Elizabeth's Kitchen Diary

fuel that adventure

Published on June 24, 2013 • Last updated July 18, 2014 by
rustic-french-bread-2

I go through bread phases. Sometimes I can’t get enough of it and then I go months before I make it again. I’m in a bread phase right now and I’m making (and blogging!) a lot of bread. Fresh bread straight from the oven can’t be beat.

This is one of our family favourite bread recipes. The original recipe and method came with our swish new bread machine sent to us by the lovely Bestemor from Norway when she heard our old machine had died. It’s a fantastic Panasonic SD-2501 and I love it to bits. It’s got loads of settings, including one specifically for French bread! However, I prefer to use the dough setting and then shape and form the loaf by hand into a nice traditional non-bread machine-shaped loaf to bake in the oven. The loaf tastes the same, either way, but I like the look of a hand-shaped loaf,so I’ve adapted the recipe method to reflect this.

AlphaBakes-LogoThe bread itself is remarkably light for a bread recipe containing wholemeal and rye flours. It’s a perfect bread to dunk into hot soup on a cold Autumnal day and it’s perfect made into sandwiches or served in generous slices with chunks of cheese on picnics in the summer.

I am sending this recipe over to Alphabakes, a monthly food blogging challenge co-hosted by The More Than Occasional Baker and Caroline Makes. This month The More Than Occasional Baker has given us the letter R to work with. We have to make and share recipes which include an ingredient, or have a title, with the letter R in it. This Rustic French Loaf contains rye flour, so that meets the criteria.

rustic-french-bread
Rustic French Loaf
Wholemeal, rye and plain flours combine to make a delicious light and wholesome loaf of bread.
Ingredients
  • 1 tsp fast action dried yeast
  • 310 ml warm water
  • 275 grams strong white bread flour
  • 75 grams strong wholemeal bread flour
  • 75 grams rye flour
  • 15 grams salted butter
Instructions
1. Place ingredients into your bread machine in the manufacturer’s recommended order and run through the dough cycle.
2. Alternatively, rub flours and butter until combined, stir in the yeast and water and knead for ten minutes. Leave to rise, covered, until doubled in size.
3. When the dough cycle/rising is finished turn out onto a heavily floured surface. The dough will be very light.
4. Knead for a minute or so and form into a loaf shape.
5. Place on a greased baking tray, cover, and leave to rise until doubled in size, about half an hour.
6. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 230 C.
7. Dust surface of loaf with rye flour and score with a sharp knife.
8. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.
9. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Details

Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: 1 loaf

At the lovely request of Carole (see Comments below) I have added this recipe to the French Food on Friday round-up over at Carole’s Chatter.

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About Elizabeth Atia

Daydream adventurer. Expat Canadian. Foodie. Calls Shetland home.

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Comments

  2. Baking Addict

    Delicious looking loaf. I love the combination of rye,wholemeal and plain flour. Thanks for entering AlphaBakes!

    Reply

  3. Carole

    Elizabeth, thanks for coming on over to link in. And a big thank you for following Carole’s Chatter. I have followed you right on back! A bientot!

    Reply

  4. Carole

    Lovely work, Elizabeth! Would you be happy to link it in to the current Food on Friday which is all about French inspired Food? This is the link . I do hope to see you there. There are already a lot of links for you to check out. Cheers

    Reply

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