Icelandic Dark Rye Bread (Dökkt Rúgbrauð)

Name: Icelandic Dark Rye Bread (Dökkt Rúgbrauð)
Total time: PT0D0H0M
Yield: makes 2 Loaves
Ingredients: Unsalted butter, for greasing and serving; 3 cups dark rye flour; 1 1 ⁄ 2 cups whole wheat flour; 4 tsp. baking powder; 2 tsp. kosher salt; 1 tsp. baking soda; 2 cups buttermilk; 1 cup golden syrup

Serves
makes 2 Loaves

INGALLS PHOTOGRAPHY

Slow baking gives this slightly sweet dark rye loaf from Nanna Rögnvaldardóttir's Icelandic Food and Cookery (Iðunn, 2014) its dense crumb and deep color. Baking the bread at a low temperature overnight mimics the traditional Icelandic method of steaming the bread in a glass or metal mold in an geothermally heated earthen pit. This recipe first appeared in our December 2014 issue with the story Northern Lights.

Ingredients

Unsalted butter, for greasing and serving
3 cups dark rye flour
1 ¹⁄₂ cups whole wheat flour
4 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. baking soda
2 cups buttermilk
1 cup golden syrup

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Instructions

Step 1

Heat oven to 200°. Grease 2 loaf pans with butter. Whisk flours, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a bowl. Stir in buttermilk and syrup to form a smooth dough. Pour dough into prepared pans and cover with aluminum foil; bake until cooked through, about 8 hours. Let cool slightly and unmold; serve with butter, if you like.