Pecan Whole Wheat Rye Bread

This is a hearty whole wheat and rye bread loaf studded with pecan pieces and sweetened with molasses. Two loaves come out of one batch. Sliced thin, it’s a sturdy sandwich base; toasted thick with butter, it’s the autumn-Sunday breakfast you didn’t know you needed.

The flour blend matters. Two cups whole wheat plus one cup rye plus 3 to 4 cups bread flour gives you the chewy, hearty texture without the dense, brick-like quality of all-rye or all-whole-wheat loaves. Bread flour brings the gluten that lets the heavy whole grains rise.

Molasses sweetens and adds the dark, almost-pumpernickel character. A third of a cup is enough to deepen the flavor without making the bread sweet. Use unsulphured molasses if you have a choice; sulphured molasses tastes harsher.

Pecans go in early so they get worked through the dough during kneading. Don’t add them at the end; they need the kneading process to distribute evenly. Break the pieces into roughly half-inch chunks; bigger pieces tear the dough during shaping.

Two rises are essential. First rise to doubled, punch down, shape into loaves, second rise to doubled again. Skipping the second rise gives you dense, gummy bread.

Pro Tips

• Use walnut oil if you have it; the recipe lists it as the first choice. Walnut oil enhances the nutty notes from the pecans and rye in a way vegetable oil can’t.
• Toast the pecans at 350°F (175°C) for 8 minutes before chopping. Toasted pecans hold flavor through the long bake; raw ones go soft and bland.
• Bread is done when the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. The recipe gives this exact test; trust it more than time alone.
• Wrap in a clean tea towel after cooling, not plastic. Cloth keeps the crust crisp; plastic traps moisture and turns it gummy.

Variations

• Substitute caraway seeds (2 tablespoons) for half the pecans for a more deli-rye character.
• Add 1 tablespoon of vital wheat gluten to boost the rise if your loaves are coming out dense.
• Swap honey or maple syrup for molasses for a less assertive sweetener; the bread will be lighter in color.