In the realm of bread-making, German Country-Style Sourdough Rye Bread with Caraway Seeds stands as a testament to the harmonious marriage of tradition and taste. This delectable bread, deeply rooted in German culinary heritage, captivates the senses with its distinct sour flavor, dense texture, and aromatic caraway seeds. Embark on a culinary journey as we explore the intricacies of this classic bread, unraveling the secrets behind its unique characteristics. Discover the art of crafting a sourdough starter, the foundation of sourdough bread's distinctive sour flavor. Learn the techniques for mixing, kneading, and shaping the dough, ensuring a perfect balance of texture and density. Delve into the secrets of fermentation, a crucial step that imparts the bread with its characteristic tanginess. Finally, witness the transformation as the bread bakes to perfection, emerging from the oven with a golden-brown crust and an irresistible aroma that permeates the air. The article also includes a variation featuring a combination of rye and wheat flours, catering to diverse preferences and dietary needs. Whether you're a seasoned baker or a novice eager to explore the world of sourdough, this comprehensive guide will equip you with the knowledge and confidence to create this German Country-Style Sourdough Rye Bread with Caraway Seeds in the comfort of your own kitchen.
Let's cook with our recipes!
SOURDOUGH RYE WITH CARAWAY SEEDS
Provided by Food Network
Time 10h20m
Yield Yield: 2 long 12-inch loaves
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Combine the starter and water in a 6-quart bowl. Break up the starter well with a wooden spoon and stir until it loosens and the mixture is slightly frothy. Add the rye flour and stir until well combined. Add the whole wheat flour, salt, caraway seeds, and just enough of the bran flour to make a thick mass that is difficult to stir. Turn out onto a well-floured surface and knead, adding remaining flour when needed, until dough is soft and smooth, 15 to 17 minutes, or make in a heavy-duty mixer. All finished rye doughs will remain slightly sticky. Be cautious about adding too much flour when kneading. The dough is ready when a little pulled from the mass springs back quickly.
- Shape the dough into a ball and let it rest on a lightly floured surface while you scrape, clean, and lightly oil the large bowl. Place the dough in the bowl and turn once to coat with oil. Take the dough's temperature (ideal temperature is 78 degrees). Cover with a clean damp towel or plastic wrap and place in a moderately warm (74 to 80 degrees) draft free place until doubled in volume.
- Deflate the dough by pushing down in the center and pulling up on the sides. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead briefly. Cut into 2 equal pieces. Flatten each with the heel of your hand. Shape each piece into a 12-inch log for long loaves.
- Using 2 well-floured towels and wood blocks, make a couche* in a moderately warm draft-free place. Place the loaves seam side up the couche. Cover with a clean damp towel or plastic wrap and let proof until almost doubled in volume, or until a slight indentation remains when the dough is pressed with the fingertip.
- Preheat the oven and baking stone on the center rack of the oven to 450 degrees, 45 minutes to 1 hour before baking. The oven rack must be in the center of the oven. If it is in the lower 1/3 of the oven the bottom of the breads may burn, and if it is in the upper 1/3, the top crusts may burn. Gently slip the loaves from the couche onto a well-floured peel so that they are right side up. Using a very sharp, serrated knife or a single-edged razor blade, score the loaves by making quick shallow cuts 1/4 to 1/2-inch deep along the surface.
- Using the peel, slide the loaves onto the hearth. Quickly spray the inner walls and floor of the oven with cold water from a spritzer bottle. If there's an electric light bulb in the oven, avoid spraying it directly?it may burst. Spray for several seconds until steam has filled the oven. Quickly close the door to trap the steam and bake 3 minutes. Spray again in the same way, closing the door immediately so that steam doesn't escape. Bake until loaves begin to color, about 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375 degrees and bake until loaves are a rich caramel color and the crusts are firm, another 15 to 20 minutes.
- To test the loaves for doneness, remove and hold the loaves upside down. Strike the bottoms firmly with your finger. If the sound is hollow, the breads are done. If it doesn't sound hollow, bake 5 minutes longer. Cool completely on wire racks.
- Note: If the dough temperature is higher than 78 degrees, put it in a cooler than (78 degree) place like the refrigerator, until the dough cools to 78 degrees. If it is lower than 78 degrees, put in it a warmer than 78 degree place until the dough warms to 78 degrees. The point is to try to keep the dough at 78 degrees during its fermentation. If you do have to move the dough, be gentle and don't jostle it, or the dough may deflate.
