 Rustic, Dark, and Peasant Breads
Peasant Breads is really a mis-nomer. It really is referring to a rustic, old-world type of bread that usually has some rye in it, since rye is very European, and generally is darker in colour and richer in flavour. It can be made with cracked grains or rolled grains like oatmeal or have added seeds or even fruits added to it. It is definitely not light and fluffy! It usually does not come in the regular loaf shape either. Generally made free-hand, we find peasant breads made into long or even more common rounds shapes, that when sliced make long oval slices. We have included a couple of typical Peasant Bread recipes at the end of this post. Making "Black" Breads: To darken the colour of any bread, include a little carob powder (of flour) , Postum (a coffee substitute made from grain) or other cereal beverage or even cocoa. You can use dark liquids like coffee (not my preference) or prune juice or the broth left over after you steam raisins. Other ingredients that will darken bread: boiled, blended raisins, cooked black beans, black strap molasses (my favorite). Carob like any of the others, can shout, if you don't use a light hand, and weigh down the loaf as well. Just a little, though, as in the recipe at the bottom, will do a great job of darkening the dough. It is interesting to know that the traditional "black" breads were really brown, taking their colour from the whole grain flours of which they were made--rye or buckwheat, for example. In preindustrial days, oftentimes whole wheat flour was bolted to extract white flour for the upper classes, and then the poor folks' "black"bread was dark because it included extra bran and wheat germ. Double Rising--Most hearty or peasant style breads will require a double rise. Even making the bread in the Bosch Universal Plus Kitchen Machine, we still let the bread rise once in the bowl and then a second time after it is shaped. Because the tendency of the peasant bread recipes to be a little on the heavy size, the second rise will improve the texture and help lighten them somewhat.  Crustier Crusts--Simple breads without added sweetener or milk have pale chewy crusts when they are baked in a modern oven in the normal way. Baked in a hotter oven with steam, the same bread develops a thin crispy crust that shines and browns beautifully. Peasant breads usually need to look the part so using steam to bake them as described the former post on steaming french breads, will help them to look darker and have a more chewy texture.
Our next post will discuss different types of Crust Embellishments. Black Russian Rye Bread Recipe Hearty Pumpernickel Bread Recipe |
Rustic, Dark, and Peasant Breads 
well. Just a little, though, as in the recipe at the bottom, will do a great job of darkening the dough. 
Crustier Crusts--Simple breads without added sweetener or milk have pale chewy crusts when they are baked in a modern oven in the normal way. Baked in a hotter oven with steam, the same bread develops a thin crispy crust that shines and browns beautifully. Peasant breads usually need to look the part so using steam to bake them as described the former post on steaming french breads, will help them to look darker and have a more chewy texture.
