Recipe For Cooking Black Bread

Toast Oven Breads :: Sweet and Savory Yeast Breads

Black Bread

1 envelope dry yeast
1 tea. sugar
1/4 C. warm water (105 to 115 degrees F)
1/2 oz. unsweetened chocolate
1 Tbsp. margarine
1 1/4 C. water
1/4 C. dark molasses
2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. salt
1/2 C. All-Bran cereal
2 to 2 3/4 C. unbleached flour
1 1/2 C. rye flour

Sprinkle yeast and sugar over 1/4 C. warm water. Stir to dissolve. Let stand until foamy, about 10 min.

Melt chocolate and margarine with 1 1/4 C. water in a lrg. bowl set over gently simmering water. Stir until smooth. Remove from over water. Blend in molasses, vinegar and salt. Mix in cereal. Let cool.

Grease a lrg. bowl. Blend yeast into cereal mixture. Gradually stir in 2 C. unbleached flour and rye flour. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 min., kneading in up to 3/4 C. more unbleached flour if needed to form a workable dough. Add dough to prepared bowl, turning to coat entire surface. Cover and let rise in warm area until doubled in volume, about 2 hr..

Grease two bread pans. Punch dough down. Turn out onto lightly floured surface and let rest 3 min. Knead 3 min. Divide dough in half. Roll each into an 8 x 7-in. rectangle. Starting with long side, roll dough up into a cylinder. Tuck ends under and pin. seam to seal. Place seam side down in prepared pans. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 1/2 hr..

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake until loaves sound hollow when tapped on the bottom, about 45 min.

Remove bread from pans. Let cool completely on a rack before serving.