- *Couche?French for "couch" or "resting place". This is a simple holding device you make yourself for proofing long loaves like logs, torpedo shapes, and baguettes. Using well-floured canvas or linen towels create folds to separate loaves while hold them securely next to each other during proofing. Use a length of fabric at least a yard long. Place 12 to 16-inch wooden blocks cut from 2 by 4's at either long end to contain the loaves. Or substitute large books to contain the loaves.
- Place the chef in a tall 2 to 3-quart flat bottomed, round, clear plastic container with a tight fitting lid. Add the rye flour and spring water, and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture becomes thick and pasty. Mark the level of the mixture on the side of the container with a black marking pen. Scrape down, cover tightly, and let stand in a moderately warm (74 to 80 degree) draft-free place until almost doubled in volume, 8 to 10 hours. The mixture will look light and spongy. You can observe the level of sourdough by using the black mark on the side of the container as an indicator. Do not let the sourdough ferment for longer than 10 hours, or the yeast may exhaust itself and the dough may not rise properly. The ripe chef has now produced 18 ounces of ripe sourdough, which you can use in any rye sourdough recipe.
- The Rye Chef: Day 1 1/2 cup (4 fluid ounces) spring water 2/3 cup (3 ounces) organic stone-ground rye flour, preferably medium ground
- In a tall 2 to 3-quart clear plastic container with a tight-fitting lid, stir together the water and flour. Scrape down the sides of the container with a rubber spatula. Cover tightly and put in moderate (74 to 80 degree) place for 24 hours.
- Day 2 1/2 cup (4 fluid ounces) spring water 2/3 cup (3 ounces) organic stone-ground rye flour, preferably medium ground
- Open the container. The young chef will probably show few signs of activity; the mixture will look like cardboard pulp. Don't worry! It's still a young chef. It will, however, have a sweet and musty smell and the beginnings of a tangy taste. Continue building the chef by adding the water and rye flour. Stir vigorously to bring fresh oxygen into the chef and distribute the fresh flour and water. Scrape down the sides, cover tightly and put in a moderate (74 to 80 degrees) place for another 24 hours.
- Day 3 1/2 cup (4 fluid ounces) spring water 2/3 cup (3 ounces) organic stone-ground rye flour, preferably medium ground
- The chef should have expanded noticeably. There should be bubbles on the surface. Taste it; it will have a pronounced sour taste and smell. Hold the container up and observe the large and small holes formed beneath the surface. Stir it with a wooden spoon; you should hear the faint crackle of gas bubbles popping. The chef is very much alive and maturing. Insert the spoon again and lift it up slowly. Short glutinous strands will stick to the spoon. Once again, nourish the chef by vigorously stirring in another addition of the spring water and rye flour. Scrape down the sides, cover tightly again, and return to its moderate-temperature place. Let stand for another 24 hours.
- Day 4 1/2 cup (4 fluid ounces) spring water 2/3 cup (3 ounces) organic stone-ground rye flour, preferably medium ground
- The chef is almost mature and ripe. It has expanded a great deal; maybe almost doubled in volume from Day 3, and it is very lively with bubbles and a well-developed cellular structure. You will see a honeycomb of large and small holes through the clear plastic container. Taste and smell the chef; it is pungent and unmistakably tangy, sour but not bitter. Nourish again with the last addition of spring water and rye flour, stirring vigorously. Using a black marker pen, mark the level of the chef on the side of the clear plastic container. Scrape down the sides, cover tightly, and let stand again in the same place for only 8 hours.
- If your chef was ripe, the mixture should almost double in volume. You can check its growth by comparing the height of the risen chef against the mark you made on the side of the container before the last rising.
- The chef is now ready to use to create your sourdough starter. If you are not going to make the starter immediately, refrigerate the chef in its tightly covered container for up to 3 days.
GERMAN COUNTRY STYLE SOURDOUGH RYE BREAD WITH CARAWAY SEEDS
When I lived in Germany I loved all the different types of breads that were on offer; so many different textures and flavours - lots of them with seeds, onions, cheese and grains. This has to be my all time favourite however - a light and slightly chewy sourdough rye bread with caraway seeds - the very essence of traditional German flavours! This bread has been adapted for the Bread Machine/Maker, and works EXTREMELY well when made this way. However, you can of course make it by hand in the more traditonal manner, as I like to do when I have lots of "bread making time"! This bread makes superb sandwiches and is perfect when served with soups, pates, cold meats, hams, corned beef, cheese and pickles. The "sponge" sourdough starter needs to ferment only overnight, making this a light style sourdough bread. This bread also keeps very well for up to 4 to 5 days.
