ixamnis
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A while back, I came upon a bread recipe that is supposed to be similar to the dark bread served at Outback Steakhouse. Regardless of what you think of that particular chain, I do like their bread and thought it would be fun to try to re-create it at home.
I'll print the recipe as I copied it below:
3 packages dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup warm water (yes, an additional cup)
1/2 cup dark molasses
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons oil
2 cups rye flour
2 1/2 – 3 cups bread flour
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Soften yeast in 1/2 cup warm water. Stir in the sugar and let stand 6 minutes or until it’s bubbly. In large mixing bowl combine the yeast/water combo above along with 1 cup warm water with molasses, salt, oil and rye flour. Mix this until it makes a nice smooth batter.
Work in the bread flour until the dough is smooth and no longer sticky. It should be very pliable and elastic. Knead the dough for a few minutes and then let it rise in a greased bowl until it’s doubled.
Punch the dough down and shape into 2 large round loaves Place the loaves a few inches apart on a greased and cornmeal dusted cookie sheet. Sprinkle a bit of the cornmeal over the top of the loaves as well. Let loaves rise in a warm place until doubled. Bake loaves at 375 for about 30 minutes or until the crust makes hollow sound when tapped.
Now, each time i've made this recipe, the outside of the bread is a little too hard, the inside doesn't quite get done and the bread is a little too dense with too much .... "texture". (I don't know what other word to use, here).
I've tried a couple of variations: The first time I made it, the molasses flavor seemed a bit too strong. So I made it with half of the molasses called for in the recipe. That helped the flavor. I also decreased the oven temperature a bit and cooked it for a shorter period of time, but then let it sit for an hour before cutting into it. That helped the interior of the bread to finish cooking, while the outside wasn't quite as hard.
I think I need to allow it to raise a bit more after I've "punched it down" following the first raise, or else only let it rise once and not punch it down. What are your thoughts on this?
I'll print the recipe as I copied it below:
3 packages dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup warm water (yes, an additional cup)
1/2 cup dark molasses
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons oil
2 cups rye flour
2 1/2 – 3 cups bread flour
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Soften yeast in 1/2 cup warm water. Stir in the sugar and let stand 6 minutes or until it’s bubbly. In large mixing bowl combine the yeast/water combo above along with 1 cup warm water with molasses, salt, oil and rye flour. Mix this until it makes a nice smooth batter.
Work in the bread flour until the dough is smooth and no longer sticky. It should be very pliable and elastic. Knead the dough for a few minutes and then let it rise in a greased bowl until it’s doubled.
Punch the dough down and shape into 2 large round loaves Place the loaves a few inches apart on a greased and cornmeal dusted cookie sheet. Sprinkle a bit of the cornmeal over the top of the loaves as well. Let loaves rise in a warm place until doubled. Bake loaves at 375 for about 30 minutes or until the crust makes hollow sound when tapped.
Now, each time i've made this recipe, the outside of the bread is a little too hard, the inside doesn't quite get done and the bread is a little too dense with too much .... "texture". (I don't know what other word to use, here).
I've tried a couple of variations: The first time I made it, the molasses flavor seemed a bit too strong. So I made it with half of the molasses called for in the recipe. That helped the flavor. I also decreased the oven temperature a bit and cooked it for a shorter period of time, but then let it sit for an hour before cutting into it. That helped the interior of the bread to finish cooking, while the outside wasn't quite as hard.
I think I need to allow it to raise a bit more after I've "punched it down" following the first raise, or else only let it rise once and not punch it down. What are your thoughts on this?