Swirled Marble Rye Bread

As any Seinfeld fan will tell you, a good loaf of marble rye bread is a hard thing to find - but a precious treat to enjoy if you're lucky enough to find one! This recipe is a keeper!!! It was very easy to make - I had so much fun swirling the doughs together. We made sandwiches with pimento cheese out of this as we lounged by the pool over the holiday weekend - hello! Delicious.

Marble Rye Bread
adapted from the Bread Baker's Apprentice

1 1/2 cups of white rye flour
3 cups unbleached bread flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 3/4 teaspoons instant yeast
1 tablespoon molasses
2 tablespoons shortening
1 1/4 cups water, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups white rye flour
3 cups unbleached bread flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 3/4 teaspoons instant yeast
1 tablespoon molasses
2 tablespoons shortening
1 1/4 cups water, at room temperature
3 tablespoons cocoa powder dissolved in 3 tablespoons of water

1 egg
1 teaspoon water

First, make the light rye. Stir together the rye, the bread flour, the salt, and the yeast. Add the molasses, shortening, and water. Mix until the dough forms a loose ball, adding an additional tablespoon of water or two if necessary to bring the dough together. Knead for 4-6 minutes, adding flour as necessary. The dough should feel supple and pliable but not sticky. Lightly oil a large bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling to coat it all over. Cover and set aside.

Next, make the dark rye. Stir together the rye, the bread flour, the salt, and the yeast. Add the molasses, shortening, water, and cocoa powder mixture. Mix until the dough forms a loose ball, adding an additional tablespoon of water or two if necessary to bring the dough together. Knead for 4-6 minutes, adding flour as necessary. The dough should feel supple and pliable but not sticky. Lightly oil a large bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling to coat it all over. Cover and set aside.

Ferment both doughs at room temperature for about 1 1/2 hours, or until they double in bulk.

Next, turn each of the doughs out onto a lightly floured surface, and divide each color into 4 equal segments. For a spiral shape, take 2 pieces of light rye and 2 pieces of dark. Use a rolling pin to roll them out into rectangles approximately 8" by 5" in size. Layer the four rectangles so that the colors alternate, making sure that the light rye is on the bottom. Starting on the long side of the rectangle, fold about 1/3 of the dough towards you, pinching the dough down to form a seam like this:

Next, take the other long edge of the rectangle, and fold it up and over the rolled-up dough, again pinching the edge to form a seam. The entire outside of the roll should be covered in the white rye, stretched around the inside layers.

Repeat this shaping process with the other 4 pieces of dough so that you have 2 loaves. You can place them on a large baking sheet lined with parchment or into well-oiled loaf 8x5" loaf pans like so.

Mist the loaves with oil and cover with plastic wrap. Proof at room temperature for 60-90 minutes, or until the loaves double in bulk.

(Alternatively, you can refrigerate the dough for up to 2 days before proofing and baking.)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk the egg with the 1 teaspoon of water, and lightly brush the loaves with this egg wash. Bake on the middle rack for about 45 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the bread is 190 degrees (you can use a meat thermometer or a fancy bread thermometer for this). Remove immediately from the pans and cool on a rack for 1-2 hours before slicing or serving. Enjoy!!