German Vollkornbrot Bread
I first sampled a slice of this dense Vollkornbrot bread at a bed and breakfast in Bavaria, Germany. It was love at first bite! After experimenting with many sourdoughs and Vollkornbrot breads, I created this version of that world-famous bread packed with highly nutritious seeds and groats. Best to slice as thin as possible. It is tasty on its own but also good slathered with your favorite butter or jam. I occasionally enjoy it toasted with sliced avocado. However, my favorite way is with English clotted cream!
24 servings (1-8 ½ x 4 ½ inch loaf)
INGREDIENTS:
Buckwheat Groat Soak
½ cup boiling water
⅓ cup buckwheat groats
Seed with Groat Mix
⅓ cup buckwheat groats
¼ cup pumpkin seeds
¼ cup raw sunflower seeds
¼ cup sesame seeds
¾ cup room-temperature water (75°F to 80°F)
Levain
½ cup room-temperature water (75°F to 80°F)
3 tablespoons ripe (triples in volume) starter (2 ounces)
⅔ cup dark whole-grain rye or pumpernickel flour (2.8 ounces)
Dough
⅓ cup room-temperature water (75°F to 80°F)
2 tablespoons unsulfured molasses
1cup dark whole-grain rye or pumpernickel flour (4.35 ounces)
¼ cup flaxseed meal (1 ounce)
¼ cup whole-grain buckwheat flour (about 1.25 ounces)
2 ¼ teaspoons fine sea salt (.55 ounce)
DIRECTIONS:
Buckwheat Groat Soak
Stir the boiling water into the buckwheat groats in a small heatproof bowl. Cover and let stand at room temperature until the water is absorbed and the groats are softened slightly overnight (about twelve to sixteen hours).
Seed with Groat Mix
Combine buckwheat groats, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and sesame seeds in a large nonstick skillet. Cook over medium heat, shaking the skillet often until groats and seeds are toasted and fragrant, about five to seven minutes. Transfer mixture to a medium bowl; let cool for ten minutes. Stir in room-temperature water. Cover and let stand at room temperature until the water is absorbed and seeds softened slightly about twelve to sixteen hours.
Levain
Stir the room temperature water and starter in a small bowl until the starter dissolves. Add the rye flour, and stir until smooth. Cover and let stand at room temperature until risen slightly and cracked on top, about twelve to sixteen hours
Dough
1. Stir the levain, water, and molasses together in a large mixing bowl until well mixed. Then stir in the rye flour, flaxseed meal, and buckwheat flour until dry ingredients are well combined. Cover with a clean towel and let stand at room temperature for ten minutes.
2. Sprinkle dough with salt. Grab a portion of the dough at the side of the bowl and bring it towards the center. (Dough will feel like wet sand). Continue this motion for one minute, rotating the bowl ninety degrees after each fold. Cover and let rest for two minutes. Repeat the folding process for another minute. Set aside.
3. Pour the buckwheat groat soak through a fine wire-mesh sieve, discard any leftover water. Add the drained buckwheat groat soak and the seed with groat mix to the dough in the bowl. Mix with your hands until the seeds and groats are evenly incorporated.
4. Coat an 8 ½ x 4 ½- inch loaf pan with cooking spray. Then line this pan with parchment paper, leaving a one-inch overhang on the long sides of the pan. Lightly coat parchment paper with cooking spray. Lift and lightly pack the dough mixture into the prepared pan, and smooth the top. Let stand uncovered at room temperature until dough rises to the top of the pan, about four to five hours. During the final thirty minutes of proofing time, preheat the oven to 350°F.
5. Bake the loaf in preheated oven for fifty minutes—tent with foil to prevent over-browning. Continue to bake until internal temperature registers 205°F, about one hour. Remove from the oven—rest loaf in pan for ten minutes. Remove loaf from the pan using the parchment overhang as handles. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely before slicing for about two hours. Wrap in plastic wrap and store unused portions in the refrigerator for up to four weeks or freeze a well-wrapped portion for up to two months.
