This bread is hearty and delicious. It has a cracklin’ crust contrasted with pillowy soft insides. I grew up on this bread. My mother moved to the States from Germany in the early eighties. The choices for buying bread in the suburbs of upstate South Carolina were pretty slim pickings at that time. Nowhere could she find the hearty German bread she was used to – she had no choice but to make her own. She baked 4 loaves a week and we loved it. It’s best warm, right out of the oven with a schmear of butter. If you don’t like caraway, try some millet. Sautéed onions also make a nice addition.
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Step 1
Place all the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl (except the caraway seeds). Place the salt at the very bottom of the bowl. Form a well with the flours and place the yeast and sugar inside the well as shown.
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Step 2
Add 1/4 cup lukewarm water and let the yeast proof for 15 minutes. When it starts to bubble as shown, it’s ready. Add the caraway seeds.
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Step 3
Add the remainder 1 and 1/2 cups lukewarm water and mix it all up in your stand mixer. This dough likes a good beating. When it starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl as shown, it’s ready. Cover with a towel and let rest in a warm place for 4 hours.
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Step 4
Place dough on floured surface and shape into a ball. Cut slits into dough as shown. Place on baking sheet and bake at 450F for 40 minutes.
Ingredients for the Bread
500 grams bread flour or all purpose flour
100 grams rye flour
100 grams whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoons caraway seeds
1/4 cup lukewarm water
plus 1 and 1/2 cups lukewarm water
Directions
Place all the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Place the salt at the very bottom of the bowl. Form a well with the flours and place the yeast and sugar inside the well as shown. Add 1/4 cup lukewarm water to the well and let the yeast proof for 15 minutes. When it starts to bubble as shown, it’s ready. Add the caraway seeds, if you’re using them. Add the remainder 1 and 1/2 cups lukewarm water and mix it all up in your stand mixer. This dough likes a good beating. When it starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl it’s ready. Cover with a towel and let rest in a warm place for 4 hours. Place dough on floured surface and shape into a ball. Cut slits into dough as shown. Place on baking sheet and bake at 450F for 40 minutes.
Notes
For an optimum baking environment for your bread, place a large oven proof dish of water in the oven while your bread bakes.
This bread tastes best if eaten within 3 days. It freezes well also.
When you tap on the bread with a wooden spoon and it makes a hollow sound – it’s done!