This is
another attempt of mine to bake a proper 'German' bread. With
'German' bread I mean a bread that has a nice crust, lots of flavour
and is moist and soft on the inside. Just like you get it in the
country side in Germany. I must say, I'm slowly getting there. It is
a fact I am proud of because good bread is one of the few things I
really miss living here in India. Bread like this can be eaten just
by itself or maybe with some butter on it.
This time
I first made a sponge starter and also gave the dough lots of time to
rise and develop at a rather low temperature. As a result the bread
has lots of flavour and a very mild sourness to it. It is definitely
worth the effort and time you put into it. I therefore recommend to
make this bread on a day when you don't have to leave the house. The
result will compensate you royally for the sacrifice of staying home.
It is a
common practice in Europe to make a starter dough for bread. There
are different types of starter doughs and they take anywhere between
5 hours for a sponge, 15 hours for an Italian Biga and 5 days for a
traditional sour dough.
For the
sponge starter I dissolve 7g dry yeast in 250ml warm water. The
amount of yeast might be different depending n the kind of yeast you
use. The dry yeast I use recommends 25g dry yeast for 750-1000g of
flour. In a bowl I now mix 175g whole wheat flour with the yeast
mixture until I have a smooth batter. I cover the bowl with cling
foil and leave the batter for 5-6 hours to develop. In warm and humid
areas like Chennai, where I live, the batter will need only 3-4 hours
to develop.
The sponge
is ready when it doubled to tripled in volume and has lots of
bubbles.
For the
bread dough I mix in a big bowl 200g whole wheat flour with 70g hard
wheat semolina, 100g barley flour, 100g pearl millet flour, 30g split
sorghum, 50 gluten powder and a pinch of salt.
In a small
bowl I dissolve 18g dry yeast in 250ml warm water. I now carefully
mix the sponge starter with the dissolved yeast until it is well
combined.
I pour the
starter mixture into the middle of the dry ingredients and mix it to
a smooth dough. This dough I knead for 10-15 minutes to ensure that
the gluten is well developed. I transfer the dough into a slightly
oiled bowl and cover it with a cling foil. The dough needs to rise
for 7-8 hours or over night at a room temperature of 18-22°C. Here
in Chennai I usually place it for 5-6 hours in a corner of my
air-conditioned bedroom as it is the only room where the temperature
is anywhere close to the required temperature. This slow rising
process will give the bread lots of flavour and a mild sour taste.
It is now
time to pre-heat the oven to 220-240°C.
I
carefully knock the dough down and knead it for about 2 minutes. I
slightly grease a 18cm round baking dish. I take the dough out of the
bowl onto a slightly floured table top and form it into a round ball.
This I roll in 3-4 table spoons puffed amaranth, place it into the
greased baking dish and bake it at 220-240°C for 45-60 minutes or
until it sounds hollow when you knock on it.
Take it
out of the oven and after 5 minutes out of the baking dish. Let it
cool on a wire rack. Once it is completely cooled slice it and enjoy
it.
Enjoy and
have fun in the kitchen!
Love
Carola
