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Simple Russian-Style Black Bread – vegetarian recipe
Stav Kogan

Simple Russian-Style Black Bread

This Russian-style Black Bread boasts a deep, complex flavor profile that tastes like it took days of effort, but is made with a simple, one-step mixing technique. The result is a full-flavored, fairly dense, almost-black loaf that’s the perfect companion to a robust vegetable st
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 4 hours 35 minutes
Servings: 1 large loaf or 2 small loave
Calories: 175
Ingredients Method Nutrition

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 cup (40 g / 1.41 oz) 100 percent bran cereal (not flakes)
  • 2 cups (250 g / 8.8 oz) all-purpose or bread flour
  • 1 cup (120 g / 4.2 oz) medium rye flour
  • 1 cup (120 g / 4.2 oz) whole wheat flour
  • 2 tablespoons (15 g / 0.53 oz) unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 tablespoons (25 g / 0.88 oz) sugar
  • 1 tablespoon (9 g / 0.32 oz) instant yeast
  • 2 teaspoons (12 g / 0.42 oz) salt
  • 4 tablespoons (57 g / 2.01 oz) softened butter, or 1/4 cup / 60ml neutral oil, plus more for greasing
  • 1/4 cup (60 ml) molasses
  • 2 tablespoons (30 ml / 1 fl oz) cider vinegar or freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 1/4 cups (300 ml) strong black coffee, room temperature
  • For convenience, make the dough ahead of time. After the first rise and deflation, cover it well and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Just return it to room temperature before shaping and proceeding with the second rise.
  • This recipe makes two smaller loaves perfectly. Enjoy one now and freeze the second for later. It thaws beautifully for a quick and hearty bread option anytime.
  • For a decadent twist, knead in 4 ounces of coarsely chopped bittersweet chocolate during the final shaping. It's fantastic with a smear of cream cheese.

Method
 

  1. In a food processor, pulse the bran cereal for about 10 seconds until finely ground.
  2. Add the all-purpose flour, rye flour, whole wheat flour, cocoa, sugar, yeast, and salt and pulse to combine.
  3. Add the softened butter or oil and the molasses and pulse a few more times. With the machine running, pour the vinegar and most of the coffee through the feed tube. Process for about 30 seconds until a well-defined, barely sticky ball of dough forms. If it's too dry, add the remaining coffee 1 tablespoon (15 ml / 0.5 fl oz) at a time. If too wet, add a tablespoon of flour.
  4. Grease a large bowl with butter or oil.
  5. Shape the dough into a rough ball, place it in the bowl, and cover with plastic wrap.
  6. Let rise for at least 2 hours, until nearly doubled in size.
  7. Deflate the dough and let it rest on a lightly floured surface for 15 minutes, covered.
  8. Knead a few times and shape into one large oval loaf or two smaller round loaves.
  9. Place the loaf or loaves on a greased baking sheet.
  10. Cover again and let rest for 1 hour, or until the dough has plumped up considerably.
  11. Preheat the oven to 325°F / 165°C.
  12. Bake a large loaf for 55-60 minutes or smaller loaves for 40-45 minutes. The bread is done when the bottom sounds hollow when tapped or an internal thermometer reads 210°F / 99°C.
  13. Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.
  14. Add 1 cup (240 ml) of soaked and drained raisins and 1 tablespoon of caraway seeds during the final kneading step for a classic Pumpernickel-Raisin variation.

Nutrition

Calories: 175kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 4gFat: 4g

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