Tasty Tuesday Rye Bread, Outback Style!

My son Sam loves the bread at Outback, as do a lot of other people, so I've been experimenting with some recipes. I shall continue tweaking, but this is what I've come up with so far. Though it's not exactly like their bread, (theirs is softer and darker) it's still pretty tasty. I realize that the full experience can only be had if you also spread it with honey butter, but I have thus far managed to resist that temptation. It would be very easy to make--stir a bit of honey into softened butter--but that would make the bread too irresistible, and freshly baked bread is tempting enough on its own. 

Cheryl's Outback Bread

















Ingredients

Whisk together in a large bowl and let stand until foamy:

1/2 cup warm water
1/2 tsp ginger
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 pkg yeast

Then add:

1 1/2 cups warm water
1/2 cup dark molasses
1/4 cup brown sugar (optional) 
1 tbsp salt
3 tbsp cocoa
1/4 cup soft butter
2 cups rye flour

Mix well and stir in:
2 cups all purpose flour

Continue adding more all purpose flour (about 1 1/2 cups) as you knead the dough until it is elastic and non-sticky. Place dough in a greased bowl, cover with a damp towel and allow it to rise until doubled in bulk.
Knead the dough again, then form into 2 loaves. Place in greased loaf pans, cover with a damp towel, and allow to rise until doubled in bulk. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes. Remove from pans, slice, and enjoy!