Bauernbrot with Spice Crust
The farmer’s bread with spiced crust is a mixed rye bread using rye flour type 960 and whole grain spelt flour. Since the farmer’s bread you find at outdoor markets always has a strong flavor, 50% of the rye flour used in this recipe has been soured. Instead of the usual dough hydration (TA) of 200-230, the sourdough is made with a TA of 172. This stiffer sourdough method affects how actively it can rise, but it has a stronger taste.
The weaker activity of the sourdough is balanced out through a whole grain spelt poolish. All the whole grain spelt flour is used in the poolish, allowing the whole grain flour to become completely saturated, which in turn leads to a moister crumb in the baked bread.
A farmer’s bread typically uses spice. It doesn’t have to always be fennel; coriander, caraway or anise are also popular bread spices.
Recipe
For a dough weight of 1437g
Sourdough:
- 275g rye flour type 960
- 200g water
- 20g starter
DT: 25-27°C RT: 12 hours
If the sourdough matures over a longer period of time, the amount of starter must be reduced!
Whole grain spelt poolish:
- 250g whole grain spelt flour
- 250g water 4-6°C
- 1g yeast
Mix the ingredients and let mature at room temperature for 12 hours.
Main dough:
- 485g mature sourdough
- 501g mature poolish
- 275g rye flour type 960
- 120g water 35°C
- 20g salt
- 20g pork lard
- 10g finely ground bread spice
- 2g yeast
Soaked old bread ensures it stays fresh longer.
Instructions:
- Mix all ingredients together slowly for 5-7 minutes. If the dough appears too stiff, you can add additional water as you go.
- Then let the dough rise for 30 minutes.
- After resting, shape the dough into a round loaf and place it seamside-down in a proofing basket that has been well sprinkled with spice.
- Cover it and place it in a warm place to proof (45-60 minutes)
- The bread is baked at 250°C with strong steam.
- Release the steam after 5-7 minutes. After 5 more minutes, lower the oven temperature to 200°C.
- Total baking time: 60-70 minutes
