Black Bran Rye Recipe

I’ve been trying for years to make black Russian Rye bread after I fell in love with it at the Three Girls Bakery in Seattle at The Pike Place Market. It’s still not as elastic as I like, but at least it’s not the latest “Duck sinker” I call it. A Duck sinker bread is one that is fed to the waterfowl and as they eat it they visibly sink deeper and deeper into the lake. Now I know you’re not supposed to do that anymore yet I still make loaves that could sink a duck more often than I’d like. I got this recipe off the back of a Bob’s Red Mill Rye Flour bag.

Black Russian Rye and Sourdough French bread.

Ingredients for Black Bran Rye Bread

• 2 cups Organic Dark Rye Flour (Bob’s Red Mill)
• 1/2 cup Roasted Carob Powder (Starwest Botanicals) https://www.starwest-botanicals.com/category/carob/
• 2 Tablespoon Active Dry Yeast
• 1 cup Sourdough Starter
• 3 cups warm Water (110°F – 115°F)
• 1/2 cup Molasses, Dark
• 2 tsp Celtic Sea Salt
• 2 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil (I used Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
• 2-1/2 to 3-1/2 cups Bob’s Red Mill Organic Unbleached White All-Purpose Flour
• 2 cups Oat Bran
• 1 to 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil or Unsalted Butter to rub onto finished loaves

Instructions for Black Bran Rye Bread

1. Put the bran in a dry, large heavyweight skillet over medium-low heat. Cook the bran, stirring with a whisk, until the bran is well toasted and dark, about 10 minutes. Remove skillet from the heat and whisk the rye flour and carob powder into the bran. Set aside to cool to lukewarm, about 20 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, stir yeast into water to soften. Add molasses, salt, oil, cooled bran mixture and 1 cup unbleached white flour. Beat vigorously for two minutes. Gradually add flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl.
3. Turn dough out onto a floured work surface. Knead, adding flour a little at a time, until you have a smooth, elastic dough. Put dough into an oiled bowl. Turn to coat the entire ball of dough with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, about one hour.
4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly oiled work surface and divide in half. Shape each half into a round ball and place onto a well-greased baking sheet. Flatten the top of the loaves slightly.
5. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until almost doubled, about 45 minutes.
6. About 10 minutes before baking, preheat oven to 375°F.
7. Just before baking, brush each loaf lightly with oil or butter, and slit about 1/4″ deep about every inch across the top of the loaves.
8. Bake for 35 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the loaf reaches 190°F.
9. Immediately remove bread from baking sheet and cool on a wire rack.