Does anyone know how to make the bread that I have seen sold as "old world bread" and "black bread"? Safeway used to sell it and so did Kroger but I have not seen it for many years. It has a strong caraway flavor and is as dark as chocolate cake, but it is not sweet like pumpernikel. I used to love snacking on buttered slices but have never run into any recipe that even came close! I have never even seen rye flour as dark as whatever thi

-- B (fed2thegills@aol.com), December 17, 2001

Answers

B, If you're talking about the bread I think you're talking about, we used to get it in Germany all the time, it comes in a very small, dense loaf and the texture looks more like a bunhc of seeds and grains than it does bread. It's awesome stuff! I've never been able to duplicate it myself, but this recipe, while totally different, actually tastes quite similiar. It's very dense, and makes 1 small loaf.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Black Raisin Walnut Bread

1/2 Cup Water 1/2 Cup Milk 1 Tablespoon Walnut Oil 1 Tablespoon Molasses 3/4 Teaspoon Salt 1 1/2 Cups Flour 1 Cup Whole Grain Dark Rye Flour 2 Teaspoons Yeast 1 Cup Raisins 1/2 Cup Pecans -- Chopped 2 Tablespoons Coffee

Description: "Similiar to German Black Bread" Yield: "1 Loaf"

-- CJ (cjtinkle@getgoin.net), December 17, 2001.

Ukrainian Black Bread

(this is from the Laurel's Kitchen Bread Book, and is quite wonderful)

1 teaspoon active dry yeast

1/4 cup warm water

l cup strong coffee

l teaspoon blackstrap molasses

3 cups whole rye flour

1/3 cup whole buckwheat flour

1-1/4 teaspoon salt

Dissolve the yeast in warm water. If you are making fresh coffee for the purpose, make it double strength using boiling water, allow to cool until warm. Stir in the molasses.

Combine the dry ingredients. Add the yeast solution and 3/4 cup of the sweetened coffee. If required, add the rest of the coffee to bring the dough together. Knead until soft and smooth, using a little water on your hands and the board, but not so much as to let the dough get very sticky. Knead 5 to 10 minutes.

Cover and let rest for 2 hours at room temperature. Using a genourous amount of water on your hands, knead briefly and shape into a round ball. Let it rest for 30 minutes more, covered with a damp cloth. Rolling the dough back and forth under your palms, shape it into a long, skinny loaf or two, about 2 inches in diameter. Again, use plenty of water so the surface of the dough doesn't crak.

Grease either a cookie sheet or a French baton pan and place the shaped dough on it. Proof in a warm and humid place, around 85 degrees F, until the dough is soft - approximately 45 minutes. Don't expect it to rise very much: it won't. Bake in a hot and steamy oven for 20 minutes, then without steam at 375 degrees F for another half- hour or so. Check while baking to make sure the loaf is browning evenly on the top and bottom, repositioning the bread in the oven if necessary.

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), December 17, 2001.

You can use the coffee as your liquid in any rye bread recipe to make it have that dark color, or carob also works. The recipe I posted doesn't call for the caraway but most certainly can be added.

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), December 17, 2001.