Provided by French Tart
Categories Sourdough Breads
Time 15h
Yield 14 Slices - Medium Loaf
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- To make the sourdough Sponge.
- Mix all the ingredients together to make a smooth paste, cover with a tea towel and leave to ferment overnight at room temperature, for between 8 to 12 hours.
- To make the bread.
- When you are ready to make the bread, pour the water into the bucket, followed by all of the sourdough sponge and then add the caraway seeds.
- The add in this order: rye flour, salt, sugar and then the white bread flour.
- Finally sprinkle the dried yeast over the top and fit the bucket into the bread machine/maker.
- Set to the rapid wholemeal setting, for a medium sized loaf (750g) with the crust setting of your choice.
- Once the bread has cooked - take it carefully out of the bucket and leave to cool on a wire cooling rack. Remove the paddle if it is still in the bread before slicing.
- Serve with soups, hams, cold meats, cheese and pickles or make sandwiches of your choice.
GERMAN RYE BREAD WITH CARAWAY SEEDS
Enjoy the rich dark taste of rye bread with this recipe for a traditional German loaf. Time does not include resting / rising.
Provided by English_Rose
Categories Breads
Time 50m
Yield 1 loaf
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Place 8oz of the rye flour and the yeast in a large mixing bowl. Add around 3/4 cup of tepid water and mix it thoroughly to make a thick batter
- Set the dough aside to rest for around 2 hours, until the batter has risen and then fallen.
- Add the remaining flour, remaining tepid water, salt, malt extract, butter and caraway seeds and mix together making a pliable dough.
- Dust the inside of a rye loaf basket with flour. Shape the dough into a loaf and place in the basket. Set aside to rise for 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F
- Place the risen loaf on a baking tray lined with baking parchment. Dust lightly with rye flour and bake for 30 minutes.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 2136, Fat 57.5, SaturatedFat 30.2, Cholesterol 121.9, Sodium 5897.1, Carbohydrate 372.7, Fiber 76.2, Sugar 10.6, Protein 50
GERMAN RYE BREAD
"We like this homemade rye so much that I seldom buy bread anymore," writes May Ann Bonk of New Berlin, Wisconsin. "For the past 10 years, I've made this bread for our church bake sales and it always goes quickly."
Provided by Taste of Home
Time 1h
Yield 4 loaves (8 slices each).
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- In a 4-qt. glass bowl, dissolve yeast in 2 cups warm water; whisk in rye flour until smooth. Cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel. Let stand in a warm place for about 4 hours or until batter falls about 1 in. and surface bubble activity is reduced. Stir in the sugar, caraway seeds, salt, 5 cups all-purpose flour and remaining water; mix well. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a firm dough. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Cover and let rest for 15 minutes., Divide dough into four portions. Cover and let rest for 15 minutes. Shape into four round loaves, about 6 in. each. Coat two baking sheets with cooking spray; sprinkle each with 1 teaspoon cornmeal. Place loaves on pans. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes., With a sharp knife, make several slashes across the top of each loaf. Brush with egg. Sprinkle each loaf with 1 teaspoon caraway seeds. Bake at 400° for 30-35 minutes, rotating pans after 15 minutes, or until browned. Cool on wire racks.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 136 calories, Fat 1g fat (0 saturated fat), Cholesterol 7mg cholesterol, Sodium 150mg sodium, Carbohydrate 29g carbohydrate, Fiber 2g fiber), Protein 4g protein.
Tips:
- Make sure your sourdough starter is active and bubbly before using it in the recipe.
- If you don't have caraway seeds, you can substitute another type of seed, such as fennel seeds or coriander seeds.
- The dough will be very sticky, so it's important to flour your hands and work surface well.
- Be patient when kneading the dough. It will take some time to come together.
- If the dough is too sticky to handle, you can add a little more flour, but be careful not to add too much or the bread will be dry.
- The bread is done baking when it has a golden brown crust and sounds hollow when tapped.
- Let the bread cool completely before slicing and serving.
Conclusion:
German Country Style Sourdough Rye Bread with Caraway Seeds is a delicious and hearty bread that is perfect for sandwiches, toast, or just eating on its own. The sourdough starter gives the bread a slightly sour flavor, while the caraway seeds add a nutty flavor. This bread is a great way to use up leftover sourdough starter and is sure to become a favorite in your home.
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