Note: Be sure that your sourdough starter is well fed for at least three feedings before preparing the levain. The soak, seed and groat mix, and levain can be made in the evening with the dough prepared and baked the following day.
German Vollkornbrot Bread
Ingredients
- ½ cup boiling water
- ⅓ cup buckwheat groats
- ⅓ cup buckwheat groats
- ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
- ¼ cup raw sunflower seeds
- ¼ cup sesame seeds
- ¾ cup room-temperature water (75°F to 80°F)
- ½ cup room-temperature water (75°F to 80°F)
- 3 tablespoons ripe (triples in volume) starter (2 ounces)
- ⅔ cup dark whole-grain rye or pumpernickel flour (2.8 ounces)
- ⅓ cup room-temperature water (75°F to 80°F)
- 2 tablespoons unsulfured molasses
- 1cup dark whole-grain rye or pumpernickel flour (4.35 ounces)
- ¼ cup flaxseed meal (1 ounce)
- ¼ cup whole-grain buckwheat flour (about 1.25 ounces)
- 2 ¼ teaspoons fine sea salt (.55 ounce)
Instructions
- Stir the boiling water into the buckwheat groats in a small heatproof bowl. Cover and let stand at room temperature until the water is absorbed and the groats are softened slightly overnight (about twelve to sixteen hours).
- Combine buckwheat groats, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and sesame seeds in a large nonstick skillet. Cook over medium heat, shaking the skillet often until groats and seeds are toasted and fragrant, about five to seven minutes. Transfer mixture to a medium bowl; let cool for ten minutes. Stir in room-temperature water. Cover and let stand at room temperature until the water is absorbed and seeds softened slightly about twelve to sixteen hours.
- Stir the room temperature water and starter in a small bowl until the starter dissolves. Add the rye flour, and stir until smooth. Cover and let stand at room temperature until risen slightly and cracked on top, about twelve to sixteen hours
- Stir the levain, water, and molasses together in a large mixing bowl until well mixed. Then stir in the rye flour, flaxseed meal, and buckwheat flour until dry ingredients are well combined. Cover with a clean towel and let stand at room temperature for ten minutes.
- Sprinkle dough with salt. Grab a portion of the dough at the side of the bowl and bring it towards the center. (Dough will feel like wet sand). Continue this motion for one minute, rotating the bowl ninety degrees after each fold. Cover and let rest for two minutes. Repeat the folding process for another minute. Set aside.
- Pour the buckwheat groat soak through a fine wire-mesh sieve, discard any leftover water. Add the drained buckwheat groat soak and the seed with groat mix to the dough in the bowl. Mix with your hands until the seeds and groats are evenly incorporated.
- Coat an 8 ½ x 4 ½- inch loaf pan with cooking spray. Then line this pan with parchment paper, leaving a one-inch overhang on the long sides of the pan. Lightly coat parchment paper with cooking spray. Lift and lightly pack the dough mixture into the prepared pan, and smooth the top. Let stand uncovered at room temperature until dough rises to the top of the pan, about four to five hours. During the final thirty minutes of proofing time, preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Bake the loaf in preheated oven for fifty minutes—tent with foil to prevent over-browning. Continue to bake until internal temperature registers 205°F, about one hour. Remove from the oven—rest loaf in pan for ten minutes. Remove loaf from the pan using the parchment overhang as handles. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely before slicing for about two hours. Wrap in plastic wrap and store unused portions in the refrigerator for up to four weeks or freeze a well-wrapped portion for up to two months.
Notes
Be sure that your sourdough starter is well fed for at least three feedings before preparing the levain. The soak, seed and groat mix, and levain can be made in the evening with the dough prepared and baked the following day.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
88.23Fat (grams)
2.81Sat. Fat (grams)
0.36Carbs (grams)
13.67Fiber (grams)
1.65Net carbs
12.03Sugar (grams)
1.37Protein (grams)
2.81Sodium (milligrams)
220.89Cholesterol (grams)
0The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice.