Buttermilk-Molasses Rye Quick Bread | Baking with Dorie

This is a one-bowl quick bread recipe, slightly cake-like, very dark blend of rye, wheat and all-purpose flour by Dorie. Drawing on Dorie’s approach, I make changes in the direction of the smorregbrod, the Danish open-faced sandwich. Meanwhile, the bread-baker in me is taking a deep breath, cognizant of the pitfalls of working with rye.

Rye flour can be unruly as compared to the everyday all-purpose flour we’re used to. Rye bread can be dense, gummy and, sometimes, too rustic for my taste. Imagine cutting a thin slice of rye mini-loaf, which is robust enough to top with all kinds of goodies. That’s it! Among my favorite toppings are smoked salmon and, strong cheeses like blue cheese and aged cheddar.

The cheatsheet (see below) shows the adaptations I’ve attempted in making the rye bread of my choice. The result is a relatively open-crumbed, tender yet sturdy rye bread. The oven spring is quite remarkable. What I didn’t expect: an engaging fragrant flavoring of spices of fennel, star anise, caraway, slightly sweetened with molasses syrup. Together, the spices and molasses darken the bread considerably. The bread is also nutrient rich in nuts and oilseeds, providing a crunchy texture and nice mouthfeel.

In summary, the use of bread flour in substitution for all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, wheat bran and wheat germ is effective in opening the crumb structure of the finished rye bread. Adding flaxseeds and walnuts imparts the desirable crunch and texture in every bite. For the wet ingredient, I use yogurt which looks like the liquid leaven culture which takes a day to build. In addition, the bread flavor reminds me of the deli rye as well as the Danish rugbrød — but in ways more refined and tender and aromatic.

I’m very impressed with how well the changes in the recipe play out. Now I’ve found a great formula; I’ll be more inclined to use this adapted recipe for rugbrød-like open-faced sandwiches. The ease and convenience of a one-bowl quick bread makes it compelling all the more. In so many ways, this rye bread looks like one which could’ve taken me days to build, knead, ferment, proof and bake.