Pumpkin Rye Bread

 - Danish Recipe

Directions:

Day 1:

1. In a bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the preferment dough and roughly mix them together. 

2. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit out at room temp. for 12-24 hours. 

Day 2:

1. Preheat the oven to 480 *F.

2. Place a large aluminum casserole pan in the bottom of the oven while the oven preheats. 

3. In a mixer with the dough hook attachment, mix all of the ingredients, except fot the butter and the seeds, on low speed for 8 minutes. 

4. Add the butter to the dough and mix it on medium speed for 2 minutes. 

5. Add the seeds to the dough and mix for 2 more minutes. 

6. Let the dough rest for 15 minutes with a cloth over the bowl. 

7. On a flour dusted surface, form the dough into a large round ball and place it upside down in a 9in, flour dusted bread banniton (or on a baking sheet with baking paper). 

8. Place a cloth over the dough and let it rise for 45-60 minutes in a warm place. 

9. Flip the dough out of the banniton onto a baking sheet with baking paper. 

10. Score the bread however you want and set the dough in the oven on the second lowest rack. 

11. Pour a glass (about 250ml) of water into the aluminum form in the bottom of the oven. 

12. Close the oven door, lower the temperature of the oven to 425 *F. 

13. Bake the bread for about 35 minutes or until when you tap on the bottom of the bread with your nails it make a hollow sound. 

Notes:

- You can make this bread in one day without the preferment by just taking the measurements of the preferment ingredients and adding them to the main bread dough ingredients. The preferment is just to help the flavor and shelf life of the bread. 

- If you want to, you can use a pizza stone or a cast iron pot with a lid instead of using a baking sheet. 

- You can also use a pizza oven (stone oven), but if the oven doesn't have a damping feature, the breads crust will become dull. 

- The preheated aluminum pan with water poured in is to make the breads crust shiney. You do not have to use the aluminum pan, but just know that the crust will be dull and not shiney. 

- This bread can be baked in a regular bread form that is about 9-10 inches in length. 

- The raising time is 45-60 minutes at 95 *F but the time lenthens as the temperature gets cooler; at room temperature it is 75-100 minutes. 

- In a plastic bag, this bread lasts about 2-5 days at room temp, 6-10 days in the fridge or 4-6 months in the freezer.