Romanov Russian Black Bread

Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 35 mins

Ingredients

• 1 cup warm water (110 degrees f/45 degrees c)
• 1/3 cup dark corn syrup
• 2 (1/4 ounce) envelopes active dry yeast
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 5 cups dark rye flour

Recipe

• 1 in a medium bowl, stir together the warm water and corn syrup. sprinkle the yeast over the top, and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
• 2 add 2 1/2 cups of the rye flour to the yeast mixture, and beat until smooth.
• 3 stir in the salt. set bowl in a warm place, and cover with a cloth or towel.
• 4 let rise for 30 minutes.
• 5 stir in more flour 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough is stiff. turn the dough out a floured surface and knead in more flour by hand as needed to form a stiff but slightly sticky dough. you may use less or more flour. form dough into a ball. clean the mixing bowl, and lightly grease it. place the dough in the bowl, and cover with a towel. place in a warm place to rise until doubled. this may take as long as 2 hours.
• 6 turn the risen dough out a floured surface, and press out the air . roll dough into a loaf, and place into a greased 9x5 inch loaf pan.
• 7 turn the loaf so that the seam is on the bottom. cover the pan with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
• 8 preheat oven to 350 degrees f (175 degrees c). remove plastic wrap from loaf pan.
• 9 bake for 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. bread will not brown very much.