If you wish you were Irish...

Even though St. Patrick's Day parades and celebrations are being cancelled everywhere thanks to the Coronavirus scare, you can still have yourself some healthy Irish fare! Just in time for a dreary weekend, I decided to bake up a loaf of delicious Rye bread. Whole grain Rye flour is low in gluten and high in fiber and makes for a tangy, healthy bread - try my easy recipe below, which doesn't need to rise overnight. Total prep time: 2 and a half hours; Cook time: 40 min.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of warm-hot water, approximately 90-100 degrees F
• 1 packet of yeast (2 and 1/4 teaspoons) 
• 4 teaspoons of molasses
• 1 cup whole grain Rye flour (I used Hodgson Mill)
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt (I used vanilla Greek yogurt but any plain flavored will do)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 and 1/3rd cups all-purpose flour 
• 1 tablespoon of Carraway seeds (optional)

My yeast activating while I imbibe a delicious Irish ale!

Instructions:

1. Combine the water and yeast and let sit for about 5 minutes when it starts to activate and foam
2. Add the molasses and rye flour and stir until combined. Let the mixture sit for 20-30 minutes while the rye flour soaks up the water
3. Add the remaining ingredients (yogurt, salt, all-purpose flour) and knead into a smooth ball. It may be sticky - rather than add more flour try wetting your hands.
4. Place the dough ball into a large bowl that has been lightly oiled - I used olive oil for this. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and let rise in a warm spot for 60-90 minutes. Rye dough does not rise as much as all wheat flour but you should see the dough puff up a little. I let my dough rise in the oven that has been warmed to 200 degrees F and then turned off. 
5. When the dough has puffed up a bit, knead the dough for 5-10 minutes, making sure to seal any folds. Please the seal side down in a lightly oiled 9"x5" loaf pan. I used a pan spray for this. 
6. Cover with towel or plastic wrap and let rise for 30-60 minutes. As noted above, the dough will not rise much, but you should see it puff up a bit. 
7. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F, score the loaf (slice the top with a knife) and bake the loaf until it reaches 200-210 degrees F in the center (40-50 min). 
8. Let it cool before cutting, and enjoy!