Rye flour, unmixed with wheat flour makes a very heavy loaf. You can vary the proportions of the two to suit your own tastes, but two-thirds rye flour to one-third wheat flour makes an excellent loaf.
Makes two 1 lb loaves
1 oz / 25 g fresh yeast or 1 tablespoon dried yeast +1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 pint / 150 ml warm milk
1/4 pint / 150 ml warm water
1 lb / 400g rye flour
8 oz / 200g strong plain white flour
8 oz / 200g fine oatmeal
4 fl oz / 100 ml olive oil or 1 oz / 25 g lard
1 oz / 25 g molasses
salt to taste
Mix the water and milk together, crumble the fresh yeast into the liquid or mix in the dried yeast and sugar. Keep warm until the yeast is working well.
Mix all the dry ingredients together. Then mix in the molasses and oil, or rub in the lard.
Slowly, mix the flour into the liquid until a uniform dough is formed.
Knead for 10 to 15 minutes into a stiff dough.
Cover with an oiled polythene sheet and leave in a warm place for one hour when it should double in bulk.
Knead again for a minute and then place in two greased trays.
Cover the dough with an oiled polythene sheet and keep warm until the dough has risen again.
Bake in a preheated oven, gas mark 7, 425F, 220C for 45 minutes or until done ( check with a skewer ).