wet at this point. It will firm up when you add the remaining cup of bread flour.
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Mix in the remaining cup of flour. At some point, you'll need to use your hands to fully incorporate the flour into the dough. Knead the dough for 7 minutes, or until the dough becomes soft and elastic. This can be done by hand or in your stand mixer with the dough hook attached.
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The dough may still be somewhat sticky to the touch but will be easy to form into a ball. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise until doubled, for 45 minutes to an hour.
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After the first rise, shape the dough into an oblong loaf similar to the size of your loaf pan. Place the dough in a greased 9" x 5" or 10" x 5" bread pan. Cover with a piece of greased plastic and let rise until almost doubled, about 60 to 90 minutes.
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While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 375°F.
When the dough has almost doubled in size, brush or spray the top with water, then dust with rye flour. Using a sharp knife or lame, score the top of the dough.
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Bake the bread for 35 to 40 minutes, until the inside measures 205°F on a digital thermometer. When done, it should sound hollow when you thump the bottom of the baked bread. Remove the loaf from the oven and give it a few minutes to rest in the pan. Transfer the bread from the pan to a wire rack to cool before slicing.
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Store the bread well wrapped at room temperature for several days. Freeze for longer storage.
Recipe Notes
An important note on the flour measurements:
In baking, it's always best to weigh your flour. If you must, measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess.
Not all flour is equal. There are many variables ranging from the way the flour is transferred to the measuring cup to the type of flour. Another huge difference can be found between the many brands out there.
- For unbleached all-purpose white flour, King Arthur Baking states that a cup weighs in at 120 grams.
- Bob's Red Mill advises 136 grams per cup.
- Imported Italian flour weighs 150 grams per cup.
- I use Sunrise Flour Mill's products for the bulk of my baking - their white flour weighs in at 140 grams per cup.
If you bake on a regular basis, weighing your ingredients as you go is a huge time-saver. It's also a great way to guarantee excellent results each and every time.