Cocktail Party Rye Bread Recipe

Homemade bread in all shapes and forms is a good idea. It may sound daunting to make your own bread, but with just a few ingredients and a bit of patience, you can have that highly desired aroma of fresh baked bread in your own kitchen. This recipe for cocktail party rye bread is brought to us by wellness coach and recipe developer Miriam Hahn who says, "This little cocktail loaf is perfect to serve on a charcuterie board with variety of toppings and you won't believe the difference fresh, homemade bread makes"

Hahn also happens to be a fan of the health benefits that come with homemade bread. "It includes a lot of fiber and many B vitamins that your standard dipping bread or cracker doesn't have, and it is so fresh and delicious you won't ever go back to pre-made versions," she says. You can serve the bread fresh or toasted and you can even make kid-approved mini peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with it.

To make this recipe, you will need some basic bread-making essentials like warm water, instant yeast, and flour. We are using a combination of bread flour and rye flour. The bread flour has a higher protein count and gives bread its "chewy" texture. We will also need some salt, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, and caraway seeds which are a key ingredient in rye bread.

As with all bread making endeavors, the first step is activating the yeast. In a large bowl add the warm water and the yeast and stir to combine. It is very important to use warm water here to activate the yeast because if it is too hot, you'll do more harm than good, and it will kill the yeast. Hahn tells us to dip a finger into the water and if you can comfortably leave it in for 10 seconds then you are good to go. Let the yeast and water sit for about 5 minutes until bubbles appear on the top, then add the rye flour, salt, and apple cider vinegar. Stir the mixture then add the bread flour a little bit at a time, blending as you go. If you have a stand mixer, use the dough hook and mix for 5 minutes or simply knead in the bowl for 5 minutes by hand.

Now add the oil and blend that in, kneading for about 10 minutes. The last step is to add the caraway seeds and knead until they are blended into the dough. This should only take a minute. Form the dough into a smooth ball and place in a clean bowl, cover with saran wrap or dishtowel and let it sit for 1 hour until it doubles in size. Hahn tells us to find a warm spot like in an oven that is turned off or near a sunny window.

Once your dough is puffy and doubled in size, you can prep it for baking. Start by preheating the oven to 350 F. Then lay the dough onto a board or clean work surface and divide it into three equal sections. Then roll each section out with your hands until it is about 2-inches thick by about 12-inches long. Transfer the rolls onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, cover with a dishtowel, and let it sit for 30 minutes. Then it's ready to pop into the oven for 25-30 minutes.

When the bread is golden brown, take it out of the oven and place the loaves on a cooling rack to cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing. If you plan to serve them later,  you can keep the loaves whole and store them in a Ziploc bag on the counter until you are ready to serve them. The loaves are the most delicious when they are served the same day they are made, but can be made up to three days in advance. If you plan to toast the bread, Hahn says to lay the bread slices out on a baking sheet for a couple of minutes under the broiler. Either way, there's no doubt that you will enjoy this cocktail party rye bread!