A bit of history
Bread is a very ancient product that has absorbedcenturies-old experience of our ancestors. The first information about recipes and traditions of bread making in Rus' was found by archaeologists in the chronicles of the 11th century. Baking recipes were passed down from generation to generation, and the status of the housewife was determined by her ability to bake bread - it is not for nothing that in the fairy tale "The Frog Princess" this was the first test for daughters-in-law. The ancient Slavs baked rye bread. Rye flour, sourdough from the same flour and water were used for its preparation. The sourdough is necessary for the dough to rise, to give the finished bread fluffiness and softness. Since it was sour, "fermented", the bread also turned out to be sour in taste. Sourdough is a more liquid dough that has undergone a fermentation process. It was prepared for several days, partially used, and the remainder was saved for future baking. They could also leave some of the dough itself, which had time to ferment by the next time. Rye bread has another name - "black". In some ancient Russian regions, the word "bread" was used to refer specifically to rye bread, and all baked goods made from wheat flour had other names: loaf, baton, kovriga, bun, etc. Rye bread was traditionally considered food for the poor - the rich preferred wheat bakery products. Recipes for baking rye bread were invented and improved over many centuries. In 1626, the Tsar's decree "On bread and kalach weight" was issued, which spoke of 26 grades of rye bread. Many of these recipes have survived to this day. But it should be noted that not long ago, our domestic bakeries stopped producing traditional 100% rye bread. All types of bread called "rye" or "black" are actually rye-wheat bakery products, with the addition of other types of flour and various ingredients (malt, nuts and seeds, dried fruits, aromatic herbs and spices, honey, kvass, etc.). The most famous types include "Borodinsky", "Riga", "Moskovsky", "Ukrainian", "Darnitsky", "Derevensky" and others.
Sourdough or yeast
For rising and loosening rye doughTraditionally, either sourdough or baker's yeast are used. Recipes for making sourdoughs have a rich history - the first information about them came to us from Ancient Egypt. The legend of the origin of sourdough is quite banal: an ancient baker forgot about the dough for some time, and it managed to ferment and rise, which gave the product fluffiness and volume during baking.
Use of starter
Both yeast and dry sourdough can be purchased today.in the store. But many housewives prefer to grow and maintain the sourdough themselves. To prepare it (in the simplest version), you need to take rye flour and water in equal quantities, for example, 1 glass each, mix well, place in a glass jar and cover with a clean cloth on top. Under no circumstances should you close the jar with a lid or polyethylene - the sourdough needs an influx of fresh air! It should be borne in mind that the sourdough increases in volume very much, so the container should be quite roomy. The jar should be placed in a warm place for two days; during this time, the fermentation process will begin, bubbles will form on the surface of the sourdough, a characteristic sour (but not musty!) smell will appear. The sourdough is prepared for four days. After the first two days, it should be fed: add the same amount of a mixture of rye flour and water, mix everything thoroughly and leave for another day to mature. After three days, the starter is fed for the last time, and after another day of fermentation, it is ready for use. Part of the starter, about 100 g, should be put into a clean jar, covered with a lid and placed in the refrigerator. The day before the next time you make bread, the starter should be removed from the refrigerator and fed again with rye flour mixed with water in equal quantities. This way, you can maintain the growth of the starter for a long time. The appearance of an unpleasant, sharp smell indicates that the starter has spoiled.
Use of yeast
As for yeast, there has been a lot of activity latelythere is much debate about their usefulness. Some very authoritative scientists claim that dry baker's yeast can harm the human body, since it promotes the growth of cancer cells, and also negatively affects the functioning of the brain, intestines, and weakens the immune system. In their opinion, sourdough bread is more useful and nutritious. In any case, each housewife decides for herself what to use: yeast or sourdough.
Oven or bakery
At home, there are two main waysbaking bread: in the oven and in a bread maker. It is worth noting that not all bread makers have a function for baking rye bread. Rye flour is heavier when kneading, and to prevent the bread maker motor from burning out, some models have a special paddle for making rye dough. Household appliances make the process of baking bread much easier: products are placed in the pan according to the recipe, a program is set from the list of suggested ones or your own - and you can relax: a signal will announce that the bread is ready! Another thing is to cook rye bread in the oven. Here, several stages can be distinguished: growing the sourdough (if yeast is not used), kneading the dough, standing, shaping, proofing and baking.
