By I made tamales — not for an order, not for a holiday, just because. Because the kitchen needed Rosa's presence and the tamales are how Rosa visits. Each tamale is a prayer. Each prayer is a tamale. The kitchen smells like Anapra. The kitchen smells like home.
The tamales Rosa left behind live in my hands now—in the way I press and fold without thinking, the way repetition becomes a kind of prayer. When I need that same meditative rhythm but the masa isn’t calling me, I turn to bread: specifically, this marbled rye, which demands the same patient attention. There is something about working two doughs together, watching them twist and swirl into something unified, that feels like holding two things at once—grief and warmth, then and now. It is daily bread in the truest sense, the kind you make not for an occasion but simply because the kitchen needs to be alive.
Josh S Marbled Rye Bread
Prep Time: 45 min | Cook Time: 35 min | Total Time: 2 hr 30 min (including rise time) | Servings: 12 slices
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (1 packet)
- 1 1/2 cups warm water (110°F), divided
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- 1 tbsp caraway seeds
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups bread flour, plus more for kneading
- 1 1/2 cups dark rye flour, divided
- 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp molasses
- 1 egg white, lightly beaten (for egg wash)
Instructions
- Activate the yeast. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in 3/4 cup warm water. Let stand 5–10 minutes until foamy.
- Make the light rye dough. To the yeast mixture, add butter, salt, caraway seeds, 3/4 cup rye flour, and all of the bread flour. Stir until a shaggy dough forms, then turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 6–8 minutes until smooth and elastic. Set aside, covered, in a lightly oiled bowl.
- Make the dark rye dough. In a separate bowl, dissolve another pinch of yeast in remaining 3/4 cup warm water. Mix in cocoa powder, molasses, remaining 3/4 cup rye flour, and enough bread flour (about 1/2 cup) to form a soft dough. Knead 6–8 minutes until smooth. Place in a second oiled bowl, covered.
- Let both doughs rise. Cover both bowls with a clean towel and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
- Marble the doughs. Punch down both doughs. On a lightly floured surface, roll each into a rough rectangle of equal size. Layer the dark dough on top of the light dough, then roll together into a tight log. Fold the log in half and gently twist once or twice to create the marbled effect—do not overwork or the swirls will disappear.
- Shape and second rise. Shape the twisted dough into an oval loaf and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover loosely and let rise 30–45 minutes until puffy.
- Bake. Preheat oven to 375°F. Brush the loaf with egg white wash and score the top with a sharp knife. Bake 30–35 minutes until the crust is deep brown and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. Cool on a wire rack at least 20 minutes before slicing.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 148 | Protein: 4g | Fat: 3g | Carbs: 27g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 198mg