Caraway Rye Bread

From the garden

• 1½ tbsp caraway seed, toasted in a dry pan until fragrant, half of it lightly crushed · 1 tablespoon goes in the dough, the rest on the crust

From the pantry

• 1½ cups rye flour · light or medium rye
• 2½ cups all-purpose flour · plus more for the board
• 2¼ tsp active dry yeast · one packet
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil · plus a little for the bowl
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp cornmeal (optional) · for dusting the pan

1. Warm 1.5 cups of water to about 110°F (comfortably warm on the wrist). Stir in the sugar and yeast and let it stand 5–10 minutes until it foams. If nothing happens, the yeast is dead and the loaf will not rise: start again with a fresh packet.
2. Add the rye flour, the oil, the salt, and 1 tablespoon of the toasted caraway (the crushed half) to the yeast water and stir into a thick batter. Work in the all-purpose flour half a cup at a time until you have a soft, slightly tacky dough that pulls away from the bowl.
3. Turn out onto a floured board and knead 8–10 minutes. Rye is low in gluten and stays a little sticky, so resist adding much extra flour; dust your hands instead. The dough is ready when it is smooth and springs back slowly from a poke. Oil the bowl, turn the dough to coat, cover, and let it rise in a warm spot until doubled, about 1 to 1.5 hours.
4. Punch the dough down and shape it into a tight oval loaf, tucking the seam underneath. Set it on a sheet pan dusted with cornmeal, cover loosely, and let it rise again until puffy and nearly doubled, 45–60 minutes. Meanwhile heat the oven to 375°F.
5. Brush the loaf with water, scatter the remaining whole caraway over the top and press it in gently, then slash the top three times with a sharp knife. Bake 35–40 minutes, until deep brown and hollow-sounding when you tap the bottom (an instant-read thermometer reads 195–200°F in the center).
6. Cool on a rack for at least an hour before slicing. Rye bread cut hot is gummy; the crumb sets as it cools.