wheat and german rye bread

Okay kiddies! A lot of people that I've talked to since I started this blog have said that they can't get away from recipes and they end up making the same thing over and over because it takes too much to find and execute a new recipe, and moreover, to buy ingredients for one specific meal.  For me, the key is to stock the fridge and pantry with the basics and then play around with the ingredients in different combination.  Take a simple sofrito:  sauteed onions, peppers and tomato sauce.  If you add beef, chicken or pork and a few other friends, you get ropa vieja (see recipe below).  Add some red wine and mushrooms and pour over a grilled chicken breast and top with parmigiana.  Or add cooked cubed potatoes, sour cream, saffron, and a little flour for a dish called giso.  Must haves:  onions, green peppers, tomato sauce, meat, wine, rice, pasta, and a variety of herbs and spices.  Make the most with the least amount of ingredients.  For those of you still chained to recipes, I'll report full recipes of these later, but right now, we're focusing on the versatility of bread.  WHY, you ask? Because the easier it is, the more you'll make it, and the better you'll get at it.  Being comfortable and flexible with ingredients is an important lesson, best taught with foods with few ingredients. 

Like for a change up on white bread (see recipe below), I use the same recipe, replacing 1/2 cup of the white flour for wheat flour, add a little more honey.  THAT'S IT!!  Rye bread isn't so bad, either.  The procedure is the same as for the white mountain bread (below) with a few more ingredients:

German Rye Bread

- 1 pack Rapid Rise Yeast

- 1/4 cup hot water (~120F)

- 3/4 cup warm milk (~70F)

- 1 Tablespoon sugar

- 1/2 teaspoon salt

- 1/4 cup molasses

- 1 Tablespoon butter

- 1 cup rye flour

- 1 1/2 cup bread flour

- 2 shakes of caraway seeds (optional)