Bauernbrot (German Farmer's Bread)
For the best flavor, the starter for this bread needs to rest for 24 hours before making the bread.Yield: 1 (7 inch diameter) loaf
Servings: 6 people
Ingredients
For the Starter
- 1 c (115 g) unbleached all purpose flour
- 1 c (120 g) rye flour
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 c water, warmed to 80F
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
For the Dough
- 1 c (120 g) rye flour
- ½ - ¾ c (57 - 86 g) unbleached all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon whole caraway seeds
- ½ teaspoon ground anise
- ½ teaspoon whole fennel seeds
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander seeds
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
For baking
- 1 egg white beaten with 1 tablespoon water (for the egg wash)
- Cornmeal (to dust the baking sheet)
Instructions
- Mix all starter ingredients in a large bowl. Cover the starter with plastic wrap and let it rest on the counter for 24 hours, until very bubbly.
- Using a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, add all the dough ingredients to the starter, starting with ½ c all purpose flour. Add the remaining all purpose flour as needed to help the dough come together. Knead on the mixer for 1-2 minutes, until a soft and slightly sticky ball of dough forms.* (Alternately, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand for 5-7 minutes.)
- Shape the kneaded dough into a ball. Cover it with a damp tea towel and let it rise in a warm, draft-free place for roughly 2 hours, until puffy and nearly doubled.
- Knead the dough a couple of times (using added flour on your hands has needed) and shape it into its final round shape, pressing to flatten the round slightly. Place the shaped dough onto a cornmeal-dusted baking sheet. Brush the top of the dough with a little of the egg white mixture and cut a few slices in the top of the dough, using a serrated knife. Let the shaped dough rise in a warm, draft-free place for 40-50 minutes, until puffy.
- Near the end of the final rising time, preheat your oven to 425F.
- Bake the bread at 425F for 20-30 minutes, until the bread sounds hollow when tapped or a thermometer inserted into the center of the bread registers 180-185F.
- Remove the bread from the baking sheet, and let it cool at least 10-15 minutes on a wire rack before cutting and serving.
Notes
*Because of the high volume of rye flour, this bread dough will not create the typical elasticity that you would see in a dough with a higher portion of wheat flours. (This also means that the bread will not spring in the oven as much as a wheat bread does.)