Ok, that's good.

[errantember]

The deli rye is *very* good. Dense and just the right level of moisture. It has a well-balanced flavor, strong enough to assert itself, but not overwhelming when combined with other tastes. When I finished baking it, the internal temperature was 175 degrees, and the recipe said it should be 200, so next time I will probably extend the bake a bit. I also chose to make two smaller loaves instead of one big one. This, in itself, was a good idea, but I made them a bit too long and thing, so the pieces would be difficult to stuff with a lot of sandwich ingredients. Nevertheless, definitely better than I was hoping for on a first try at bread making. My father is a long-time seeded rye fan, and I will be proud to serve this to him next time we get together.

Comments

Re: Thanks!

[jb-27.livejournal.com]

Regarding the mixer vs. hand kneading: It's my impression that very wet, rustic doughs tend to do better in the mixer because you don't have to deal with dough sticking to your hands and the board. Drier doughs can over-work the motor.

Earlier, I mentioned "sticky" vs. "tacky" vs. "dry" dough. Mr. Reinhart gives equivalent tests for dough in a bowl. If the dough sticks to the sides of the bowl, when the mixer is running, it's sticky. If the dough clears the sides of the bowl but still sticks to the bottom, it's more tacky. If the dough lifts clear of the bottom of the bowl, it's dry. I don't think this is as precise as the touch-test, but it gives a guide as you're watching the motor go round and round.