This recipe has been passed down from my husbands grandmother. I was not a lover of rye bread, but my husband likes it and wanted me to try this recipe. Being the "good" wife, I agreed. It is the best rye I have eaten, so I have been baking it for about 45 years.

Step 1: Old Fashioned Rye Bread

Tools needed:

Large mixing bowl

Wooden spoon

Bread board

Measuring spoons

Liquid measuring cup 2 cup

Dry measuring cup

4 8.5/4.5/2.5 loaf pans

Cooking spray to grease pans or use shortening and flour

Step 2: Old Fashioned Rye Bread

Recipe First stage:

3 cups of warm water

1 teaspoon of sugar

2 packages of dry yeast or 4 1/2 teaspoons of bulk dry yeast

4 cups of rye flour

In a large bowl dissolve yeast and sugar in 1 cup of lukewarm water. Stir and let set until soft, about 5 minutes. Add remaining 2 cups of water and the 4 cups of rye flour.. Stir until well mixed. This is called a sponge. Cover with a towel and place in a warm place to let raise, about 1 hour.

Step 3: Old Fashioned Rye Bread

Recipe Second stage:

1 cup lukewarm water

2 Tablespoons salt

2 Tablespoons sugar

2 Tablespoons of caraway seeds

2 Tablespoons of olive oil or vegetable oil or melted shortening

4 cups of all purpose white flour

Combine water, sugar, salt and caraway seed together in the measuring cup, mix well and add to sponge mixture. Beat well. Add the oil and flour to make a firm dough. Turn dough out onto floured bread board. knead well, adding more flour, if necessary to make a firm dough. Oil the large bowl and place the dough in the bowl. Cover with the towel and place in warm place to rise, about 1 hour.
Note: The method of kneading dough: Place the dough on a floured bread board. Fold the dough on itself and making a quarter turn each time continue folding it until you have a firm dough.

Step 4: Old Fashioned Rye Bread

Turn dough out onto a floured bread board. Knead well and divide into 4 equal pieces. Spray pans with cooking oil and place the dough in the pans. Cover with a towel and place in a warm place to raise. About 45 minutes. If the dough begins to crack, place the bread in the oven immediately. Bake at 375 degrees F for about 1 hour. If using glass pans, lower the temperature by 25 degrees. Check the bread after about 45 minutes, because I have rarely had to bake it for the full hour. Bread should sound hollow when done. Turn out the bread on a rack and cover with the towel to cool.

This recipe could be shortened by making the sponge and immediately going to the second stage. However, it does change the texture of the bread.