farmer's bread (bauernbrot)

My brother sent me a recipe he found for German Farmer Bread and naturally I had to give it try. Like most bread recipes, the ingredients are simple - flour, water, salt and leavening. This was no different. I just happened to have rye berries for fresh-ground flour and baked on Saturday.

We are having a farmers market on Saturday, April 21, so I needed to know if it would work for my table. There will be four long loaves for sale so my friends and customers can weigh in on the following recipe for Farmers Bread. I will also bring jams, jellies, sourdough, buns, caramel roll bread, granola bread, hand loomed dish towels, sauerkraut, cowboy candy and more. Vendors will be set up outdoors and indoors for your Mother's Day shopping. CLICK HERE for more information.

Rather than bore you with photos of my bowls, mixer and measuring cups, I present to you the recipe and this photo of the finished product. If you have questions about how to go about creating this wonderful bread, just use this contact form to ask me.

FARMER BREAD (BAUERNBROT)

Ingredients:
Starter:
1 1/2 ounces (42 g) compressed fresh yeast
4 cups warm water
2 tablespoons white sugar
4 cups all-purpose flour
Dough:
8 cups rye flour
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons salt
1 teaspoon white sugar
2 cups warm water


Preparation:

1. Mix all starter ingredients in a large bowl. Cover the starter with plastic wrap and let it rest on the counter for 24 hours.
2. Using a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, add the dough ingredients to the starter, starting with ½ c all purpose flour. Add additional all purpose flour as needed to help the dough come together. Knead on the mixer for 4-5 minutes, or turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand for 10-15 minutes.
   Shape the kneaded dough into a ball. Cover it with a damp tea towel and let it rise in a warm, draft-free place for 2 hours.
3. Knead the dough a couple of times and shape it into its final round shape. Place the shaped dough onto a cornmeal-dusted baking sheet. Brush the top of the dough with a little of the egg white mixture and cut a few slices in the top of the dough, using a serrated knife. Let the shaped dough rise for 40-50 minutes.
4. Close to the end of rising time, preheat your oven to 425F (220C). Bake the bread for 40-45 minutes, until the bread sounds hollow when tapped.
5. Remove the bread from the baking sheet, and let it cool at least 10-15 minutes on a wire rack before cutting and serving with fresh butter.

---