Sauerkraut Bread

I am always scouring the net in pursuit of new bread ideas. I
stumbled on this one and am curious to get opinions. I will admit
right up front that I don't think it makes too much sense, but I also
admit that my tastes differ from others.

What say you all? Take a look at the photos of the process and
finished loaves, then check out the recipe and let me know your
comments, please.

Boron

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Sauerkraut Rye Sandwich Bread Recipe:
Ingredients
Day Before:

* 1 cup bread flour
* 1 cup dark rye flour
* 1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
* 1 cup water

Day of:

* 4 cups bread flour
* 2 cups dark rye flour
* 2 tablespoons sugar
* 3 teaspoon salt
* 4 teaspoon instant yeast
* 28 oz Sauerkraut
* 1 3/4 cups water
* 4 tablespoons olive oil

Method

Mix with a wooden spoon the "day before" ingredients in a large bowl.
Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest on the counter for 12-16
hours or overnight.

The next day or when your ready to make the bread, pour your
sauerkraut into a bowl. Squeeze the liquid out with your hands. You
want the sauerkraut to be as dry as possible. Throw away the liquid.

Now, add half the bread flour into the sauerkraut and mix in with your
fingers, till the sauerkraut is coated with the flour. In a separate
bowl pour the " day before " mixture, lukewarm water, instant yeast,
sugar and olive oil and mix till smooth.

Add in the sauerkraut, rye flour and salt into the mixture. Stir till
will mixed. Start to add in more of the bread flour. Pour out onto a
flat surface and knead for 10 minutes. Add only enough flour to stop
the dough from sticking.

After kneading the dough. Add a little olive oil ( 1 tablespoon ) to a
clean bowl. Add the kneaded dough and turn over a few times to lightly
coat all sides of the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise
till double in size ( about one hour ). Pour out the dough and cut
into 2 equal pieces. Take one piece and press with your fingers to
remove some of the gas. Roll up the dough, like a jelly roll. Then
press the seam with your fingers to close the seam. Place the dough
into a well greased pan. Do the same with the other piece of dough.

Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest for 1 hour or till double in
bulk. After the dough has risen, you can brush an egg wash on top and
sprinkle a little poppy seeds on top. To make the egg wash. Use one
egg and separate the egg white and beat till foamy. Brush the foam on
top of the bread. Place the bread loaves into a preheated 375 degree
oven for about 35 minutes or till golden blown and when tapped on the
bottom of the bread it sounds hollow. Remove from bread pan and allow
to cool on a wire rack.

Boron Elgar wrote:


I don't know why it would not work. In the long ago I made a sauerkraut
bread. IIRC it was a casserole batter bread similar to the cottage
cheese dill bread that used to be common. My recollection is that the
sauerkraut almost disappeared except for an occasional chip of the
cabbage core. It did not taste like sauerkraut or at least it did not
taste like you would imagine it should.

It almost certainly did not have a lot of rye, if any.

If I were to make the recipe, I think I would substitute a normal rye
sour for the "day before" starter.

Regards,

Charles

"Boron Elgar" <[Only registered users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:[Only registered users can see links. ]...

As they say in the article, you can put anything in bread -- in the back of
my memory I think I may have come across this idea years and years ago.
Obviously the kraut will add a sour flavor, but I wonder if there will be
little strands of the stuff everywhere. Looking at the crust, it looks a
possibility. The crumb in the photo looks much damper than I think I would
like in a sandwich bread. It looks as though it may be a bit gummy. That
may be a baking error or a component of the bread itself. I don't think I
would bother with creating a sour the day before if I was going to add
sauerkraut to the dough. Take pictures and let us know.
Janet

On Sat, 24 Oct 2009 08:50:27 -0500, chefcdp <[Only registered users can see links. ]>
wrote:


I think the recipe will "work," but I was curious as to anyone's
opinions as to if it would be worth the bother. The loaf is not that
impressive looking -not bad, at all - but with all that yeast, it
didn't rise to any height that I'd like for a sandwich bread. Looks
like a lotta yeast for little oomph.

And it has a LOT of sauerkraut. I'm figuring that there is some
moisture to be gained, perhaps, in addition to the "sour" it adds.


Makes sense. I am guessing this large amount of kraut adds the sour
flavor more than anything else, taste-wise.

And that might eliminate any need to make it with sauerkraut in the
first place.

Again, I just think it is much ado about nothing. A lot of work and
ingredients, which I am willing to put in and use for a good cause,
Lord knows, but I am wondering if there is some simpler way of
accomplishing what this recipe has to offer without going to all the
effort and addition of a over a pound and a half of sauerkraut.

And best ones to you, too, Charles

Boron

On Sat, 24 Oct 2009 08:01:53 -0600, "Janet Bostwick"
<[Only registered users can see links. ]> wrote:


Aha! You think I'm actually going to take the plunge and try this, eh?
I'd be more likely to toss in kimchee and some of the hot peppers I
harvested from the garden! Oh, and maybe some Monterey Jack.

Boron

"Boron Elgar" <[Only registered users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:[Only registered users can see links. ]...

O.k., now you're talking! I'm not too sure about kimchee, but I like the
idea of hot peppers and cheese. Years ago Costco used to do a damn fine
specialty bread. It had hunks of cheese, hot peppers, tomatoes and garlic.
How could that be wrong or bad? But like their garlic bread loaded with
whole garlic, it disappeared. I think I will play with that when I begin
breading for the season.
Janet

On Sat, 24 Oct 2009 08:21:22 -0600, "Janet Bostwick"
<[Only registered users can see links. ]> wrote:



You're probably right.

That garlic bread was awesome. I loved it.

I may make some, too. I certainly have a lot of garlic to play with,
because we had a bumper crop. Maybe a nice ciabatta recipe with a lot
of olive oil roasted garlic tossed in.

Boron

"Boron Elgar" <[Only registered users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:[Only registered users can see links. ]...

I'm going to have to plant garlic. . .I bought a sack of garlic at Costco
and the entire sack immediately grew green tops. Never happened that way
before. Now I just have to find enough space in an area where my husband
won't rototill in the spring or work on his annual 8 cubic yard compost
pile. (the cats sleep on it in the winter as it keeps them warm)
Janet

On Sat, 24 Oct 2009 08:54:32 -0600, "Janet Bostwick"
<[Only registered users can see links. ]> wrote:


Think of it like a tulip bed.

Thought it is late in the season to get an order in now, I do
recommend buying some really great "seed" garlic for the first year.
After that, you just hold back some bulbs and replant them, but there
is some really interesting garlic out there.

Over the years we have come to prefer the hardneck types of garlic.

Boron

On Sat, 24 Oct 2009 16:51:09 -0400, Dick Margulis
<[Only registered users can see links. ]> wrote:


Hardneck is, indeed, recommended for colder climates and I figured
Idaho qualified. It is one of the reasons I recommended it.

It isn't difficult to find suppliers who take consideration of
geography into their recommendations. Any good nursery does with
online ordering. In fact, I have found (sadly) that I can often get
better recommendations online than at some of my local nursery stores.

Outside of bread baking, gardening is the hobby of choice around here.
Bread baking is a lot cheaper and a lot less aggravating. Janet and I
have discussed our vegetables in email at times. I complain about all
the critters who think I run a restaurant for them.

Boron