Rye with Pumpkin – Savory Bread Going for Gold – gorgeous, pillow-soft and flavorful, with a hint of sourdough. I have a hard time waiting for it to cool down long enough before digging in! All I need is butter… and oh, a hot cup of coffee would be nice.
I have been playing with bread ideas ever since I bought a bread machine nearly 25 years ago. The book of instructions that came with it was most informative. It had all sorts of tips and various “do’s and don’ts'” regarding bread-making that I found invaluable. There was no Internet back then, so, I had limited options for learning the nuances of bread-making.
I especially enjoy experimenting with ingredients that I don’t often find in store-bought yeast breads. My favorites are yogurt, cocoa powder, tomatoes and different squashes, along with a range of herbs, spices, nuts and fruit. Naturally, they all add their unique characteristics to give breads that are soft, light and bursting with flavor.
Don’t have a bread machine? No worries!
I have given detailed directions for making the bread even if you do not have a bread machine. You can knead the dough with a stand-mixer, food processor, or the old-fashioned way – with your hands! Bonus: you will get a serious arm-workout, if you knead it by hand. You will then need to shape it, let it rise again and bake it in an oven.
Ingredients for flavor, nutrition and good health
The rye bread I have presented here has dark rye flour and white bread flour along with various other ingredients. The added pumpkin (or butternut squash) not only spikes it with bright yellow carotenoids, its fiber also gives the golden-hued bread a fluffy softness. I am convinced the pumpkin also makes the yeast become “happy”! I think the bread dough seems to rise higher when I add pumpkin. The carotenoids from the pumpkin support immune function in general and are especially good for eye-health. For an added flavor boost, I use black pepper, crushed red pepper, rosemary and dill seeds.
Dill seeds have a range of health benefits (called Shatapushpa in Sanskrit) and its medicinal properties are well-documented in Ayurveda. In Marathi, the seeds are called Baalant-Shopaa (“Baa-lunt Show-paa”, related to the word for “new mother”). Traditionally, in Maharashtra, new mothers chew on a spoonful of the lightly roasted pleasant-tasting seeds after a meal. The purpose? Its carminative properties help the mother as well as the infant, especially in the days immediately following childirth. Maharashtrians also cook the fresh greens, called Shepu ( “Shay-poo”) in Marathi, like a vegetable. Of course, as with many foods, some folks love it and others simply cannot stand it! In the bread dough, the dill seeds release their aromatic oils as the dough rises. The aroma components nicely complement the flavors from the rosemary and red and black peppers.
Pre-fermenting the rye flour
When I first started experimenting with rye bread, it never quite turned out the way I wanted it. Along my bread-making journey, I came upon bits and pieces of information that helped enormously. I now have a reliable method that works rather well with rye and other whole grain breads. After making a very soft dough with rye flour, a tiny bit of yeast, sugar, water and yogurt, I set it aside overnight. By morning, the dough looks quite nicely puffed up with lots of “holes” on the surface – this is called a “pre-ferment“. I then go about making bread as usual, adding the remaining ingredients to finish making the dough.
While adding the liquid (water), I pay close attention to the consistency of the dough. The dough must be soft, of course, but not like a batter! I feel that the texture and crumb of the bread made with a “pre-ferment” is noticeably superior.
This bread is not gluten free, since it is made with wheat and rye. It is nut-free and soy-free, and can be made vegan by replacing the yogurt and butter with non-dairy substitutes of your choice.
I inhale the enticing aroma of my savory rye bread with pumpkin going for gold as it bakes…… and salivate in anticipation. Nothing to beat a fresh loaf of home-made bread!
Rye with Pumpkin Savory Bread Going for Gold
Equipment
- bread machine; if not available, will need an oven to bake the bread. Detailed directions for making the bread without a bread machine are included in the recipe instructions.
- Optional: stand mixer for kneading dough, if bread machine is not available. If not available, the dough can be kneaded by hand.
