Old World Rye

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I've been on a bread baking kick lately, and the routine of starting the sponge first thing after I get up has been working out  nicely. I can go about my morning and take care of the bread steps in between everything else, and by the time I'm ready to get rolling with my day, there is a fresh loaf coming out of the oven.

I decided to try this Old World Rye recipe from my favorite bread book, Uprisings: The whole grain baker's book, from the Cooperative Whole Grain Education Association. It's a great compilation of bread and baked good recipes from employee owned bakeries across the country. This recipe had some really interesting ingredients, and they said in the intro that it came from a Scandinavian family recipe, so I just had to try it out.

So, for the sponge :

3 cups warm water

1/4 cup molasses

2 Tbsp. yeast

3 1/2 cups hard whole wheat flour

Once it's vigorous and doubled in size (about 20 min), add:

4 tsp vegetable oil

2 tsp kelp powder (yes, I just said kelp powder)

1 tsp salt

2 tsp slippery elm bark powder

1/4 cup carob powder or fine ground coffee (next time I'm trying the coffee)

1 1/2 Tbsp caraway seeds

3 cups rye flour

2 cups hard whole wheat flour

Knead well. Rise once. Divide into 3 rounds and rise another 20 minutes.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour.

Then slice, slather with honey butter and enjoy!

And don't worry, you can't taste the kelp.   :)