Beppe’s Rye Bread
Preheat oven to 275 Fahrenheit
In a large bowl, stir together:
- 4 cups Red River Cereal or Sunny Boy Cereal or generic 7 grain cereal (Red River makes darker bread)
- 3 cups Flour (I use Rye flour, but any kind will do)
- 2 cups Wheat Germ
- 3 cups Wheat Bran
- 4 teaspoons Salt
- 4 teaspoons Baking Soda
Drizzle approximately half a cup of Black Strap Molasses on top of the dry pile. I do not use measuring implements for molasses because it is easy enough to eyeball it, and otherwise, it sticks to the measuring cup and to the spoon.
Pour 6 cups warm (almost hot) Water onto the mix, warm enough to soften the molasses. Stir everything together thoroughly.
Let the mixture sit for 10-15 minutes while the moisture is absorbed into the fibres.
Preheat the oven to 275*F
Coat the insides of 3 loaf pans with soft butter.
If after 15 minutes when I stir the mixture again, it seems dry, I can add up to 2 cups more water, as needed. If it seems moist enough, I add no more water to it.
Scoop the mixture equally into each pan.
Cover the tops of each pan with aluminum foil, to keep the moisture in while it bakes.
Bake for 90 minutes.
At 85 minutes, turn off oven, remove foil from the tops of the pans, but keep the pans in the oven while it cools enough to touch the pans bare-handed, without getting burned.
When the pans are cool enough to touch bare-handed, flip each pan and once the loaf lands on the rack, remove pan and allow the loaf to air out and cool directly on the oven rack.
When loaves are room temperature, I can cut each of the loaves into 3 equal size parts. Each third equals about 4 slices. I then freeze the third-loaves for future use. This way the hearty, highly perishable bread stays fresh much longer. I can have a “fresh baked” mini loaf any time I want, once it’s thawed enough to slice, I just toast the slice I want.
I like to toast a frozen slice with spiced gouda on top in my toaster oven, AMAZING!
Slices also taste delicious with Nutella on top.