Swedish Rye Bread

Ingredients:
1 tbsp yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1/4 cup granulated sugar cane juice
1/4 cup unsulphered molasses
1 tbsp salt
2 tbsp margarine
1 1/2 cups hot water
2 1/2 cups rye flour
2 tbsp grated orange peel - optional
3 1/2 - 4 cups unbleached wheat flour (or 1 1/2 cup kamut flour, the rest spelt flour)

Directions:
Soften yeast in 1/4 cup water. In a big bowl, combine sugar, molasses, salt and shortening; add hot water and stir till the sugar dissolves. Cool to lukewarm. Stir in the rye flour; beat well. Add the softened yeast and orange peel (if using); mix well. Add the rest of the flour to make a soft dough - mix in the bowl until you can’t any longer and then knead the rest of the flour in until you have a homogeneous, non-sticky dough ball. Place in lightly greased bowl double the size of the dough and cover. Let rise in a warm place until doubled (1 1/2 - 2 hours). Punch down. Turn out on lightly floured board and divide in two. Cover balls for 10 minutes. Pat into 2 round loaves and let rise on 2 greased cake pans 1 1/2 - 2 hours, till doubled. Bake at 375F for 25 - 30 minutes. Let cool on racks.
If you use spelt and kamut flour, the bread will be slightly heavier and the dough will be more delicate.

Bread loaves are ready when you knock the top of them with your knuckle and they have a hollow sound.