Country Bread – Bauernbrot

Looking back over my posts, I realized that there hasn't been any bread in a long time. I have a few breads and rolls in reserve, so it's time to show off another one.

country bread - Bauernbrot

This is yet another yeast bread recipe, this one coming from Zorra. The bread is made in a similar way to the oatmeal bread. The day before (preferably in the evening) you need to prepare the pre-ferment, and the next day all that's left is mixing, 2 hours of waiting and a little over half an hour of baking.

If you decide to bake it, you won't be disappointed. The crust is crunchy, and the inside is fluffy and fragrant. I love cutting a slice (also called the heel) off the still very warm bread and eating it with nothing but butter. You can see my hasty, though slightly artistic, cutting in the photo, by the way. This bread goes perfectly with all kinds of spreads (e.g. leek spread or mackerel spread).

country bread - Bauernbrot

Ingredients:

(makes 1 loaf)

Pre-ferment:

• 120 g wheat flour
• 30 g whole grain rye flour (I used type 1150)
• 100 g water
• 2 g fresh yeast
• 2 g salt

Final dough:

• 290 g wheat flour
• 60 g whole grain rye flour
• 220 g water
• 7 g fresh yeast
• 8 g salt
• 254 g pre-ferment

For the pre-ferment, mix all the ingredients and knead well. Cover with a damp cloth and leave overnight at 16°C.

The next day, dissolve the 7 g of yeast in a small amount of water. Add the rest of the water to the pre-ferment and work it in, too. Put all the ingredients, including the pre-ferment but without the salt, in a bowl and knead for 4 minutes, starting on low speed and finishing on high (speeds 1 and 2 for me, since that's all I can do). Then add the salt and knead on medium speed for about 6 minutes. Cover the dough and set it aside to rise for an hour. In the meantime, after 30 minutes, fold it once. After an hour, shape the dough into a round loaf and put it in a proofing basket (I also use a bowl greased with oil and dusted with bran or flour), then leave it covered for another 60 minutes to rise.

Preheat the oven to 230°C (445°F), and heat the baking sheet the bread will be baked on as well. Turn the risen loaf out onto it (gently tip it out of the basket), score it and bake for 15 minutes, then open the oven door for a moment to let the steam out. Bake for another 20 minutes, with the oven door slightly ajar for the last 5 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Enjoy!