Make German Bauernbrot, a Recipe for Farmer's Bread (2024)

  • German Food
  • Bread Basics

By

Jennifer McGavin

Jennifer McGavin

Jennifer McGavin learned to cook German food while living in Germany for 11 years and has worked in the food industry for many years.

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Updated on 08/3/22

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Make German Bauernbrot, a Recipe for Farmer's Bread (1)

Prep: 60 mins

Cook: 60 mins

Proof and Rest : 5 hrs

Total: 7 hrs

Servings: 6 servings

Germany loves its bread. Thousands of varieties of carefully crafted bread are baked daily to fulfill the country's love for this nutritious and wholesome dish. Far from the store-bought loaves of bread that convenience has made us accustomed to, German farmer's bread is hearty, dense, crusty, and simply delicious. Eaten as an accompaniment to a variety of dishes, from stews and soups to meat-heavy meals, this bread is a treat when simply eaten with fresh butter or cheese.

Our recipe is one of the easiest German breads to reproduce at home, and although it requires some time commitment, most of it is used up by resting the dough and allowing the chemistry of proofing to do its magic. This hearty bread requires a mix of half white and half whole-wheat flours, some sourdough starter for taste and texture, and the classic German addition of caraway seeds. Two rises make this bread light and easy to slice, perfect for serving with soup, or preparing an Abendbrot, or the "evening bread," in which a spread of sandwich fixings is laid out for the family to enjoy. This recipe makes one large bauernbrot laib, or loaf, and freezes well. Thaw at room temperature before toasting or warming up.

Ingredients

For the Dough:

  • 2 1/2 cups white flour, or all-purpose or bread flour

  • 2 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour

  • 1/2 cup rolled oats

  • 2 teaspoons salt

  • 2 teaspoons caraway seed

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons instant dry yeast

  • 1 cup milk

  • 1 tablespoon vinegar

  • 1 cup plain yogurt

  • 1/4 cup sourdough starter

  • 1 to 2 tablespoons water, optional

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil, for greasing the bowl

For Baking:

  • 2 cups boiling water

Steps to Make It

Make the Dough

  1. Gather the ingredients.

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  2. Mix the flours, oats, salt, caraway seed, and instant yeast together in a large bowl.

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  3. In a small bowl, mix together the milk and vinegar to create a sour milk.

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  4. Add the sour milk, yogurt, and sourdough starter to the dry ingredients and begin to mix with a large spoon. If you have access to a standing mixer, put in all ingredients and mix at low speed with the help of the hook attachment.

  5. Mix all ingredients until the dough forms a ball, adding 1 to 2 tablespoons of water if needed. The dough should be slightly sticky.

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  6. Continue kneading either with the mixer or on a lightly floured board for 5 to 7 minutes.

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  7. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes, then knead again for 1 minute.

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  8. Form dough into a smooth ball and place in an oiled bowl, turning to coat the top.

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  9. Cover with a clean dish towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size.

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Shape the Dough

  1. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured board andpat it into arectangle. Indent with fingertips down the middle.

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  2. Fold a third of the dough to the middle, lengthwise, pulling the dough taut on the bottom. Press the seam a little to seal.

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  3. Fold the other third to the middle, pulling the dough taut, and pinch the seam closed.

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  4. Roll over, the dough seam-side down, and rock gently while rounding the ends to make the loaf either longer or fatter, whichever you prefer.

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  5. Place dough on parchment paper, baking sheet, or silicone mat, then dust the top with flour, and let it rise until doubled.

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  6. Heat the oven to 500 F for 1 hour before baking. About 30 minutes before you plan on baking, slash the top with a sharp razor blade or lame at least 1/4-inch deep.

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Bake the Bread

  1. Place a baking stone inside of the oven while it preheats, following the manufacturer's instructions. Place an old pan on the bottom rack and set the second rack in the middle.

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  2. Once the oven is hot, place the bread on the middle rack, still on the parchment or floured baking pan, or transfer it onto the baking stone. Immediately, pour 2 cups of boiling water into the bottom pan, and close the door.

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  3. Using a spray bottle filled with water, spray the sides of the oven after 2, 5, and 7 minutes. Next, turn the oven temperature down to 450 F and bake for 20 minutes. Turn the oven temperature down again to 350 F and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer measures 190 F to 200 F or the loaf is brown and sounds hollow when firmly tapped on the bottom.

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  4. Remove and let cool 2 hours before slicing.

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  5. Enjoy!

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What is a sourdough starter?