Ingredients
- 1 cup dark rye flour whole grain
- 2 cups white bread flour if not available, can use All-purpose flour + 1 tbsp high gluten flour
- 1 tbsp gluten flour
- 2/3 cup cooked pumpkin – mashed smooth butternut squash, Kabocha squash or acorn squash are suitable substitutes
- 10-12 oz water – divided: 3/4 cup + 1/4 cup + 1/4 cup use as needed to adjust dough consistency
- 2 .5 tsp instant yeast – use 1/8 tsp for making pre-ferment if instant acting is not available, the yeast will need to be proofed – see instructions in Recipe Notes
- 5 tsp sugar – divided: 4 1/2 tsp + 1/2 tsp
- 1.5 tbsp butter both salted/unsalted OK; replace with peanut or coconut oil for vegan bread
- 1.5 tsp salt
- 1.5 tbsp yogurt (optional) unsweetened; can omit or substitute with vegan yogurt – preferably with live culture
- 2 tsp dried rosemary if using fresh, use 2 tbsp, trimmed and coarsely chopped
- 1/4 tsp freshly crushed black pepper coarse texture preferred, not finely ground
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper if not available, use 1/2 tsp ground cayenne
- 1 tsp dill seeds if not available, add caraway or cumin seeds; the flavor is different, but still excellent
- 2 tsp fresh lemon/lime juice fresh preferredl in not available, use 1/8 tsp citric acid, Do not use bottled juce – it may have preservatives that can depress the yeast activity.
Instructions
- Mix the rye flour with 3/4 cup water, 1/8 tsp yeast, 1/2 tsp sugar and yogurt (if using). Set aside to ferment overnight.
- Cook the pumpkin – place a good sized piece of pumpkin in a cereal bowl. Sprinkle 2 tbsp water. cover with a vented cover and microwave 7-8 min on high. keep covered for 10 min or so to cool. Use a spoon to coop the flesh away from the skin. mash with a fork and set aside.
- Transfer the bubbly "pre-ferment" to the bread machine pan.If bread machine is not available, use a stand mixer or food processor with a dough blade for kneading the dough – do not use the sharp metal blade used for grinding/chopping food. Alternatively, knead the dough by hand. See separate, detailed instructions for each method below.
- Add the cooked, mashed pumpkin (or butternut/kabocha)
- Add all the remaining ingredients except water.
- add butter or oil (oil shown here)
- Select the 'Quick' cycle from the settings – the bread should be done in about 2 hours. Do NOT use any setting that takes longer for the bread to be done (If your machine does not have a 'Quick' cycle, set it to the 'dough' cycle. After the dough is ready, follow directions given below for shaping and baking in the oven.)Start the cycle. Watch while it kneads. Add 1/4 cup water after about 1 min, then add more as needed. You may need to ass upto 4 tbsp, but do not add it all at once. The dough should look soft and tacky as it kneads. Close the lid and let it finish kneading.
- Finished kneading. I took a peek for this picture.
- Finished baking. Removed from the pan and placed on a rack to cool completely before slicing.
- Slice and serve.
- Enjoy!
Kneading the dough with a stand mixer
- Place all the ingredients, except water, starting with the pre-ferment, into the bowl of a stand-mixer. Add 1/4 cup water. Mix and knead the dough for 10 min., Add more water, 1 tbsp at a time, if the dough looks too stiff- you may need to add up to 4 tbsp water- but do not add it all at once. Scrapie the sides as needed with a spatula. Cover the bowl with a clean dry towel and set aside for rising. After about 40 min, the dough should have doubled in volume;; punch down the dough to remove large air pockets. Follow directions given below for shaping, 2nd rising and baking in the oven.
Kneading with a food processor: Use dough blade
- Use the dough blade- usually a blunt plastic blade – do NOT use the sharp metal blade used for grinding/chopping – that will ruin your bread!Add all the ingredients, except water, starting with the pre-ferment, to the bowl. Add 1/4 cup water. Mix the ingredients by pulsing a few times. Then with short 15-20 second pulses, let the dough come together, Use a spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl, if needed. Add more water, 1 tbsp at a time, if the dough looks too stiff. you may need to add up to 4 tbsp water- but do not add it all at once. Rest for a min and knead for 25-30 seconds. Repeat resting and kneading action 7-8 times (total). Add water, if needed, a little at a time.With greased hands, transfer dough to a large, lightly greased bowl. Cover the bowl with a clean dry towel and set aside for rising. After about 40 min, the dough shoul have doubled in volume; punch down the dough to remove large air pockets. Follow directions given below for shaping, 2nd rising and baking in the oven.
