N.G in Minnesota’s Rye and Cranberry Stuffing
This recipe started off as an “oops” and turned into a great side dish. I was making a Rye Batter Bread, but hadn’t greased the pan well enough. When I went to remove the bread, it came out of the pan in chunks. The taste was great, so I didn’t want to waste it, but it wasn’t going to work for sandwiches.
We’ll start with the Batter Bread:
1 ¼ cups warm water (100-110F)
2 ½ t dry active or instant yeast
2 T honey
2 T oil or softened butter
1 c Rye flour
2 c Wheat flour
1 ½ t Salt
1 T Caraway seeds
Combine water, honey, and yeast. Let rest for 5 minutes. Stir in oil or butter, the rye flour, and 1 cup of wheat flour. Stir in remaining wheat flour, salt, and caraway seeds. Cover and let rest in a warm place for about 30 minutes. Stir down the batter. (It will not have raised much in this step) Spoon into a well-greased 9×5 bread pan. Cover, and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour or until doubled in size. Bake at 350 for about 35 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool on a wire rack.
Now for the Stuffing:
4 T butter
1 small onion, minced
4 ribs of celery diced small
1 loaf Rye bread, cut into small cubes and dried
1 c dried cranberries
2 to 2 ½ cups chicken broth or apple juice
2 t sage
Melt butter in Dutch oven or deep sided frying pan. (I prefer cast iron, because it can go from the stove top to the oven, which means fewer dishes to wash.) Cook onions and celery in butter until soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and add cranberries, sage, and Rye Bread. Stir in chicken broth or apple juice slowly, until mixture is moistened. The amount needed will depend on how dry your bread is. You don’t want mush, but you don’t want to end up with cardboard either. Cover and bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes. Check once after about 25 minutes. If stuffing is too soft, remove cover for the rest of the baking time. If too dry, stir in a little more liquid. If just right, don’t touch it!
Chef’s Notes:
The pie won’t set up completely but does become firmer as it cools. Mmmmm. Super tasty!
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