I decided to revisit my childhood with a German-style bread. It’s a heavy, satisfying and tasty bread full of grains and seeds.
In a small bowl combine 2 teaspoons of dry active yeast, 6 teaspoons of sugar and 2 cups of warm water and let it sit for 5-10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a stand mixer or large bowl, combine 4 cups buckwheat (Buchweizen) flour, ½ a cup of rye flour, ½ a cup of whole buckwheat grains, 1¾ cups of cracked buckwheat grains (you can do this in a mortar and pestle or with a rolling pin and it doesn’t have to be perfect), 1 cup of whole flax seeds (linseeds), 1½ cups of sunflower seeds, ¼ of a cup of sesame seeds and 3 teaspoons of salt. Add the yeast mixture as well as 2 cups of buttermilk (not cold) and 1 cup of mild beer (also not cold). Use the dough hook to mix and knead the dough. Cover the tin and allow the bread to rise in a warm place for between 8 and 24 hours – the whole grains will soften more the longer you leave it. When you’re ready to bake, preheat your oven to 180ºC (350ºF) and grease your bread tin well. Transfer the dough into the tin and flatten the top. Spray with a little water and sprinkle with rolled oats. Bake for between 90 and 120 minutes until the centre is cooked. If you have an instant-read thermometer the inside temperature should be around 95ºC (200ºF). Remove the bread from the tin and place on a rack, covered with a tea towel, to cool.
*Adapted from this recipe.
michelle picker cooks 