Sauerkraut Rye Bread

In the process of finding uses for my home-canned sauerkraut, I randomly googled making bread with it.  Turns out, that's a thing in Poland.  I'm a tiny part Polish, so there you go.

Basically, this is a shortcut for making a sourdough-tasting rye bread.  I'm not a huge sourdough fan, and had to go on the hunt for rye flour, but it really did sound appealing.  I kept picturing it slathered with mustard and a slice of white cheddar alongside a rainy-day soup.  Or formed into sandwich rolls for turkey (and more mustard...I'm not a mayo person).  Or even as a pizza base.  That's the thing about yeast dough, it doesn't have to be just a sliceable loaf.  It's whatever you shape it into.

That said, the recipe here is for a single loaf.  To use a packet of yeast, double the recipe.  If two cans of sauerkraut seems like a bit much, use one can for both loaves and it will simply be less sour.

I decided to run the caraway seeds through the grinder instead of putting them in whole.  Long story involving dental work that I didn't want to risk seeds in my teeth.  You can also leave them out if they're not your thing.  If you want a more intense, almost pumpernickel flavor, use molasses instead of brown sugar.

I'm also using bread flour for the wheat portion, mostly because I have a lot of it.  The moisture and vinegar in the sauerkraut will soften and shorten the glutens, so a bread flour loaf will still be sturdy.  There is nothing wrong with using A.P. flour, just bear in mind you might not be able to do a free-standing loaf.

*14 oz can of sauerkraut
1 tsp yeast
1 Tb brown sugar or molasses
1 Tb oil
3/4 C warm water
1 C rye flour
about 2 C A.P. or bread flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp caraway seed

1.  Open and drain the sauerkraut.  Pulse through the food processor to break up the large pieces, and continue to drain while you start the dough, about 10 minutes.

2.  Stir together water, yeast, brown sugar, and oil.  Allow to sit until foamy, about 5 minutes.

3.  In stand mixer with the paddle, add rye flour.  Pour in the yeast mixture and beat into a batter, 2 minutes.  Add 1 C white flour, salt, caraway, and sauerkraut.  Beat into a thick batter/runny dough.

4.  I'm a huge proponent of hand-kneading the rest of the way.  I like to feel when dough is ready.  But this dough was so sticky and lumpy that I'm recommending switching to the dough hook this time.  Add another cup of white flour and beat with the hook on medium until the dough is kneaded and rides the hook, about 8 minutes.

5.  Shape dough into a ball.  Place in an oiled bowl and turn to coat all sides.  Place in a warm area to rise for an hour to 90 minutes, until doubled.

6.  Punch down dough and allow to rest 10 minutes.  Grease a standard 9" x 5" loaf pan.  Pat out dough into a 9" x 12" rectangle and roll into a loaf shape.  Place in pan seam-side down, tucking under the ends, and allow to rise another hour.

7.  Preheat oven to 350º.  If desired, split top of loaf and/or brush with butter.  Bake 40-50 minutes, until golden and sounds hollow when thumped.  Turn out of pan and allow to cool fully on a rack.

Makes 1 loaf, about 8-10 servings

Difficulty rating :)