This was a surprisingly pleasant loaf. In the past, I've been pretty indifferent toward rye breads. But since starting the Hamelman Challenge, my attitude has become increasingly negative as I baked more and more, heavier and heavier traditional rye breads.
But this loaf didn't suffer any of the defects I'm coming to associate with rye bread. I found it a very light and pleasant loaf. In fact, it doesn't really seem like a rye bread at all.
For this recipe I followed the directions fairly closely. I used molasses and agave nectar. I included the optional oil but omitted the optional caraway seeds. I did elect to make a fendu rather than a loaf-pan bread or a standard bâtard. Unfortunately, the loaf was a bit to short and wide to yield an attractive fendu, something to remember in the future. And, as is my wont, I baked this under a Romertopf lid rather than use a steam pan.
The loaf had a few minor but unsightly cracks, probably a consequence of the overall shape. But apart from than, this produced a lovely, light bread with a mild flavor. After making this bread, I'm hopeful that Reinhart will change my attitude toward rye breads. I made the loaf a second time playing with the shape. This time I made a "daisy loaf" as described in Special and Decorative Breads by Biheux et. al. I got the center roll a bit too large but I liked being able to used different seeds. This pulls apart nice with rolls that can be sliced and used as hamburger buns.
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