Simple recipes of rye bread
There are a great many recipes for rye bread.What is not added to the dough to give the product a special taste and aroma! And here - room for imagination and a wide field for experiments. But first you need to master simple, "classic" recipes for baking rye bread. Recipe for simple 100% rye bread with sourdough, baked in the oven Sift 400 g of rye flour, add 400 g of rye sourdough, 2 teaspoons of salt, 2 tablespoons of honey or sugar, 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Knead the dough, gradually pouring in 140 ml of water. It should be noted that rye dough is very sticky, but adding extra flour is not recommended - it is better to wet your hands and dishes with cold water when kneading and shaping. The kneaded rye dough should be sprinkled with a little flour, cover the dishes with a towel and put in the refrigerator for at least 10 hours, and better for a day. During such a long proofing, the fermentation process will occur in the dough. Next, transfer the dough to a baking pan greased with vegetable oil and leave it in a warm place for 3 hours to rise: the dough should increase in volume by 2-3 times. Place in an oven preheated to 250 degrees, bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 200 degrees and bake for another 30-40 minutes. Check the readiness with a wooden stick: if it is dry, the bread is ready. Remove the bread from the pan and let it stand for 30 minutes, covered with a towel. Recipe for simple rye yeast bread baked in the oven In a separate bowl, mix 1 tbsp. dry yeast, 1½ tbsp. sugar and 1½ cups of warm water; place in a warm place for 20 minutes to ferment. After this time, add 1½ tbsp. vegetable oil and stir. Sift 1½ cups of rye and wheat flour into another bowl, add 1 teaspoon of salt, yeast with oil and mix well. Then cover the container with the dough with a towel and leave in a warm place for 3-4 hours to rise. After that, knead the dough and place it in a baking pan, previously greased with vegetable oil. Cover again and leave for 20 minutes to rise. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees, place the pan on the middle level and bake for 30-40 minutes. Remove the finished rye bread from the oven, wrap it in a towel and let it stand for another 20 minutes. Recipe for brewed rye bread with yeast, baked in a bread maker To bake such bread, you first need to brew 4 tablespoons (40 g) of fermented rye malt in 80 g of boiling water, cool. Pour the ingredients into the bread maker pan in the following order: 2 teaspoons dry yeast, 300 g rye and 250 g wheat flour, 2 tablespoons honey or sugar, 1½ teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon coriander or caraway seeds, 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. Pour the brewed malt and 330 ml cold water on top. Place the pan into the bread maker and set the desired program. Cooking time is approximately 3½ hours. Also keep the baked bread under a towel.
A few words about the benefits of rye bread
Rye or "black" bread has always been consideredThe main food of Rus' due to the good yield and low cost of rye. In addition, rye flour is a storehouse of useful substances, vitamins and minerals. Our ancestors could eat only rye bread and water for a long time and at the same time perform heavy physical work every day. Regular consumption of rye bread promotes good bowel function, cleanses the body of toxins, reduces the risk of serious diseases such as diabetes and cancer. However, this product is contraindicated for people with stomach diseases due to increased acidity and with peptic ulcer disease.
Use in folk medicine
Rye bread is also used in folk medicine and cosmetology. Here are some recipes:
- treatment of herpes: a slice of black bread pour 1 tbsp. spoon of boiling water, add a teaspoon of salt, mash; get the gruel to put on the rash, hold for about an hour, then wash it off and apply a new portion;
- when cold: rub a rye bread rub garlic and eat, washed down with lime or other herbal tea;
- compress in angina: cut thin rye bread from rye bread, spread on a tissue napkin and pour boiling water; when the crusts cool a little, put it to your neck, tie it up with a scarf and leave it till morning;
- bread mask from acne: rye bread boil with boiling water, add a teaspoon of honey, mix thoroughly; Apply the mask for 15 minutes, then rinse with warm water; if the skin is dry, you can add a little olive oil;
- perfectly strengthens hair washing steamed rye bread.
In conclusion, it remains to say:Rye bread is undoubtedly a useful and necessary product. Of course, the process of its production is labor-intensive and troublesome, but the taste, aroma and benefits of rye bread will more than pay for the efforts and bring a lot of pleasure to you and your loved ones!
