The Temperature Rule You Should Always Follow For Rye Bread

Making rye bread at home is worth it, but it can take a lot of work. To get that true malty and tangy flavor offered by recipes like Black Russian rye bread , you have to put in some time; it all begins with a mix of yeast and warm water left sitting until it foams up. But you have to be careful right off the bat because the temperature of the water can make the difference between life and death for your poor, hard-working yeast! Daily Meal talked with Sheena Otto, executive baker at New York-based Sheena's Cocina , to learn her rules of thumb when blooming your yeast for rye bread.

"Room temperature water will work; slightly warmer than room temperature water will work, but just make sure not to make the water too hot, or it will kill the yeast," Otto says. She warns us, "Water that is too hot runs into the danger of damaging the yeast." How hot is too hot? "Technically, yeast doesn't begin to die until around 140 degrees [Fahrenheit]; anything above 110 degrees [Fahrenheit] makes me extremely nervous," Otto explains.



Can the water be too cold? The last thing we want to do to our friendly microorganisms that create the tang and rise of our rye bread is to burn them to death, so it's best to keep the water from getting too hot. But can you also get the water too cold? Sheena Otto tells us, "Although cold water doesn't hurt the yeast, it will affect the timing of your recipe. Water that is too cold won't activate the yeast efficiently, although as the water warms up to room temperature, the yeast will slowly begin to revive and activate.

" So, if you want to play it safe and you have the time, you can certainly err on the side of cooler water. If you have one, a good way to use a meat thermometer is to check that the water is just right for the yeast to thrive right off the bat. Now that you've got your starter right, it's time to do something fun with your fresh loaf, like making a rye bread and bacon stuffing! Enjoy!.