Kneading the dough by hand
- Place all the ingredients except water, starting with the pre-ferment, into a large, shallow bowl – do not use a tall, deep bowl.Add 1/4 cup water. Mix the ingredients with a sturdy spoon- a wooden spoon works well. until you get a rough dough ball. Now gently knead with your hands to make a smooth dough ball . Add more water, 1 tbsp at a time, if the dough feels too stiff. you may need to add up to 4 tbsp water- but do not add it all at once. The dough will be soft and quite tacky – you will need to use a spatula to periodically scrape the sides as well as your hands/fingers. Knead for a total of 10-12 min. Rest your arms for a few min in between while kneading. The kneading helps develop the gluten makes the dough elastic, which produces a soft, fluffy well-risen bread. insufficient kneading make the bread brittle and crumbly.The dough will start releasing from your hands a bit more easily as you finish kneading. Scrape the dough still sticking to your fingers and sides of the bowl and tuck it under the dough. Coat the dough with a thin s,mear of oil ( about 1/2 tsp). Cover the bowl with a clean dry towel and set aside for rising. After about 40 min, the dough should have doubled in volume;; punch down the dough to remove large air pockets. Follow directions given below for shaping, 2nd rising and baking in the oven.
Shaping and baking the bread in the oven
- Prepare a large loaf pan (9" x 5"): cut a sheet of parchment paper so as to not just cover the bottom and long sides, but to extend about 1 1 1/2 inches above the rim of the pan on all sides. See the accompanying pictures to see how to place the paper in the pan. For this size pan, you will need a 4"x 16" piece and a 8" x 12" piece. This extra length of paper acts as a handle later, making it easy to lift the baked bread out of the pan. Use a second piece of parchment to cover the bottom and short sides of the loaf pan.Transfer the dough to a large floured cutting board.( 10" x 14" ). If a large cutting noard is not available, you can use your counter-top. Thoroughly clean and dry the countertop before spreading flour to coat a 10" x 14" area.Use a floured rolling pin to gently roll the dough into an 6" x 9" rectangle. Start rolling up from the short side, jelly-roll style. turn the roll so the seam id underneath. Pinch the ends and tuck them underneat too. The shaped dough should now fit nicely into the parchment lined loaf pan. Gently, but quickly transfer the dough into the loaf pan. Adjust it so as to be evenly placed from all sides. smear with a bit of oil and set aside in a warm draft free area for the 2nd rise – about 40-45 min. the dough might rise a little above the rim of the pan- that is OK- the extra paper will act as a support to prevent it from falling over the sides.About 5-7 min before the 2nd rise is done, starte preheating the oven. Set the temp to about 375.When the oven is ready, place the loaf pan on the center rack . Bake for 15 min, then lower the temp to 350 and bake for another 12-15 min. after 27-28 min of baking, you will need to watch for browning. If the top hasn't browned sufficiently after 30 min of baking, turn on the broiler – Lo setting. – in about 1- 2 min, the top should begin to get a nice golden brown color. turn off the broiler. this happens fast so watch carefully. or you will get a burnt crust.Remove from the oven. Transfer the pan to a cooling rack. after about 5 min, use the paper"handle" to lift the bread out of the pan. Continue to cool it on the rack. Slice when cooled to room temperature.Enjoy!
Notes
- Place the dough in the oven with the oven light on; the light bulb keeps the inside of the oven perfectly warm for the yeast.
- Add humidity by placing a couple of pots of scalding hot water on the rack below the dough. The steam from the hot water adds humidity – exactly what the yeast likes!
Amazing detail – thx for all the tips!
Thank you!
Let me know how it turns out!