Ingredients:
1 (.25 ounce) package instant dry yeast
1/2 cup lukewarm water
1 pint warm water
1/2 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon white sugar
1/4 cup cumin seed
1/4 cup unsulfured molasses
1 tablespoon melted butter, divided
1 cup rye flour
4-5 cups bread flour (start with four, and add more until dough is stiff and workable)
1/2 cup Ground cornmeal for dusting
Directions:
1. In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in lukewarm water. Let stand about 10 minutes without stirring.
2. In the large bowl of a stand mixer set on low speed, whisk together the warm water, salt, ginger, sugar, cumin seed, molasses, and half the melted butter. When blended, mix in the yeast slurry and slowly add the rye flour.
3. Change the whisk attachment for the bread hook, and work in the bread flour 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl and is dense and workable.
4. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for an additional four minutes, adding additional flour as needed. Place dough into a greased bowl, and turn to coat. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until double, about 1 hour. (Note: I use Alton Brown’s technique of placing the bowl in a cold oven, and pour some hot water into a casserole dish on the rack below the dough to moisturize the oven keep the rising dough ball from drying out and developing a crusty surface).
5. Remove dough from bowl, punch down with your knuckles and divide into 2 equal balls. Roll between your hands until a firm skin is formed on each ball.
6. Place the balls on cookie sheets dusted with cornmeal, cover with dish towels and let rise 1 ½ hours.
7. Place pizza stones into a cold oven and preheat to 425 degrees F.
8. Lightly powder the loaves with flour, and slice three shallow grooves into the crown of each loaf. Carefully slide the loaves onto the pizza stones, and bake 35 to 45 minutes, or until the tops are nicely browned, and the loaves sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.
9. Move loaves to cooling racks. Allow to cool ten minutes before hollowing center for the dip.
Dill Dip
Ingredients:
1 cup sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons onion, minced
1 teaspoon dill weed
1 teaspoon Beau Monde seasoning
Directions:
Mix ingredients and chill. Serve in round loaf of rye bread, which has been hollowed in middle. Put the dip in the hollowed out loaf. Break the center of the loaf into pieces and place around the loaf. When the broken pieces are gone, just break off a piece of bread from the loaf. Enjoy!
The Vaughn’s started serving this dish several years ago. Marjorie, Larry’s mother, got the dill dip recipe from a grocery store that made this fresh daily, and was one of their best selling products. We have served it many times over the last thirty years, and it is one of our family’s favorites.