RYE BREAD

(Ragbrod)
Recipe

Provided by Margaret Forsman


1 cup milk

1 cake compressed or 1 pkg. dry yeast

2 Tbs. sugar

1 cup lukewarm water

4 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

½ cup dark corn syrup

¼ cup molasses

1 tsp. fennel seed

1 tsp. anise seed

⅓ cup shortening

grated rind of 1 orange

1 ½ tsp. salt

2 cups medium rye flour

lukewarm water

1. Scald milk and cool to lukewarm.

2. Dissolve yeast and sugar in lukewarm water. Add lukewarm milk. Stir in 3 cups all-purpose flour. Beat until smooth. Cover and let rise until double in bulk, 1 to 1 ½ hours.

3. Mix syrup, molasses, fennel seed and anise seed in saucepan. Bring to boiling point. Let stand until lukewarm. Strain through a sieve to remove seeds. Add syrup mixture, shortening, orange rind and salt to risen sponge. Beat until well mixed.

4. Stir in rye flour and 1 cup all-purpose flour. Place remaining ¼ cup white flour on board or pastry cloth for kneading. Turn out dough and knead until smooth and elastic. Place in greased bowl, cover well and let rise until double in bulk, 1 ½ to 2 hours.

5. Shape into 2 loaves. Place in greased 9 ¼ x 5 ¼ inch loaf pans. Cover and let rise until double in bulk, 50 to 60 minutes. Bake in moderate oven (375 degree) 40 to 50 minutes. Five minutes before bread is done, brush tops with lukewarm water to glaze.

Yield: 2 loaves.