Rye bread has been used for thousands of years and is traditionally dark in color. It can be made with light or dark rye flour and is commonly used in colder climates. Rye bread can be combined with other grains and seeds and is often associated with Jewish-American cuisine.
Bread is one of the oldest recipes known to man and has been in use for at least several thousand years. It is not known at what stage rye bread originated, but rye grain was introduced about AD 500 when the Danes and Saxons settled in Britain. This bread is made wholly or partially from rye flour and traditionally has a dark color, although many lighter, light-colored varieties of rye have become common.
Pure rye bread contains only rye flour, no wheat. It can be made with two types of rye flour: light or dark. The color depends on the amount of bran left in the flour after grinding the grain. Rye bread is traditionally baked for a long time in a covered tin.
The grain of rye itself is closely related to wheat, which is one reason it lends itself so well to being made into bread. It grows very well in colder, northern climates such as those found in Russia and Northern Europe, making rye bread a common staple of these areas. Care must be taken to prevent infection of rye fields by ergot fungus, to which rye is very susceptible. When this mushroom is eaten by humans, it can cause serious medical conditions, including hallucinations and seizures.
A plain bread using only rye flour doesn’t rise as much as whole wheat bread, but it is significantly moist and stays fresher for longer, up to a period of months. This attribute makes bread a popular choice for storage rations on long outdoor trips. Under these circumstances, the bread is sliced very thinly due to its high density and is sometimes sold pre-sliced in this way.
It is also common to combine rye with other grains and seeds. For example, in the United States, “rye bread” almost always refers to a bread that is a mix of wheat and rye. This type of bread has its strong and recognizable flavor due to the presence of cumin seeds which are cooked inside. Cumin seed is given this flavor by the oils present in it, making it a common spice in other recipes as well.
Rye bread in the United States is closely associated with Jewish-American cuisine, especially delicatessen. It is often used in sandwiches with savory meats such as pastrami and corned beef. This type of rye originally came from Eastern Europe, including some Russian varieties. It is also related to some Scandinavian breads which are made with spices such as fennel and cardamom and are common for use on special occasions.
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