Honey Mocha Bread
1 cup lukewarm water (100 to 110 degrees F.)
1 cup lukewarm milk
2 pkg. active dry yeast
½ cup honey
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
¼ cup cocoa powder
1 Tbs. instant coffee
2 tsp. salt
1 cup rye flour
4½ to 5 cups bread flour
In a medium size bowl, combine yeast with warm water and honey, and stir until completely dissolved. Add milk, rye flour, cocoa, coffee, oil, and salt; stir until thoroughly blended. Add 4 cups of flour, one cup at a time, mixing each time until the flour is completely incorporated. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead, adding small amounts of flour as needed to keep the dough manageable. Both the honey and the rye flour will keep the dough sticky, so be careful not to add too much flour. Periodically, scrape up any dough sticking to the counter and knead it in. Knead for 8 to 12 minutes, until you have a slightly stiff dough. Rinse and dry the bowl, then oil the surface of the dough and place it in the bowl. Cover with a clean, dry dish towel, and let rise in a warm place free from drafts until doubled, about 60 to 75 minutes.
Punch dough down and let rest for five minutes. Divide dough into two equal portions and form each piece into a fat oval. Place both loaves on a lightly greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise for 30 to 45 minutes (or until nearly doubled) in a warm place free from drafts. Bake in the lower third of a preheated 350 oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until crust is dark brown and loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. If loaves seem to be darkening too quickly, cover them lightly with aluminum foil for the last 10 minutes of baking. Cool loaves on wire rack.
Notes
--- I don’t much care for the taste of caraway seeds, which usually accompanies rye breads. But I’m a big fan of rye flour (I even add a little to my pizza dough on occasion) and I prefer honey over any other sweetener. So I developed this recipe for a bread that uses rye flour and honey, along with two other favorite flavors of mine, cocoa and coffee. The result is this dark loaf with a light texture that goes with just about any hearty meal, but especially well with beef dishes. The mocha flavor is quite subtle, so don’t be expecting something like mocha almond fudge ice cream or gourmet coffee.
---You will almost certainly have to cover the loaves with foil for part of the baking time, as the honey in the dough makes them brown quickly. You can also bake these loaves in medium size loaf pans (8½” x 4½” x 2½”) but I like these free form loaves better. You can also form these into 24 rolls and place them in muffin tins to rise, but bake for only 15 to 20 minutes.
1 cup lukewarm water (100 to 110 degrees F.)
1 cup lukewarm milk
2 pkg. active dry yeast
½ cup honey
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
¼ cup cocoa powder
1 Tbs. instant coffee
2 tsp. salt
1 cup rye flour
4½ to 5 cups bread flour
In a medium size bowl, combine yeast with warm water and honey, and stir until completely dissolved. Add milk, rye flour, cocoa, coffee, oil, and salt; stir until thoroughly blended. Add 4 cups of flour, one cup at a time, mixing each time until the flour is completely incorporated. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead, adding small amounts of flour as needed to keep the dough manageable. Both the honey and the rye flour will keep the dough sticky, so be careful not to add too much flour. Periodically, scrape up any dough sticking to the counter and knead it in. Knead for 8 to 12 minutes, until you have a slightly stiff dough. Rinse and dry the bowl, then oil the surface of the dough and place it in the bowl. Cover with a clean, dry dish towel, and let rise in a warm place free from drafts until doubled, about 60 to 75 minutes.
Punch dough down and let rest for five minutes. Divide dough into two equal portions and form each piece into a fat oval. Place both loaves on a lightly greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise for 30 to 45 minutes (or until nearly doubled) in a warm place free from drafts. Bake in the lower third of a preheated 350 oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until crust is dark brown and loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. If loaves seem to be darkening too quickly, cover them lightly with aluminum foil for the last 10 minutes of baking. Cool loaves on wire rack.
Notes
--- I don’t much care for the taste of caraway seeds, which usually accompanies rye breads. But I’m a big fan of rye flour (I even add a little to my pizza dough on occasion) and I prefer honey over any other sweetener. So I developed this recipe for a bread that uses rye flour and honey, along with two other favorite flavors of mine, cocoa and coffee. The result is this dark loaf with a light texture that goes with just about any hearty meal, but especially well with beef dishes. The mocha flavor is quite subtle, so don’t be expecting something like mocha almond fudge ice cream or gourmet coffee.
---You will almost certainly have to cover the loaves with foil for part of the baking time, as the honey in the dough makes them brown quickly. You can also bake these loaves in medium size loaf pans (8½” x 4½” x 2½”) but I like these free form loaves better. You can also form these into 24 rolls and place them in muffin tins to rise, but bake for only 15 to 20 minutes.