Peasant Bread Was OK

I've been too busy over the last day or so to get to a computer. But I haven't forgotten my bread. Night before last, I tried (a variety of) Peasant Bread from Everything Bread. It called for ¼ cup each of rye and whole wheat flour as well as the bread flour. I unfortunately only had the bread flour, so I just went ahead and made it straight. I liked the bread; Herself didn't—I don't think I gave it enough time to rise. It was done, or nearly so, but the crumb was very dense.

Here's the recipe:

Peasant Bread

• 1½ cups warm water


• 1 tablespoon honey (I used buckwheat honey—I love the taste)


• 1¾ teaspoons active dry yeast (1 package)


• ¼ cup rye flour


• ¼ cup whole wheat flour


• (I didn't have either, so I substituted ½ cup of bread flour)


• ¾ teaspoon salt (we don't have kosher, so I used plain iodized)


• 3 – 4 cups bread flour


• ¼ cup cornmeal

In a large bowl, combine water, honey, and yeast. Stir to dissolve and let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.

Add rye flour and whole wheat flour; stir to combine. Add salt and enough bread flour to create a firm dough. (I just added a cup of flour, the salt, and then the rest of the flour.) Add flour only to reduce stickiness. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead 8 – 10 minutes. Return to bowl, dust the top with flour, and cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap. Rise at room temperature until doubled in volume, about two hours. (This is where I went wrong; see below.)

Line a baking sheet with parchment, and sprinkle with cornmeal. Turn risen dough onto a floured surface, divide into 2 equal portions, and shape into round loaves. Place onto prepared pan and set aside to proof for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 °F (190 °C; Gas Mark 5).

Dust the top of the risen loaves with flour. Using a serrated knife, slash a crosshatch pattern into the surface of the risen dough, about ½ inch deep. Place a pan of cold water at the bottom of the oven to create steam. (It looks like I left this step out also, grumble grumble.) Bake until golden brown and hollow sounding, about 30 – 40 minutes. Cool completely on a rack before serving.

So, where did I go wrong in the rising? I left this until way late at night—too late for me to be able to let it rise the full time, proof, and bake. So I let it rise for an hour and a half, then oiled the top and put it in the fridge, figuring it would rise some more there and I'd deal with it the next evening. But the next evening, it hadn't really risen more at all. Next time I'll try a bit more honey. It was still cold while proofing, and it didn't rise much at all even in the oven.

I will try it again, sometime when I have time to finish the whole process. Meantime I do have one of those old bread recipes from the late 19th century I mentioned the other day, and I'll try that next time I bake.

God speed, and remember: All sorrows are less with bread.