How to make Genuine Rye Bread.
In a recent paper upon this same subject, Geo. Freeman, of Kalamazoo, an expert baker, had the following to say upon how to make genuine rye bread.
During my career as journeyman baker, working in different shops, I have found there were hardly two who made rye bread precisely the same. But although they work different ways the result aimed at was the same. Some got it pretty regularly and others did not. But since giving the subject a little extra thought I see where I and others have worked very much in the dark, and during the course of my remarks I shall endeavor to throw as much light on the subject as I possibly can, from the viewpoint of a baker, to bakers, and so enable you (who do not already) to see it as clearly as I do myself. I have here, gentlemen, two loaves of what I consider genuine rye bread, the formula for which has never given me any trouble since I adopted it. I will tell you first how I made them and the why and wherefore afterwards.
We will take for example a six gallon dough for a 125 pound batch. From the previous day’s rye sponge, I have saved one pound of sponge in the crock and kept it in the ice box, so the first thing I do is to take half a pint of water and skim milk and bring it up to required temperature; and add to the one one pound of sponge in the crock and stir in sufficient rye flour to make a little stiff dough, the temperature of which must be from 92 to 95 degrees, and let stand until the sponge is ready.
Next take half an ounce of hops and boil about 20 minutes in two quarts of water; strain off the hops, saving the liquor for the sponge.
Next I prepared the blend of flour taking 40 per cent. blended Wisconsin rye; 20 per cent. pure black Wisconsin rye; 40 per cent. low grade spring.
We now come to the sponge, making a six gallon dough. I take four gallons for the sponge, being two-thirds of total liquor in the sponge and one-third or two gallons at doughing stage.
I take three and one-half gallons of water (at required temperature); seven ounces of yeast, two quarts of hop liquor, twenty-eight pounds of prepared blend of flour, about one-third of total required.