| Making rye bread is an art that takes practice but truly worth the effort. Why is this bread called Jewish? The Jewish population that settled in New York made famous what are called "New York Delicatessens", with cured meats and rye breads that were native to where they came from in Germany. There is no corn or cornmeal in this recipe, I believe it gets its name from the fact that in Germany Korn is the word for grain. This is a unique bread has a 48 hour starter using an onion half in it and a very "wet"dough that takes a little practice to get it into a loaf. The loose dough makes the flavor better and a lighter crumb.
Make the starter:
1. Pour 2 cups of room temperature water in a stainless or glass bowl and mix in a tablespoon of yeast and then 2 cups of rye flour
Add a medium size onion peeled an halved. Cover with a towel and let stand for 24 hours at room temperature. |
2. The next day add 1 cup of room temperature water and 1-1/2 cups of rye flour. Cover and let it sit again for 24 hours.
Remove the onion and keep in the fridge till ready to use.
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3. Time to make the bread
I like to mix the bread by hand but you can use a mixer if you want.
Refer to the ingredients for making the Jewish Corn Rye Bread above.
Proof the yeast in 1/2 cup of only slightly warm water, with the sugar, and let stand until double (10 min.).
In another bowl dissolve salt in remaining water. Mix in 3 cups of the sourdough starter, then the yeast mix. Add high gluten flour or bread flour and 2 cups of all-purpose flour and optional caraway seeds to start the dough that will be very sticky. The looser you can keep the dough the better the flavor and texture will be. |
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4. Make a soft dough. Spread 1.5 cups flour on kneading surface and turn dough out on it. Knead, adding more flour, to make a soft dough. Many people use more of a stretch and fold back into the dough method, using either wet hands or a dough scraper.. 
The dough should be only slightly elastic, even a bit sticky. The looser you can make the dough the better the texture and flavor.
Form dough into a ball, and put in an ungreased bowl. Cover with a towel or in a slightly warm oven and let rise until double (about 1.5 -3 hours). |
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5. Divide into 2 parts. Form each into 2 oblong loafs. Pinch seam, and place seam down on cornmeal-dusted sheet or cutting board The cornmeal grains are sort of like little ball bearings when you slide the loaf onto an oven stone.
Cover or keep out of a drafty area and let rise until it has almost doubled in size. I often let it rise in a barely warm oven.
Alternatively you can put the dough into loaf pans or a Brotform if you like, or a Dutch Oven works well also.
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This is a brotform it is a wicker basket made of cane that bakers have used for centuries
to raise dough in.
With a wet dough like this it will spread out very far on a pan, while in the Brotform it will dry a bit and mold into this shape with the characteristic rings around it which I find appealing.
I did it both ways so you can see how wide and flat a loaf you get.
But the bread is still way worth it.
Here the dough has risen in the Brotform and is ready to bake. However you don't bake it in the basket, you flip it over onto a peep or a pan. |
Preheat oven to 400 °
I like to bake it on an oven stone but you can bake it on a flat pan also.
If baking on a stone, coat wood peel with flour and cornmeal to help it slide
better off onto the stone. If you only have flour just use that. I like the flavor of the cornmeal as it clings to the bottom and makes a nice cruchy texture.
Put a large pan with 2 inches water in oven. and an oven stone if you have one.
You can brush loaves with egg-white glaze,sprinkle with caraway seeds on top if you want.
Bake for 30 minutes at 400 ° for 30 min.
Lower oven to 350 °
and bake another 20-30 minutes. 
When the bottom is crusty and has a hollow sound when you tap, it's done.
The internal temperature should be about 190 ° if your in doubt, cook it for another 15-20 min. if you fear it might be doughy.
If you don't have an oven stone you can bake on a cookie sheet oiled and dusted with cornmeal.
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The Crumb is very nice with all kinds of good air pockets.
The flat ones came out nice, the crumb of the bread was not as airy but the bread
tasted wonderful!
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King Arthur All Purpose White Flour
10 lb.
Shop for all kinds of King Arthur Flours
regular and organic
 
9 inch Bread proofing basket
in Germany called a Brotform
in French a Banneton
 
Bob's Red Mill
Organic Dark Rye Flour
2- 22 oz packs
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