Caraway Bread — The Warm Kitchen We Came Home To

We are home. We had a short honeymoon — three days at a hotel in Michigan City, Lake Michigan, the beach, room service once and cooking in the hotel room kitchen twice because I cannot be somewhere with a kitchen and not use it. Ryan said this was extremely on-brand and I said yes. We made scrambled eggs and toast at 11 PM on Sunday night in a hotel kitchen and it was one of the better meals of the honeymoon.

Coming home to the apartment the night we got back, Ryan opened the door first and I crossed the threshold and it was the same apartment it had been the week before and also completely different because now it is the home we are married in and that changes what a place is in a way that I could not have described before and now know. The warm ivory kitchen. The stand mixer. The notes from Ryan that live in the drawer by the bed. The balcony that has been winterized and will be re-planted this summer. This is ours.

I called Babcia Rose the day we got back. She said how was the hotel. I said it was beautiful. She asked if I ate well. I said yes. She said she was glad. Then she asked if the gołąbki at the reception were warm enough, which was the actual concern she had been holding all week, and I said they were perfect, and she made the sound she makes when something has gone the way it was supposed to go. Then she told me to get some rest. I said I would. She said be good. I said I try. She hung up. We are fine. We are completely fine.

Back to the blog this week with the wedding recap post, which I wrote carefully because the privacy line is delicate — I want to share what was beautiful without making anyone feel like they are in a story being told about them. I wrote about the rain and the pierogi and the potato pancakes in the wedding dress and that last part sent the comments into a frenzy of love that I have been reading all week. Welcome home. We are home.

The first thing I wanted to do when we got home — really home, settled, married home — was bake bread. Not because we needed it, but because bread is what you make when a kitchen finally feels like yours. Caraway has always been the seed I associate with Babcia Rose’s table, with the particular smell of something that means you are where you are supposed to be, and slicing into this loaf in that warm ivory kitchen with Ryan putting away the last of the honeymoon bag felt like the truest possible welcome home I could have given us.

Caraway Bread

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 35 min | Total Time: 1 hr 55 min (includes rise time) | Servings: 12 slices

Ingredients

• 1 packet (2 1/4 tsp) active dry yeast
• 1 cup warm water (110°F)
• 1 tbsp honey
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading
• 1/2 cup rye flour
• 1 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
• 2 tbsp caraway seeds, plus extra for topping
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 egg white, lightly beaten (for egg wash)

Instructions

1. Activate the yeast. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large mixing bowl), combine warm water, honey, and yeast. Stir gently and let sit 5–8 minutes until foamy.
2. Mix the dough. Add olive oil, both flours, salt, and caraway seeds to the yeast mixture. Using the dough hook on low speed (or a wooden spoon by hand), mix until a shaggy dough forms, then increase to medium and knead 7–8 minutes until smooth and slightly tacky. If kneading by hand, turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes.
3. First rise. Shape dough into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm spot for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
4. Shape the loaf. Punch dough down gently and turn onto a lightly floured surface. Shape into an oval or round loaf and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover loosely and let rest 20 minutes while you preheat the oven to 400°F.
5. Egg wash and score. Brush the top of the loaf with beaten egg white and sprinkle with a few extra caraway seeds. Using a sharp knife or bread lame, score two or three shallow diagonal slashes across the top.
6. Bake. Bake at 400°F for 30–35 minutes, until the crust is deep golden brown and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. Transfer to a wire rack and cool at least 15 minutes before slicing.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 165 | Protein: 4g | Fat: 3g | Carbs: 29g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 245mg