Mrs. Paulsen’s Bohemian Rye Bread

Makes 4 cups 20 lukewarm serving slices water

1 package yeast

1 teaspoon sugar

4 cups white flour

4 tablespoons melted bacon grease

1 1/2 tablespoons salt

1 tablespoon caraway seeds

4 1/2 cups wheat flour or use half wheat and half white

1. Using some hot water, warm a large bowl. Pour out hot water from bowl. Combine the warm water with yeast and allow it to sit for a few minutes “to allow the yeast to wake up.”

2. Add the proofed yeast, sugar and flour mixture to the prepared warmed bowl and gently combine ingredients. Cover bowl with a towel and allow to raise until mixture “is bubbly,” which is about an hour.

3. Add to the dough mixture, the bacon grease, salt and caraway seeds, and mix with beaters.

4. Add to the mixing bowl, the additional 4 1/2 cups flour, or maybe/probably a bit more flour, to create a “workable” bread dough to turn out on a floured board to be able to knead it.

5. On the floured board, work to “round the dough,” and if it is able to stay in a ball form, it has enough flour. Dough should be stiff.

6. Wash out the large mixing bowl and butter it. Add dough to bowl and cover with two clean towels. Place bowl in warm place, such as on top of stove works well, BUT NOT IN OVEN. After an hour or so, “punch down the dough” and allow dough to rest another 30 minutes.

7. Shape the dough so it is rounded and place on a floured 12-inch round “perforated” pizza pan. Allow dough to rise and expand, and when dough has risen to within 1-inch of the perimeter of the pan, place round perforated pizza pan on a large cookie sheet. Using a toothpick, poke holes throughout top of dough and bake bread in oven set at 375 degrees for 1 hour and 20 minutes.

8. Turn off oven, and using a damp towel, “wet the outer rounded crust” and then return bread to the still warm oven for another 10 minutes. Once bread is removed from the oven, once again “wet outer crust” of bread with a damp towel. After ten minutes and once slightly cooled, slice and serve.