Vollkornbrot
Vollkornbrot: heavy whole-rye tin loaf with cracked grains and seeds
Vollkornbrot is the dense, seedy tin loaf of northern Germany, from Hamburg to Bremen, sliced thin and eaten for breakfast or packed for work in a lunchbox with cheese, cucumber or a smear of quark. It is almost all whole rye: cracked grains, rye meal and a mix of sunflower seeds, linseed and sesame, all soaked overnight so the bread stays moist for a week. There is no shaping and no kneading, which makes it easier than it looks. A common mistake is cutting it warm, which leaves the knife and the slices gummy. Chef's tip: let the loaf cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn it out and wrap it in a tea towel overnight; the crust softens slightly and the crumb sets evenly.
- Total time
- 680 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 14
Ingredients
For the soaker
For the leaven
For the dough
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: The night before, pour the 1 ½ cups boiling water over the 9 oz cracked rye grains, 2 ⅞ oz sunflower seeds, 1 ¾ oz linseed and 1 oz sesame seeds, stir, cover and leave. Separately, mix the ⅔ oz active rye sourdough starter, 7 oz wholegrain rye flour and ¾ cup warm water into a paste, cover and leave at room temperature for 12 hours.
15 minStep 2: Next day, mix the leaven, the soaked grains, 7 oz wholegrain rye flour, ½ oz salt, 1 tbsp sugar beet syrup or dark golden syrup and ½ cup warm water with a stiff spatula for 4–5 minutes into a thick, porridge-like dough with no dry flour left.
10 minStep 3: Oil a 1 kg loaf tin with the 1 tsp oil, spoon in the dough and smooth it with a wet spatula. Scatter over the 2 tbsp extra sunflower seeds and press it in lightly. Cover and prove in a warm spot for 2–3 hours, until it has risen by about a third and small holes show on top.
150 minStep 4: Heat the oven to 450°F (400°F fan) with a tray of water on the bottom shelf. Bake for 15 minutes, then lower to 350°F (325°F fan) and bake 60–65 minutes more, until the loaf shrinks from the sides and reads 207°F in the middle.
80 minStep 5: Cool 10 minutes in the tin, turn out, wrap in a tea towel and leave overnight before slicing thinly.
10 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 200 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbs
- 26 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Fibre
- 7 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does vollkornbrot take?
- About 680 minutes in total: 600 minutes to prepare and 80 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 14 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of sesame seeds?
- Poppy seeds or finely chopped pumpkin seeds, same amount.
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