Marble Rye Bread and The Lunch Box Project

Before I get started I wanted/need to share something I think is super cool...A few days ago I became Foodbuzz friends with Lisa Orgler.. Lisa is the designer and illustrator of The Lunch Box Project, an awesome site that started as a means to document her goal to paint an image of food every day for one year (she calls it snacking on food art- love it). She began painting her images on playing cards and coasters and after reaching her goal of a year she decided to continue her journey with different monthly themes. This month, she scoured the foodie blog world for inspiration from peer blogs and one of my posts was lucky enough to get chosen!

How cute!?

All of her paintings are up for grabs on her etsy site too! For a very reasonable price you can browse through her food art and find a print perfect for that little spot right above the kitchen sink. I'm not only going to purchase the art inspired by my food, but I have my eye on a few other paintings as well that are going to make their way into my kitchen! 

So what are you waiting for?? go check out Lisa at The Lunch Box Project! but first.. check out this Marble Rye Bread :)

For a few months now Mountain Man has been on a mission to make the perfect Marble Rye Bread (the first one he made was as hard as a rock). When one of our friends here, who is originally from Connecticut, told us that she can't find the bread anywhere in Central Texas, MM made it his personal mission to recreate her favorite bread.

Mountain Man's bread is usually pretty tasty, but this one (at least in my book) is the best one he's done yet.    I hope that when MM finds a full time job I won't have to stop coming home to fresh baked goodness.

For this edition of 'In the Kitchen with Mountain Man'...

Marble Rye Bread
Yields 2 loaves

Light Rye:
1 1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees)
1 TBS honey
2 TBS molasses
2 tsp yeast
3 TBS shortening
1 tsp salt
1 cup Rye flour
1/4 cup flax seed meal
1/4 cup oat flour
3 cups bread flour

Grease a large bowl with butter or crisco and set aside.

Mix water, yeast and sugars together and let stand for 8 minutes. 

Drop in shortening, salt, rye, oat, flax seed meal and stir with a wooden spoon.

Begin adding bread flour one cup at a time until dough begins to form into a ball.

Turn out on a floured surface and knead in remaining flour.

Knead for 7 minutes and 30 seconds. Put into greased bowl and let rest of 1 hour.

Dark Rye:
1 1/2 cup warm water
3 TBS honey
2 tsp yeast
3 TBS shortening
1 tsp salt
3 TBS cocoa powder
3 TBS water
1 cup Rye flour
1/4 cup flax seed meal
1/4 cup oat flour
3 cups bread flour

Grease a large bowl with butter or crisco and set aside.
Mix water, yeast and sugars together and let stand for 8 minutes.
Drop in shortening, salt, rye, oat, flax seed meal and stir with a wooden spoon.
In a small bowl, mix cocoa powder and water- add to dough mixture and mix until combined.

Begin adding bread flour one cup at a time until dough begins to form into a ball.

Turn out on a floured surface and knead in remaining flour.

Knead for 7 minutes and 30 seconds. Put into greased bowl and let rest of 1 hour.

On a floured surface cut each dough into quarters. Two of each color will be used in each loaf. Roll each quarter out to roughly 9x7  (bigger if you want tighter swirls, smaller if you want thicker swirls but always 9 inches (just roughly over the length of the bread pan).

Begin with the light rye on the bottom and alternated with dark, then light then dark. Roll all layers up together making sure the light rye covers the entire loaf. Pinch the joint together and turn the ends under and drop into greased loaf pan. Cover and let rise until it fills the loaf pan. Repeat with other 4 quarters for second loaf.

Brush with egg wash (1 egg, 1 TBS water) and sprinkle with caraway seeds just before baking in a 375 degree oven for 40 minutes. Allow to cool briefly before enjoying!

Happy Baking!