A Rye Smile
Alternative flour month continues! This week, rye. I always have rye on hand because months ago I bought a 5 lb bag and have hardly used it. Rye flour is made from... shockingly, rye grain. Rye flour usually comes in many different forms like white/light, medium, dark, pumpernickel or just plain rye. Each of these types of flours will change the intensity of flavor. Rye does have gluten in it but it's a lower level of gluten compared to wheat or AP flour.
I love using non-traditional ingredients when baking. Like sourdough starter in a chocolate cake. Or rye flour for shortbread cookies. The idea of using rye, a dark, husky, tough and gritty bread flour for something sweet and simple really interested me. Also, this recipe bakes the cookies in a tray all together, which is unusual. If you've ever made shortbread you usually roll out of the dough, cut it and bake them individually. To bake these in a tray all together you score them into bars before the bake and then when you take the tray out of the oven you cut the bars to fully separate them and then let them cool in the van.
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup (85 grams) confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
1 1/2 cups (177 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup (130 grams) dark rye flour
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons good quality cinnamon
About 2 teaspoons Turbinado sugar, for sprinkling over dough
- Heat oven to 350° F.
- Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch square pan.
- Whisk together the flour, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl.
- Using a hand mixer and a large bowl or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until smooth and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes, stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides of your bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the vanilla and beat for a few more seconds.
- Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until well integrated and the dough begins to form moist clumps, about 1 minute.
- Turn the dough out into the prepared pan. Using a flat-bottomed glass or measuring cup, press the dough to form an even layer.
- Score the dough lightly with a knife, marking 4 rows by 8 rows to form 32 shortbread bars. Dock each bar once or twice with a fork, if desired.
- Sprinkle turbinado sugar generously and evenly over the dough.
- Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until shortbread is lightly browned all over.
- When done, remove pan from oven and transfer to a cooling rack.
- While the shortbread is still hot, use a knife to fully cut the shortbread along the lines you scored prior to baking.
- Allow shortbread to cool completely in the pan. Once cool, the shortbread bars will break apart very easily. Store in an airtight container for up to one week.
This Week's BreadList
- A burger scholar (???) breaks down regional burger. How many burgers do you think it takes to become a burger scholar?
- I'm in Orlando for work this week, and in honor of my first ever trip to Walt Disney World, here are some wacky facts about the parks!