A sourdough starter is a medium to cultivate wild yeast. As opposed to domesticated and commercially available dry or fresh yeast, wild yeast lives all around us on all surfaces like our skin, kitchen counter, or our house walls, and we can cultivate it with the help of a sourdough starter. Although making a starter requires time and patience, as it likes certain environments better than others to develop, creating one is how we can use wild yeast for making delicious loaves of bread and other bakery items. You can make a sourdough starter at home, buy it, or if you're lucky, perhaps a friend is already cultivating one.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
470Calories
6g Fat
90g Carbs
17g Protein

×

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories470
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 6g7%
Saturated Fat 1g7%
Cholesterol 4mg1%
Sodium 756mg33%
Total Carbohydrate 90g33%
Dietary Fiber 8g30%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 17g
Vitamin C 0mg2%
Calcium 158mg12%
Iron 5mg27%
Potassium 443mg9%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Recipe Tags:

  • bread
  • german bread
  • side dish
  • german

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Make German Bauernbrot, a Recipe for Farmer's Bread (2024)

FAQs

Is Bauernbrot Sourdough? ›

Aki would say that this is the bread that Germans miss most when they leave Germany.

What is the most popular bread in Germany? ›

The most popular type of German bread can vary depending on the region and personal preferences. However, some of the most beloved breads in Germany include Roggenbrot, a sourdough rye bread, and Weißbrot, a classic white loaf bread.

What makes German bread different? ›

Regarding bread, German cuisine is more varied than that of either Eastern or Western Europe. Most German breads are made with sourdough. Most breads contain both wheat and rye flour (hence Mischbrot, mixed bread), and often also wholemeal and whole seeds such as linseed, sunflower seed, or pumpkin seed (Vollkornbrot).

What is the best flour for sourdough in Germany? ›

Wheat 550 – flour with even higher binding power, ideal for baking with yeast and sourdough. The best bread making flour, mixes well with rye, spelt and buckwheat flours.

What do Germans call sourdough? ›

Similar translations for "sourdough bread" in German

sourdough noun. German. Sauerteig.

Is German bread healthier than American bread? ›

Bread in Germany, on the other hand, contains less additives and preservatives due to age-old baking traditions, strict food laws and rigorous quality standards for bakers. The USA has liberal laws for the application of pesticides.

What is the number one bread in the world? ›

10 Different Types of Bread that are Most Popular in the World
Bread
1White Bread
2Baguette
3Wholegrain Bread
4Ciabatta
6 more rows

What is the most delicious bread in the world? ›

World's best breads: the list of winners
  • Butter garlic naan (India)
  • Nan-e barbari (Iran)
  • Pan de yuca (Colombia)
  • Focaccia di Recco col formaggio (Italy)
  • Baguette (France)
  • Naan (India)
  • Piadina Romagnola (Italy)
  • Tarte flambée (France)
Oct 4, 2023

Why do Germans eat so much bread? ›

Bread is not only a significant part of German Cuisine, it literally sustains their culture. According to the bread register of the German Institute of Bread, there are 3,200 officially recognized types of bread in the country, and German bread has since been designated an official UNESCO intangible cultural heritage.

Why does German bread taste better? ›

Flour: German bread is typically made from a variety of whole-grain flours, which gives it a dense and hearty texture, while American bread is often made from refined flours, which makes it lighter and softer in texture.

What do Germans call bread? ›

"Brötchen" ("Brot" is German for bread, the -"chen" is a diminutive suffix) are a staple all over the German-speaking world, but the word used to order the crusty rolls at the bakery counter vary greatly.

What is a farmhouse bread? ›

noun. British. a large white loaf, baked in a tin, with slightly curved sides and top.

What happens if you use too much yeast when making bread? ›

This can affect the bread by adding a "yeasty" taste if you put too much into the dough. General amounts of yeast are around 1 - 2 % of the flour, by weight. Too much yeast could cause the dough to go flat by releasing gas before the flour is ready to expand.

What is the secret to making homemade bread? ›

12 tips for making perfect bread
  1. Use the right yeast. ...
  2. Store your yeast properly. ...
  3. Treat salt with care. ...
  4. Take your time. ...
  5. Try different flours. ...
  6. Consider vitamin C. ...
  7. Practice makes perfect. ...
  8. Don't prove for too long.

Does Germany have sourdough bread? ›

In Germany, breads made from mixtures of different grains are quite popular, but breads made predominantly from rye are also common. They normally use sourdough for leavening rather than baker's yeast ; this gives them their characteristic sour flavour.

Is rye bread a type of sourdough? ›

Sourdough and rye sourdough are both essentially sourdough bread, made using a sourdough starter. Conventional sourdough bread is made with high protein bread flour, whereas rye sourdough contains a percentage of rye flour, if not all rye flour for increased flavor and texture.

Is rye bread always sourdough? ›

There are three different types of rye crispbread: yeast-fermented, sourdough-fermented, and crispbread. Most of the crispbread produced in Scandinavia is baked after three to four hours of fermentation.

Is there sourdough bread in Germany? ›

Fortifying food: Germans tend to eat sourdough bread made with rye, spelt and wheat flours.

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