Authentic German Bread (Bauernbrot)

SUBMITTED BY: Petra  PHOTO BY: Petra 

"Here is a great recipe for authentic German Sourdough Bread. This bread tastes almost exactly like the bread we buy back home in Bavaria, Germany. There, to this day, they bake their bread in a very old stone oven in the middle of a small village, once every 2 weeks. They bake a whole bunch at once, and then you can buy it and freeze extras until the next baking day. It's the best German bread I know!"
Authentic German Bread (Bauernbrot) Recipe
PREP TIME  3 Hrs
COOK TIME  2 Hrs
READY IN  2 Days 5 Hrs
Original recipe yield 1 large loaf

SERVINGS

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Servings
 

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)

  • 1 1/2 ounces compressed fresh yeast
  • 1 quart warm water
  • 2 tablespoons white sugar
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  •  
  • 8 cups white rye flour
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon white sugar
  • 2 cups warm water

DIRECTIONS

  1. First, make the sourdough starter. Crumble the yeast into a large bowl. Whisk in 1 quart of warm water and 2 tablespoons of sugar until dissolved. The water should be just slightly warmer than body temperature. Gradually whisk in 4 cups of flour, continuing to mix until all lumps are gone. Cover with a dish towel, and let sit for 24 hours at room temperature.
  2. After 24 hours, stir well, cover, and let stand another 24 hours. It will be a thin, light-colored sourdough which is then ready to use.
  3. In a large bowl, stir together the rye flour, 4 cups of all-purpose flour, salt and sugar. Mix in the sourdough starter using a wooden spoon, then stir in 2 cups of warm water. I transfer the dough to a heavy duty stand mixer to mix the first couple of minutes, then it can't handle the heavy dough and I start using my hands by turning the dough out onto a floured surface. A clean countertop works best. Knead the dough, adding a few tablespoons of water at a time if it is too stiff. Fold the dough over, pull it apart, whatever you can do to get it kneaded up good. Total kneading time should be 15 to 20 minutes to get a smooth dough. Place the dough in a large bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled, 1 to 2 hours.
  4. When the dough has risen, scrape it out of the bowl and back onto a floured surface. Knead for about 5 minutes. This is important to activate the gluten. Shape into 1 or 2 long loaves. Place on baking sheets, and let rise for about 1 hour, or until your finger leaves an impression when you poke the bread gently.
  5. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Bake the bread for about 45 minutes for 2 loaves, 1 1/2 hours if you made one big loaf. Don't worry if the crust is dark. The bread will be delicious and so will the crust. Cool completely before cutting. I always freeze half.

FOOTNOTES

  • If you want to make extra starter for the next time, simply add 2 cups of all-purpose flour and 2 cups water to the sourdough starter on the second day, and whisk smooth. Then let stand at room temperature for 24 hours before next use. Use half, and save the other half for the next time. Let stand for 24 hours, stirring once before using. If freezing, use within 2 weeks.
  • Humidity and heat play a big role in making this bread. It may not work well if it is to humid and hot outside. In this case I recommend that you make the bread starting at 5am.
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REVIEWS

The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.62 star rating.
Reviewed on Sep. 25, 2007 by IMSBK 
I have made this bread several times and as a German I can tell you it IS authentic! Great... MORE
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.62 star rating.
Reviewed on Sep. 20, 2005 by patb 
I made this recipe and the bread is very good with a crunchy crust. I only made half of the... MORE
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.62 star rating.
Reviewed on Aug. 12, 2007 by j_marie330 
I absolutely loved this recipe. I lived in Germany for a year and absolutely fell in love with... MORE
The reviewer gave this recipe 4 stars. This recipe averages a 4.62 star rating.
Reviewed on Apr. 3, 2008 by kayline 
This is a great recipe but a lot of work. I've used other, simpler recipes that are just as... MORE
The reviewer gave this recipe 4 stars. This recipe averages a 4.62 star rating.
Reviewed on Sep. 25, 2008 by ZENA64 
the one problem i found /when i make it into oblong loafs /let it rise / it flaten /and... MORE
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.62 star rating.
Reviewed on May 10, 2008 by Jerry 
This the best bread I've had since leaving Germany several years ago. I took the suggestion... MORE
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.62 star rating.
Reviewed on Nov. 23, 2007 by Paula B 
I really enjoyed these, the hard crust was a treat MORE
The reviewer gave this recipe 4 stars. This recipe averages a 4.62 star rating.
Reviewed on Sep. 10, 2007 by Cookingforfun 
You did a very good job on this. The only difference is we use wheat flour in place of white.... MORE
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.62 star rating.
Reviewed on Sep. 19, 2007 by CHRISCOOKS 
A Wonderful formula! Works great everytime. Thank you so much for sharing. I have many... MORE
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.62 star rating.
Reviewed on Feb. 21, 2007 by SFRONZA 
This is an exceptional recipe. I doubled the recipe and thought my mixer was going to kick... MORE


 
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Photo by Petra

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Nutritional Information
Authentic German Bread (Bauernbrot)

Servings Per Recipe: 20

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 334

  • Total Fat: 1.3g
  • Cholesterol: 0mg
  • Sodium: 703mg
  • Total Carbs: 71.6g
  •     Dietary Fiber: 7.5g
  • Protein: 9.2g

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