<< Back to Pre-mix index

Rye Bread Mix

Will produce light, sour dough flavoured and crusty breads which comply with the national standard for Rye Breads. Toasted, each slice is a fragrant delight. Hand moulded doughs, proved and baked in an oven, will also make excellent Vienna style loaves and rolls.

Rye bread compliments the flavour of gourmet meats, fish and cheese; and is excellent for sandwiches, served with salads at barbecues, but most especially with piquant dips where it serves as an edible spoon.

Rye flours contain complex carbohydrates and a wide range of essential nutrients such as Protein, the B group vitamins, and vitamin E, and is high in dietary fibre and low in fat. Rye flour has less energy (kj) and sodium and more Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Calcium, Phosphorous and Iron than normal wheat flour.
 

	Machine Mixing Bowl Size
	Small	Large
Yeast	1.25	1.5	Standard teaspoon or scoop
	3.8	4.5	OR grams
Pre-mix	2.25	4.125	Standard Cups
	320	600	OR grams
Water	260	480	millilitres or grams
	1	1.9	OR Standard Cups

Ingredients
Unbleached Wheaten Flour, Rye flour, Rye Wholemeal, Salt, Yeast, Sour Dough Extract, Soya Flour, Emulsifier (481,472(e)), Calcium Sulphate (516), Malted Wheat Flour, Thiamin. .
Laucke Bread Pre-mixes contain no added sugar, preservatives or animal fats.

Getting Started: Your first loaf

Every brand of bread machine is different, and will produce a slightly different loaf. Use these basic instructions to get started, and then perfect your bread using the detailed instructions overleaf. The recipe below will produce a dough weight of 980g.

Note that some bread machines require ingredients to be added in a different sequence.

1. Accurately measure 1 ½ standard teaspoons of yeast from the sachet supplied, and add to your mixing bowl.
2. To reliably measure a Standard Cup of Bread Pre-mix, scoop up a heaped cup, then settle by lightly shaking until the Pre-mix is level with the top of the cup. Scrape off any surplus if necessary. Add 3 ¾ Standard Cups.
3. Accurately measure 435 ml of water, and add to your mixing bowl.
4. Close lid, check Basic Program is selected, and start your machine.

Perfecting your Bread: Useful Hints

Measurements
Be careful to ensure all measurements are accurate. Not all measuring cups provide a Standard Cup (230 ml of water), and some measuring cups display a mark just below the cup's rim. This can lead to surprisingly large inaccuracies. Standard Teaspoons also vary, so be prepared to experiment. Weighing the ingredients, using an accurate set of scales, is the most precise method of measuring ingredients.

Water Quantity
It is essential that you use the most appropriate ratio of water to Pre-mix. Use an accurate millilitre (ml) measuring cup. Under ideal conditions, our suggested optimum ratio of Rye Bread Pre-mix to water is the "Water Rate" of 0.80, where a notional 1000 g of Pre-mix would require 800 ml of water. Several factors, such as the amount of grain in your Pre-mix, will determine how long it takes for water to be absorbed into the dough. Some types of dough must remain 'sloppy' further into the kneading cycle.

To check if the appropriate amount of water has been added to the ingredients, open the bread machine lid at the start of the kneading cycle, and observe the dough slowly forming. It is important that you recognise the moment when the dough ball 'picks up' all the remaining wet dough from the bottom of the mixing bowl and from beneath the kneading blade. At this stage the dough ball should be sticky, soft and smooth. The time taken for the dough to reach this point is an excellent guide to its water requirement and potential loaf quality.

The target 'pick up' time for Rye Bread Pre-mix is within 20 to 25 minutes from the start of the kneading cycle. If the dough 'picks up' before the target 'pick up' time, the dough is too dry (tight) - some extra water must be added.

If, after 25 minutes of kneading, a paste of dough is still sticking to the bottom of the mixing bowl beneath the mixing blade, then the dough has too little kneading resistance (is too soft). Add a teaspoon of Pre-mix.

Experiment with water quantity in future loaves by first adding extra water 20 ml at a time, and then by reducing water 20 ml at a time. You will soon recognise the correct dough consistency for your ideal loaf.

Bread produced with the optimum amount of water, under ideal conditions, will have a good balance of appearance, volume and crumb quality, and will retain its freshness.

Reduced loaf volume and a ragged top crust usually indicates too little water. Moisture that is lost from the Pre-mix through storage and evaporation must be replaced with extra water, and this is a common requirement during summer.

Increased loaf volume with a collapsed top crust, and a loaf with more holes and a dull, sticky, and rubbery crumb, is an indication of too much water.

Yeast Performance
Yeast performance will reduce with time when exposed to air and moisture. Once a sachet is opened, re-seal the remaining yeast by folding and securing the top with a peg. Alternatively store the yeast in a small, sealed glass jar. Yeast should be stored at room temperature.

Small loaves can be caused by a lack of effective yeast. If your yeast sachet has been open for some time, add up to an extra ¼ teaspoon to maintain loaf volume.

Excess heat, such as that which occurs when a bag of Pre-mix and yeast is left in a car on a hot day, may severely affect yeast performance. If this is the case, more than ¼ teaspoon of extra yeast may be required, but ensure sufficient water is present.

Baking Mode or Program Settings
Experiment with shorter or longer program settings, but be aware that reduced kneading and proof times may reduce loaf volume and quality.

Bread Density
To produce a 'heavier' loaf, increase the Pre-mix quantity by 20% or more, and recalculate the water required. A Standard Cup contains 145 g of Rye Bread Pre-mix; and our suggested 'Water Rate' is 0.80.

Loaf size is primarily dictated by the amount of Pre-mix used, to which must be added the appropriate amount of water and effective yeast. e.g. 4 ½ cups of Rye Bread Pre-mix @ 145 g per cup will weigh 653g. This 653 multiplied by the Water Rate of 0.80 = 522 ml of water required. Decrease the yeast by ¼ teaspoon to reduce the potential increase in loaf size. To obtain a 'lighter' loaf, reverse this procedure.

Simple Troubleshooting
The fault of reduced loaf volume is almost always caused by insufficient water, and not insufficient yeast! Before trying more yeast, satisfy yourself that you have definitely added at least 50ml more water than our recipe suggests, and observe the variation in dough consistency and resultant loaf quality.

If the loaf volume is too great, reduce the yeast by ¼ teaspoon, or reduce the amount of Pre-mix by ¼ of a cup and recalculate the required amount of water. (see Bread Density for an example).

Hint for Slicing your soft, fresh loaf
Allow your loaf to cool, and use an electric knife. If your loaf is very soft, try slicing sideways, from the bottom up.

Hand Moulded Products
If a dough that was mixed in a machine is to be hand moulded, the dough may be too soft and sticky to easily handle if our recipe is followed. The water quantity may need to be reduced from our suggested "water rate" to about 0.69. Let the prepared dough remain in the mixing bowl for 10 minutes after kneading to 'relax' and make it easier to handle and shape, then prepare your own variety of shapes, baking them in a normal oven.

Other Ingredients
Be aware that loaf volume will reduce if extra ingredients other than Laucke Pre-mixes or wheat flour are added. More yeast and water may be required. If mixing two Laucke Pre-mixes together, average the quantity of ingredients to suit the Pre-mixes used.

Don't be afraid to experiment, such as by creating a loaf based on half German Grain and half Rye Bread Pre-mix!