German Brown Bread (Vollkornbrot)
German brown bread called Vollkornbrot is a tasty, dense bread that tastes great with butter and jam for breakfast, or with meat and cheese for lunch. It's made with 100% whole rye flour, so it's hearty and rustic.
Ingredients
Starter
- 2 tablespoon active, bubbly sourdough starter
- 2½ cups warm water
- 3½ cups dark rye flour (or pumpernickel flour)
Soaker
- 2 cups steel cut oats
- 1½ cups warm water
Dough
- 2 cups dark rye flour (or pumpernickel flour)
- 1 tablespoon salt (use non-iodized table salt or fine sea salt)
- 2¼ teaspoon instant yeast (one envelope)
- ½ cup hulled sunflower seeds
Instructions
Prepare the Starter
- In a large mixing bowl, mix the active sourdough and warm water until the sourdough is dissolved. Add the rye flour and mix with a large spoon. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and allow it to rest at room temperature overnight for 8 to 12 hours.
Prepare the Soaker
- Combine the steel cut oats and warm water in a small bowl. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and allow it to rest at room temperature overnight for 8 to 12 hours.
Prepare the Dough
- Grease a 5-inch by 9-inch (or 8x4) loaf pan with olive oil.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the starter, soaker, and the remaining rye flour, salt, instant yeast, and sunflower seeds. Mix it with your hands or a large spoon to combine everything.
- Knead the dough in the bowl by hand or with a stand mixer for a few minutes, until you can shape it into a dense ball and it’s no longer crumbly. (This dough is not like other bread doughs, since it's not elastic. To knead, just smash it with your hands, since it can’t be stretched).
- Shape the dough into a log and place it in the prepared loaf pan. Gently press the loaf down into the pan. It should nearly completely fill the loaf pan, since it won’t rise much. Cover the dough with a damp kitchen towel at room temperature for 1 hour.
Bake the Bread
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, until the loaf is dark brown, and sounds hollow when the loaf is tapped with your finger. Remove the loaf from the loaf pan and let cool completely to room temperature on a cooling rack for at least a couple hours. Slice and enjoy!!
Notes
- Rye Flour: Make sure your dark rye flour is made from the whole rye grain. If not, use pumpernickel flour.
- Kneading: This dough is not like other bread doughs, since it's not very elastic. To knead it, just squeeze and mash the dough with your hands, since it can’t be stretched. Keep kneading it until you can form it into a ball and there's no pockets of dry flour.
- Without Sourdough: If you don’t have sourdough, combine the rye flour with water and let it soak at room temperature for about 30 minutes before mixing in the rest of the dough ingredients.
- Storing: Allow the loaf to cool completely, then wrap it in a paper bag. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days. This bread also freezes great for up to 3 months, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap then aluminum foil.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 sliceCalories: 231kcalCarbohydrates: 42gProtein: 9gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 0.5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 441mgPotassium: 174mgFiber: 7gSugar: 0.5gVitamin A: 2IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 24mgIron: 2mg
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